Spanning approximately 12,000 square feet, the historic ASUW Shell House is located just feet from the northeast edge of the Montlake Cut and stands as a testament to UW鈥檚 enduring spirit of community, achievement and perseverance. The renovation of the 107-year-old building, preserving its open, hangar-style layout, is made possible by public funding and private philanthropic support. The building will seat up to 250 people, be available for both student and public use 鈥� the culmination of eight years of work and $22.5 million in funds raised in order to prepare the iconic structure for its next century.

The Shell House has served many purposes over the years, most famously as the site of the workshop of legendary boat-builder George Pocock, who crafted racing shells that carried Washington Rowing through eight national championship wins, including the legendary team that captured Olympic gold in 1936. It served as the inspiration behind Brown鈥檚 bestselling book and the movie, “The Boys in the Boat.”听Originally built as a WWI seaplane hangar, it most recently has been used as a place to store shells and boats. The location is known as 鈥淐arry a Canoe鈥� in Lushootseed, st蓹x虒史ug史it (stukh-ug-weelth) which for many years served as a natural portage used by families and tribes.

After the war, the Navy’s buildings were turned over to UW. In August 1919 it was announced that most would be sold and removed. Since hangars of this type were considered temporary structures to support the Navy鈥檚 war effort, most were demolished. Student volunteers and crew members dug a 1,000-foot trench to carry steam pipes from Lander Hall to heat the cavernous space, and when all was ready, large letters painted above the huge doors spelled out “A.S.U.W. Shell House.” Today, it remains one of only two such wooden hangars still standing and has become an icon of rowing and UW鈥檚 history.听

鈥淏uildings, like people, have stories to tell,鈥� Brown said. 鈥淚n these fractured times, we all crave examples of people pulling together for some kind of common goal. And that is really what the story of 鈥楾he Boys In the Boat鈥� and this building are all about.鈥�

鈥淏ecause of your support, our campus and community can unite on the water鈥檚 edge, honor our shared legacy and launch a bold future together,鈥� said Denzil Suite, UW’s vice president of student life, whose division oversees the building鈥檚 operations.听

Planning for the renovation project began in 2016. From the beginning, the goal has been for members of the community to contribute ideas for preserving the building鈥檚 historic identity, while adapting it for modern use and ensuring its structural integrity of its facilities 鈥� making it an ideal space for events, programs and community gatherings. An exhibit honoring the historic Pocock shop and rowing legacy of the UW and the Seattle region, together with the restoration of the historic wood interior and hangar doors are key features.

Many aspects of the historic preservation were considered, including legacy, community impact, budget, adaptation to modern building codes, shoreline improvements and legal requirements.听听

鈥淲e are deeply grateful to every member of our community who shared their input, passion and perspective,鈥� Jones said. 鈥淭ogether, we are not only honoring the remarkable history of the ASUW Shell House, but also shaping a welcoming, functional space that will serve generations to come and ensure its long-term vitality.鈥�

The University established a large and diverse advisory committee to represent the building鈥檚 many different histories as well as its variety of future users. Over the past several years, the committee has provided valuable perspectives surrounding the project. These perspectives will ensure that the finished building incorporates a wide array of viewpoints from individuals who care deeply about the story that inspired a nation.听听

鈥淩ooted in a rich history of gathering and purpose, the iconic space has long brought students, athletes and the broader community together,鈥� UW Foundation Board member Brooks Simpson said. 鈥淚t will truly be the 鈥榝ront dock鈥� to the UW campus 鈥� greeting students and welcoming the public to experience our rich and complex waterfront history.鈥�

听鈥淛ust as with any good crew, we are unique individuals who have learned to row together. Our common cause and careful process have led to the plan that we now embark on,鈥� former State Sen. Mark Mullet said. Mullet, who previously served on the Senate Ways & Means (budget) committee and as vice chair of the capital budget, helped to secure $3 million in state funding investment for the renovation and adaptive use. 鈥淭ogether, we will ensure that the building 鈥� its beams, its rafters and its authentic voice 鈥� remain the first and most important storyteller.鈥�

The ASUW Shell House was the first UW building to be placed on the National Register of Historic Places (1975 as the Old Canoe House), and the first UW building to become a Seattle Landmark (2018). Today, it continues to sit atop a culturally significant site 鈥� a place of gathering and movement for generations past, present and future.听听

Learn more about the history of the ASUW Shell House.

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Editor鈥檚 NOTE:听 The credit: Plomp for Mithun | Sellen) are also available online. Photos from the event are courtesy of Tara Brown Photography.听

Before the oars dip their blades signaling the beginning of the Windemere Cup, before hundreds of flag-draped boats parade from Portage Bay to Lake Washington to open the boating season, the campaign to save the ASUW Shell House at the 天美影视传媒 already can be called a winner.听

The UW鈥檚 鈥淎SUW Shell House: The Next 100 Years鈥� campaign to restore and renovate the iconic building on the Montlake Cut surpassed all expectations, with donors contributing $19.2 million.听

Thanks to donors from around the state and world, the historic building will be renovated as a learning and gathering space. Home to the 1936 rowing team that won Olympic gold and was featured in the best-selling book and feature film, 鈥淭he Boys in the Boat,鈥� the shell house will serve future generations of students and the community, standing as a monument to its history: built as a seaplane hangar for World War I on Coast Salish land that once served as a canoe portage. Over the decades, the building has inspired multiple generations of rowers and students.听

鈥淏y revitalizing this iconic space, we鈥檙e creating a hub where community, creativity and camaraderie will flourish,鈥� said Denzil Suite, vice president for student life. 鈥淚t鈥檚 a space where we can come together as a University, as a region, and work together to accomplish big things.鈥澨�听

The Next 100 Years campaign, which was led by the UW, The Seattle Times, Microsoft and many corporate and community partners, received nearly 5,000 donations, of which 94% were $500 or smaller. The state of Washington, King County, and the National Park Service also contributed to the effort.听

The campaign鈥檚 success also came thanks to leadership from regional champions, corporate and government partners, and local philanthropists. More than 25 gifts to the overall campaign were greater than $100,000.听

Honorary co-chair Judy Rantz Willman found her connection to the Shell House through her father, Joe Rantz. He鈥檚 the central character in the story retold in the book, 鈥淏oys in the Boat,鈥� written by Daniel James Brown, Willman鈥檚 co-chair.听

鈥淭he first time I went inside, it felt almost mystical. Even though it was in a state of disarray, the building still had an air of nobility,鈥� Willman said. “It was enough to bring tears to my eyes and raise the hairs on the back of my neck. The history was still there, still alive.鈥�听

In the same spirit of community that rallied in 1936 to help the UW men鈥檚 rowing team achieve Olympic gold, hundreds of people from the broader community came together late last year to help propel fundraising efforts to the finish line for the historic shell house. They also gave to the UW men鈥檚 and women鈥檚 rowing teams; and the Husky Promise, which covers the tuition and fees for low-income students from Washington.听

Beginning at the UW Salute to Service football game in early November and continuing until the premiere of the 鈥淏oys in the Boat鈥� film on Dec. 25, the six-week 鈥淧ull Together鈥� campaign showcased the broad range of support for the UW:听

• Nearly a third of donations came from donors who previously had no direct UW affiliation.听
• One in five donations came from UW faculty, staff, students and retirees.听
• The 天美影视传媒 Alumni Association provided matching funding, doubling the impact of gifts of up to $500 made by current UW faculty, staff and retirees.听
• More than 700 gifts raised a total of $2.8 million.听

Visit the ASUW Shell House webpage to learn more about the historic structure and how to support its long-term operation.听听

The large sliding doors no longer open. The roof has degraded. The paint is peeling.

But its history runs deep. Its bones are strong. And its legacy is worth preserving.

Perched on the southeast corner of the 天美影视传媒 campus, where the Montlake Cut meets Union Bay, the ASUW Shell House looks as vulnerable as it does majestic. Over the course of a century, the structure built as a critical wartime post later was the home to a group of rowers who captured the nation鈥檚 imagination before becoming an all-but-forgotten artifact of the past.

Now, propelled by a wave of renewed interest, the 12,000-square-foot wooden structure is the focus of an $18.5 million campaign that will restore and renovate the space, with the goal of once again opening its doors as a learning and gathering space for UW students and the broader community.

The fundraising effort received a significant early boost from Microsoft President Brad Smith and Kathy Surace-Smith, Vice President at NanoString, who personally committed $5 million. Microsoft Philanthropies dedicated an additional $2 million, while contributions from other lead donors, including Challenge Seattle, Theresa Gillespie & John Stanton, Bruce & Jeannie Nordstrom, Charles & Lisa Simonyi and Mark Torrance 鈥� as well as a $500,000 鈥淪ave America鈥檚 Treasures鈥� grant from the National Park Service 鈥斕齢ave helped bring the fundraising total to $12 million to date.

鈥淲hen you walk into the Shell House, you are immediately struck by the historic nature of it, by the stories that have happened here,鈥� Surace-Smith said.听鈥淲e hope others see what we see, which is the tremendous potential and value of opening and restoring this iconic space for the community.鈥�

Built by the U.S. Navy as a seaplane hangar in 1918 during World War I, the Shell House is one of only two wood hangars from the war remaining in the country 鈥� and the only one to house seaplanes. The building was adapted following the war to serve as the home for UW鈥檚 rowing program for several decades. In a loft upstairs, George Pocock built UW and the world鈥檚 winning shells, including the “Husky Clipper,” which struck gold in at the 1936 Olympics in Berlin. The UW rowing team鈥檚 journey, representing the U.S., is described in the book 鈥淭he Boys in the Boat,鈥� which has sold more than 3.3 million copies and is being adapted into a film directed by George Clooney.

鈥淭his could be a special place where visitors from other states and countries can visit, learn, and be moved by what happened here,鈥� Brad Smith said. 鈥淏ut perhaps most importantly, it鈥檚 a place for the people who live here to meet and accomplish great things the way the 鈥楤oys in the Boat鈥� did, and that is what inspired us to step forward.鈥�

Plans for the space include interactive exhibits about its history, an expanded waterfront event space for students and the community, and a re-activated Pocock workshop where the sounds and smells of the building will be brought to life. Wooden Pocock shells will be on display in various stages of construction and a boat builder will make repairs and share knowledge about the process. The landscape design will also reflect the area鈥檚 waterlines before the Montlake Cut connected Lake Washington and Lake Union. The Duwamish people would come together at the Shell House鈥檚 location to portage across the narrow isthmus that spanned the water. The spot鈥檚 Lushootseed name 鈥� st蓹x虒史ug史i艂 (stukh-ug-weelth) 鈥� means 鈥渃arry a canoe.鈥� Canoe culture will be taught and celebrated at the Shell House.

鈥淢icrosoft can only be as strong as the community around it.听And our job is always to build community 鈥� artists, teachers, historians, engineers, public servants 鈥� people from all walks of life coming together and rowing in the right direction,鈥� said Jane Broom, Senior Director for Microsoft Philanthropies in Washington state.听鈥淎nd as a metaphor, this building represents all of that.听We have an opportunity here to preserve that legacy and ensure that these stories exist for generations to come, at this place where we can all gather and remember that community is the most important thing that we build.鈥�

After a century of wear, the goal of raising enough funds to preserve and bring to life this iconic building, preparing it for the next 100 years, is within reach. But more help is needed.

鈥淲e are so grateful to Brad and Kathy, to Microsoft Philanthropies and to the many others who have already supported this effort, for their generous contributions that will help restore this iconic piece of the UW鈥檚 history and prepare it for the next century as a gathering space for our students and broader community,鈥� said Denzil Suite, the UW鈥檚 Vice President for Student Life. 鈥淭hese incredible gifts are propelling our fundraising effort, but there is plenty of space left in this boat and our hope is that they inspire other leaders within our region鈥檚 business community to grab an oar and help us reach our goal.鈥�

You can learn more about the ASUW听Shell House听and its history at听asuwshellhouse.uw.edu.

Historian Glennys Young featured in Spanish TV documentary about Cold War-era interrogation program

, professor of history and of international studies and chair of the Department of History, was featured in a Spanish television documentary, “,” which aired in October. The film is about years-long CIA interrogations of Spanish citizens during the Cold War who were sent as children to the Soviet Union in 1937 to escape the Spanish Civil War, then later returned to their homeland in the 1950s. Young, a specialist in Russian and Soviet history, was interviewed in June of 2019 while in Spain for book research. Watch a for the film. Read more on the department .

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Distinguished educator award, national committee posts for Evans School’s Ann Bostrom

, professor in the Evans School of Public Policy & Governance, has received the from the Society for Risk Analysis. The award is given each year to “that teacher, author or mentor who has contributed substantially to the training of new experts in risk analysis.” The Evans School’s Allison Cullen received the award in 2014.

Bostrom, the Weyerhaeuser Endowed Professor in Environmental Policy, also has recently been named to two national committees. She will serve a three-year term on an advisory committee with the federal . And she has been named to the National Academies of Science, Engineering and Medicine’s .

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State historic preservation award for Nicole Klein and colleagues with ASUW Shell House’s ‘The Next 100 Years’ campaign

The Washington State Department of Archaeology and Historic Preservation has named Nicole Klein and fellow members of the ASUW Shell House’s “The Next 100 Years” campaign the recipients of its 2020 . Klein is capital campaign manager for the ASUW Shell House.

“Driven by the building鈥檚 centennial in 2018 along with the inspiring story chronicled in ,’ a group of UW alums, former rowing team members, the student union, plus friends and family, came together

with a vision to restore and open up the building for public education and enjoyment,” the award states. “Nicole was the perfect person to lead this ambitious fundraising effort. Her passion for the preservation of this building and its rich history is boundless.”

Klein also credits Matt Newman, director of UW Recreation, for gathering the team, which also included veterans and area tribal members as well as historians and architects, aviators, sailors and UW staff and faculty.

The 2020 awards also included a special achievement honor for the new on the UW campus, saying, “The new facility offers superior protection and curation of our region’s shared heritage that will continue to be preserved.”