Inventory   [ + ]

Guide to the Saul Haas Papers
1917-1973

Saul Haas, ca. 1936. In Seattle Guide, Sept. 26-Oct. 3, 1936. Special Collections, UW Libraries

Biographical Note

Saul Haas was a Democratic politician, broadcasting executive, and customs official of Seattle, Wash. Born in New York City in 1898, he attended North Idaho College of Education and worked as a teacher and as a reporter before becoming the managing editor of the Seattle Union Record from 1920 to 1928. Haas managed Homer T. Bone's senatorial campaign in 1932 and President Franklin D. Roosevelt's campaign in Washington State in 1936. Active with the Democratic Party during the 1930s and 1940s, he served as Collector of Customs for Seattle and as an official of the U.S. War Finance Committee.

Haas began his broadcasting career in 1935 by buying an almost defunct radio station, KPCB, renamed KIRO. He became president of the Queen City Broadcasting Company in 1945 and remained chairman of the board when KIRO was sold in 1964. His public service included membership on the board of the Corporation for Public Broadcasting from 1969 to 1972. Besides radio and television, Haas was involved in other business interests in the Seattle area. He died in 1972.

Scope and Content

The papers consist of four accessions received from Haas or his wife between 1973 and 1991. Accession no. 2213-1, the largest component of the papers at 16.29 cubic feet, resulted from a merger of former Accession nos. 2213-1, 2213-2, and 2213-3, which had been received between 1973 and 1991. It documents Haas's early activities but also includes papers from his career as a broadcasting executive.

Its contents are arranged in 11 subgroups according to Mr. Haas's separate corporate activities. Since Haas was involved in several organizations at overlapping time periods, the first ten subgroups are ordered by size rather than chronological order. The last subgroup—Personal Papers—includes correspondence and miscellaneous records which were not obviously a part of any one subgroup.

The Homer T. Bone subgroup (1932-1940) consists largely of correspondence between Bone's office and the Washington county organizers for his 1932 senatorial campaign.

The bulk of the Democratic Party subgroup (1936-ca. 1944) consists of lists of constituents and supporters. Haas was State Director of the Democratic National Campaign Committee. He coordinated state and national campaign activities with special interest groups. The subgroup also includes correspondence. The outgoing letters are mostly form letters. The incoming and inter-office are more significant.

The U.S. Customs Bureau, Seattle, Collector subgroup (August 1933-1946) covers the period in which Haas officially worked for the Treasury Department in Seattle. From the office he wielded power and influence in government and the Democratic Party. Correspondence covers all his activities in this period and is generally limited to letters addressed or signed "Collector," "Federal Office Building," "Treasury Department," etc. There are two irregularities in the arrangement:

1. General Correspondence of Homer Bone has been segregated. This correspondence appears to have been handled through Saul Haas who managed Senator Bone's home office.

2. An original file of general correspondence (from F to L), apparently maintained by Haas or his secretary, was left intact. It has letters of some major correspondents and subject files.

The KIRO subgroup (ca. 1934-1964) contains correspondence generally limited to radio, TV, and press associations. Publicly known as the head of KIRO, Haas controlled the station for over thirty years, so material on his radio and press activities may also be found throughout the accession.

The Corporation for Public Broadcasting subgroup (1969-1972) includes reports and agendas for meetings Haas attended as a member of the corporation's board of directors.

The Washington Loan and Securities subgroup (1931-1932) includes correspondence and court papers regarding the bankruptcy and final disposition of company assets. Saul Haas was appointed receiver of the company. The original order was retained for the subgroup and the subject series, "Private."

The U.S. War Finance Committee subgroup (1942-1945) includes correspondence and financial records regarding regional war bond sales.

TheSeattle Union Record subgroup (1920-1928) includes correspondence of Harry B. Ault, who owned and published the paper and worked in close association with Saul Haas.

The Empire Investment Company subgroup (ca. 1928-1931) includes correspondence, financial statements, and stock certificates regarding activities of the firm. The Empire Investment firm, which was organized by Haas and several associates, was involved with real estate, power companies, and stocks.

The Waterfowl League of Washington subgroup (ca. l930s) consists of records apparently inherited by Haas from Louis K. Lear, president of the League. Lear was also president of KIRO before Haas. There is no documented connection between the league and Saul Haas.

The Personal Papers subgroup (1917-1971) includes correspondence addressed to or from Saul Haas without reference to his title (Collector) or it consists of personal subject matter not directly related to his many public, financial, or political activities.

Accession no. 2213-4, one cubic foot, is briefly described in the inventory, but a container listing is not provided.

Accession no. 2213-5, two folders, is briefly described in the inventory, but a container listing is not provided.

Accession no. 2213-6, measuring 1.21 cubic feet and reinstated in the Haas Papers in 1991, relates to his early political activities. As in Accession no. 2213-1, a Homer T. Bone subgroup contains correspondence between Haus and Senator Bone, as well as some of Bone's other correspondence and papers. Haas was a political associate and confidant of Bone, as well as a close friend. Their correspondence reveals much detail about Bone's activities as U.S. senator and Haas's involvement in his affairs. Their correspondence continued after Bone was appointed to the U.S. Circuit Court in San Francisco in 1944. Most of the names of correspondents in this accession are in the A-E portion of the alphabet.

Included in the Bone subgroup is a subject series regarding the U.S. Bonneville Power Administration. This material mostly concerns public power legislation which Senator Bone proposed. In Aug. 1941 he introduced legislation (S.1852) to create an autonomous Columbia Power Authority to administer Bonneville and Grand Coulee Dams. Competing legislation favored by the administration would have put them under the control of the Interior Department. In Apr. 1942 Bone introduced S.2430, a bill to amend the Bonneville Act to authorize the acquisition and building of facilities for the generating of electricity by the Columbia Power Administration.

The rest of the Haas papers were not subgrouped. Many relate to Haas's patronage activities as Collector of Customs from 1933 to 1946, i.e., arranging for appointments to federal patronage jobs. Although most of the correspondence seems to have passed through the Customs Bureau, it is not exclusively concerned with that office and deals with a wide variety of topics. Some is political in nature. Much of Haas's correspondence resulted from his role as an intermediary with Senator Bone and may relate to papers in the Bone subgroup.

Restrictions on Access

Open to all users.

Note: This material is not available for use on Saturdays and holidays.. For general information on our normal business hours, please see our hours of operation listing.

Custodial History

The papers in Accession no. 2213-6 were originally part of Accession no. 2213-3 but were returned to the donor, Mrs. Haas, in 1976. They were processed shortly after their return to the UW Libraries in early 1991.

Separated Material

One photographic portrait of Homer Bone was transferred to the repository's graphic collections.

Inventory