Larry Seaquist
Larry Seaquist | |
---|---|
Member of the Washington House of Representatives from the 26th district | |
In office January 8, 2007 – January 12, 2015 | |
Preceded by | Derek Kilmer |
Succeeded by | Michelle Caldier |
Personal details | |
Born | [1] Idaho Falls, Idaho, U.S. | July 9, 1938
Political party | Democratic |
Spouse(s) | Carla Seaquist |
Alma mater | Oregon State University (BS) |
Military service | |
Allegiance | United States |
Branch/service | ![]() |
Rank | Captain |
Unit | USS Iowa (BB-61) |
Larry R. Seaquist (born July 6, 1938) is an American politician, retired Navy captain, and academic who served as a member of the Washington House of Representatives from 2007 to 2015. He ran for Pierce County executive in 2020 and lost to incumbent Republican Bruce Dammeier by ten percentage points.
Early life and education[]
Seaquist was born September 7, 1938, In Idaho Falls, Idaho, the first of five children of Dorothy to Roger Seaquist, Seaquist lived on the family farm and attended Ammon Elementary School in Ammon, Idaho. After sharecropping on several farms in the area, his parent scraped together the down payment for a 100-acre farm outside Vale, Oregon. Graduating as class valedictorian from Vale High School in 1956, Seaquist attended Oregon State University in Corvallis, Oregon, studying physics and meteorology. Seaquist dropped out of college in his junior year, working for a few months as a firefighter and ambulance driver for the Corvallis Fire Department. Seaquist later earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from Oregon State in 1963.[2]
Career[]
Arctic and Antarctic service[]
Hired by the National Weather Service, Seaquist began on his 21st birthday a year-long assignment as a weather observer at the Barter Island radar site of the Distant Early Warning Line. Living beside the indigenous village of Kaktovic, Alaska, Seaquist becoming a specialist in flying twice-daily radiosonde balloon probes of the atmosphere and reporting on ice and weather conditions.
Military[]
Seaquist served in the United States Navy from 1962 to 1994. He worked at the Pentagon and retired after serving as the captain of the USS Iowa (BB-61).[3] He commanded the Iowa from 25 April 1986[4] through 26 May 1988.[5] He was renowned on USS Iowa at choosing an enlisted crew member each day, telling them to be on the bridge at 1800 hours and have a song ready which the crew member had to create. At 1800 hours, the Captain would announce "I'd like to introduce you to today's singing bosun mate", at which time the crew member had to sing over the ships 1MC announcement system to the entire crew. He served as a technical adviser for the 2001 film A Glimpse of Hell.[6]
Politics[]
In 2007, Seaquist was elected to the Washington House of Representatives, representing Washington's 26th legislative district, which covers the Kitsap Peninsula from Bremerton and Port Orchard in the north to Gig Harbor in the south. In 2014, Seaquist lost his seat in a heated election to Michelle Caldier.[7]
Later career[]
Since leaving the Washington House of Representatives, Seaquist has worked as a Political Science professor at the Evergreen State College, and speaks as an expert on national security and military issues.[8]
References[]
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2013-07-03. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ NWOlympia, The Evergreen State College2700 Evergreen Parkway; Washington 98505867-6000Phone; Inquiries, Email DirectoriesMedia (2019-06-18). "SEAQUISL". The Evergreen State College. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
- ^ "Archived copy". Archived from the original on 2011-06-11. Retrieved 2013-04-16.
{{cite web}}
: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) - ^ Thompson, p. 28, gives 25 April as the date of the change of command.
- ^ Thompson, pp. 33–35.
- ^ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LpL32oTzivg
- ^ Schrader, Jordan (November 10, 2014). "Michelle Caldier unseats Rep. Larry Seaquist". The News Tribune. Retrieved 29 June 2018.
- ^ ArLuther Lee, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution. "NEW: Lawmakers, veterans blast Navy for firing captain after his pleas for help". ajc. Retrieved 2020-04-07.
Additional sources[]
- Thompson, Charles C. (1999). A Glimpse of Hell: The Explosion on the USS Iowa and Its Cover-Up. W.W. Norton. ISBN 0393047148.
External links[]
- USS Iowa - What it's like to actually command a battleship. YouTube. drachinifel. April 21, 2021. Archived from the original on 2021-12-15. Larry Seaquist in conversation with British YouTuber naval historian drachinifel.
- 1938 births
- Living people
- Washington (state) Democrats
- Members of the Washington House of Representatives
- Oregon State University alumni
- People from Idaho Falls, Idaho
- United States Navy officers