MEMORIES - TOM BEARD

My Experiences at Evergreen

When I say I was an Evergreen student, I was, but in a special category. I did my third and fourth year at Evergreen but was seldom on campus. Sinclair and Hanfman were my principal instructors. Hanfman was tough on writing! I did one ten week quarter with him submitting six pages at the end of the first week. At the end of the quarter I believe I had seven pages. He forced me to be critical about my editing. My saying to myself now is there must be at least 17 re-writes before I begin to consider anything presentable. (This is an exception.)

Most of the other work involved internships--big ones at the Museum of History and Industry in Seattle. But the real work in research and writing began in graduate school at Western Washington in the history department. My writing skills were further tempered through a graduate course at Munson Institute, Mystic Seaport, in Connecticut. Now that was tough writing! We had to create about two papers (15 pages each ) a week from researched materials. Their exams were as tough as I've ever experienced. Three hours to write about three thousand words on a specific period of US maritime history including quotes and citations. No notes--just memory. I felt very lucky indeed when I won their annual prize for writing.

Something else you don't know about me. I didn't start at Evergreen until I was 45 years old. Photos of codgers are rare. I don't believe I even have one. And no one really wants to see what a 65 year old looks like. But I'll favor you with something.

When attending Western, my wife (who attended TESC at the same time as I did through an extension project here in Port Angeles, but did not graduate), and I, both in graduate school, bought a boat to live on instead of getting an apartment for our stay in Bellingham. After completing our studies and before we sought a career we decided to go off cruising on our 37 foot sailboat. Just for a year or two. That was in 1984. We have been pretty much at it since. We have sailed nearly twice around the world and have visited about 50 different countries. It left little time for writing - the research kind. I got a contract to write a book while we were cruising the Greek Islands, so we flew home and did that book. Since then our sailing time has been chopped up and I'm spending more time at the keyboard.

I have been quite fortunate in getting my stuff published. (Though this winter's work shows more rejections than usual.)

I'll attach a paper I presented in Honolulu this past February. It is now on the Internet at the Coast Guard History site. (Don't have it readily available presently--my connection is messing up.) My books may be in the TESC library--they were once. Author's name is Barrett Thomas Beard. You can also find a review or two on Amazon for Wonderful Flying Machines. Here too, is a manuscript copy of an article written for the Navy Museum's Magazine, FOUNDATION. It is a bio sketch of sorts. I can make up a bundle of copies of articles for you if you like and I would be pleased to work with any writing groups sharing my experiences and secrets.

I see this is too long already--one quality of a good history writer and the bane of editors.