The ties between the Allies were critical for victory during World War II. To strengthen that relationship, the College (now University) of Puget Sound invited British Ambassador Lord Halifax to Tacoma in 1943.
From India to Washington
Lord Halifax’s real name was Edward Wood. Born in 1881, he inherited his father’s seat in the House of Lords. A member of the Conservative Party, he held a number of government offices before being appointed Viceroy of India. As head of the British colonial government from 1926 to 1931, he spearheaded negotiations with Gandhi’s National Congress party for eventual Indian independence.
Halifax returned to parliamentary politics, eventually becoming Secretary of Foreign Affairs. Though he initially promoted appeasement with Nazi Germany, he began to support war as the situation worsened.
Nazi Germany invaded Poland in 1939, sparking World War II. Halifax’s three sons were in the military, serving in North Africa. While eldest son Charles escaped injury, Peter was killed, and Richard (1920-2001) lost both legs after being crushed by an undetonated bomb.
Halifax was Winston Churchill’s main rival for Prime Minister in 1940, but declined the role. That December, Viscount Halifax was appointed British ambassador to the then neutral United States, a role he would continue even after America joined the conflict.
Halifax Was Invited to Tacoma
As ambassador, Halifax traveled frequently. Many times, this was by invitation. And in 1943, the College of Puget Sound invited Halifax to Tacoma to award him an honorary degree. As chancellor of Oxford University, Halifax was a tireless advocate for education.
Accompanied by his wife, Lady Dorothy Onslow Halifax, and their still-recovering son Richard, Halifax made Tacoma a stop on a larger tour of the West Coast. They stopped in Olympia the day before, July 21, where Halifax spoke to the public from the Capitol steps and had dinner at the governor’s mansion.
The party arrived in Tacoma late that night, checking into Hotel Winthrop.
Halifax Meets Tacoma Journalists
The next morning, July 22, Halifax met reporters for an informal press conference at the hotel. Sitting at a conference table, Halifax answered a barrage of questions from the press “pipe in hand,” wrote Dave James of the News Tribune, “slowly tapping each emphatic statement into place.” He was joined by Seattle British consul Harold Swan.
“I might tell you first,” he told the journalists, “I’m here because I’m trying to see as much of the United States as possible, believing it will be possible to do my job better if I can visit every state in the union.”
Halifax was impressed by the American war industry. If only the Axis leaders, he mused, “could follow me through these mighty war plants. The sight would soon cure them of any notions they are going to win. America is doing a grand job.”
Thanking America for its unwavering support of Britain, he assured his listeners that victory was inevitable and promised continued British aid for the war in the Pacific. But, he cautioned, “We must expect no easy victory.” He also hoped for future cooperation between the Allies after the war.
Halifax Impressed by Tacoma War Industry
After concluding the press conference, the ambassador’s party visited the Seattle-Tacoma Shipbuilding Company.
Workers crowded windows, warehouse doors, and climbed atop construction materials to catch a glimpse of the party. Women workers, representing various crafts, pinned corsages on Lady Halifax and May Augusta Swan, the consul’s wife.
A reception was held inside before the party went on a tour of the plant. The visit culminated with a walkthrough of a newly completed aircraft carrier. The group even took a ride down from the flight deck on a plane elevator.
“Magnificent,” the News Tribune quoted Halifax as saying during his visit, “This is an inspiring sight.”
Awarded Honorary College of Puget Sound Degree
The party’s next stop was the College of Puget Sound. Students crowded into C.H. Jones Hall, where the faculty presented Lord Halifax with an honorary doctorate of laws degree.
He addressed students afterward. Contrasting their education with that of the Axis powers, Halifax urged students to “keep pure their best vision of freedom, so through God’s grace we can continue to see it together.”
Lunch was hosted in Kitteridge Hall afterwards. Lady Halifax addressed the crowd. Lord Halifax said little afterwards, joking that he always let his wife have the last word. He told the crowd that while he had told Portland that he would live in Oregon if he didn’t live in England, he hadn’t seen Washington yet.
Dr. Paul Fossum, president of Tacoma’s English-Speaking Union, offered a toast to King George VI. Halifax toasted President Roosevelt. Another toast was made to victory.
After stopping to visit the British Seaman’s Club and British-American War Relief work center, Halifax’s party left for Seattle.
After the War
After the war, Lord Halifax returned to Britain and retired. He continued to work for Anglo-American relations, including serving as president of the Pilgrim Society. He died in 1959.
Richard Wood, Lord Halifax’s son, returned to his studies at Oxford. He was elected to the House of Commons, serving from 1950 to 1979. A member of the Conservative Party, he held various offices. A tireless advocate for those with disabilities, he served as chair of the Disablement Services Authority and president of the Queen Elizabeth’s Foundation for Disabled People. He and his wife had two children.