John Nathan Cobb : founding Director of the College of Fisheries, University of Washington, Seattle

Marine Fisheries Review, Summer, 2003 by J. Richard Dunn

Fisheries, mainly for salmon, were of significant importance to Seattle. By the 1900's, over a million cases of salmon were packed in Puget Sound and about 5,000 men were employed in fisheries work in Seattle. By 1911, most of the fish packers in Alaska were headquartered in Seattle. They handled some 100,000 tons of fish products annually (Berner, 1991).

The University of Washington was also undergoing a major period of growth during 1900-1920. Faculty numbers grew from 33 in 1902 to 194 in 1913. Enrollment increased from fewer than 200 students in 1898 to over 700 in 1903-1904 and to more than 3,300 in 1913. The campus expanded with new buildings. The University's first marine laboratories, the Puget Sound Biological Laboratories, were established at Friday Harbor, Washington, in 1904 (Gates, 1961; Berner, 1991). As early as 1912, the U.W. Zoology Department was conducting research on the commercial fishing industry. (33)

The stimulus to action by the U.W. in developing a school of fisheries was provided in 1913 by Bureau of Fisheries Commissioner Smith (Stickney, 1989). (34) Smith submitted a paper to the Annual Meeting of the American Fisheries Society in Boston, Mass., titled "The Need for a National Institution for the Technical Instruction of Fisherfolk" (Smith, 1914). (35) Smith argued that technical education in the U.S. was lacking for fishermen, processors, and those involved in conservation of resources. He urged that this void be filled.

Smith's paper makes clear that he was primarily interested in educating the commercial fishermen in the ways of his industry, as opposed to educating people to become fishery scientists: "[instruction for] improvement of methods of taking, handling, preserving, and utilizing water products." He offered "A tentative plan for an institution for the imparting of practical technical instruction to American fisherfolk ..." Smith, however, also advocated instruction "To become technical experts in the administration of the fishery services of nation or state" and "To engage in or take charge of national or state fish-cultural work" (Smith, 1914).

Smith felt that Seattle was the ideal place for such a school. He therefore wrote the Acting President of the University of Washington, Henry Landes (1867-1936) in February 1914:

   "I take liberty to bring to your
   attention the great desirability of
   establishing at the University of
   Washington a school of fisheries,
   or at least a comprehensive course
   in fisheries, having for its object
   the equipping of young men and
   young women for practical work
   in the service of the federal government,
   the various states, and private
   establishments having to do with
   artificial propagation, the curing
   and marketing of fishery products,
   and the administration of the fishing
   industry."

Smith further commented on the extensive need for trained people and the lack of qualified workers for the technical aspects of fisheries. He noted that training of "fisherfolk" was a neglected area, and suggested that Seattle was an ideal place for such a school due to its importance to the fishing industry of the Northwest. (36)