Henry Broderick (Seattle)
Encyclopedia
Henry Broderick was Seattle, Washington realtor, civic leader, memoirist, and Seattle historian. He arrived in Seattle in 1901 and, in 1908, founded the real estate firm that he would turn into the city's largest.
, Minnesota
where he attended the public schools until the financial panic of 1893
caused him to drop out at age 13. From that time, he worked to help support his family, but continued to study informally on his own (including Greek classics). He would later describe himself as "a graduate of the Minneapolis Public Library
".
After a brief stint composing advertisements for agency Lord and Thomas in Chicago
, he married Mary Barclay of St. Louis, Missouri
October 4, 1901; the couple moved to Seattle before the end of the year. Broderick went to work for a prominent local real estate firm, John Davis & Company. Over the next few years he worked his way up from an entry-level job posting For Sale signs to a management role. He first became a public figure in his role at Davis acquiring property for the Union Pacific Railroad
.
He left Davis's employ in 1908 to found his own real estate firm, Henry Broderick, Inc. He remained president of the company until 1965 and then served as its chairman until 1969, when the firm was sold to Coldwell Banker
. Henry Broderick, Inc. became the city's largest real estate firm and one of its largest property management firms. Its role in property management proved particularly crucial to carry it successfully through the Great Depression
.
From the outset of his career, Broderick, a Roman Catholic, refused to participate in real estate covenants against Jews. He adopted this policy as early as his time at John Davis and Company: around 1904 he refused to have the firm manage a large apartment complex that excluded Jews. As a result, his own firm attracted many Jewish clients.
In 1909, Broderick was youngest of 49 trustees of Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
(A-Y-P), an unofficial world's fair
. Years later, in 1962, as the only surviving A-Y-P trustee, he served as a trustee Seattle's Century 21 Exposition
and, toward the end of his life as an honorary trustee of Spokane, Washington
's Expo '74
world's fair.
Although Broderick was himself the youngest of 10 children born to Irish immigrants, he and his wife Mary never had any children of their own. Mary Broderick died in 1958. The Brodericks were patrons to many younger people, and their 1906 home in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood was often the scene of parties at which "High school and university students, as well as personnel of the armed forces, have enjoyed classical music or boogie-woogie
in the Brodericks' music room, walked alone, in pairs, or groups over the landscaped grounds…" Broderick wrote in one of his memoirs:
Broderick was a member (1951–1975) of the Seattle University
board of regents, and a mentor to Father A. A. Lemieux, president of the Jesuit institution from 1948-1965. A constant joiner and an inveterate civic leader, he was a member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
and Downtown Boosters Club (and served terms as president of each), Greater Seattle, Inc., the board of the Seattle Symphony
(where he also served a term as president), the Seattle Arts Commission, the Rainier Club
, the Seattle Press Club, the Seattle Tennis Club, Washington Athletic Club
, 101 Club, the Harbor Club, and even the Pacific Northwest International Writer's Conference.. He served on the boards of directors of The Seattle Star
, the Seattle Day Nursery, as a trustee of the Seattle Chorale, and, from 1929-1933, the Washington Prison Parole Board. He was a founding member of the Seattle Realty Board (now the Seattle-King County Board of Realtors). In 1952 he was given the Board of Realtors' First Citizen Award (not typically awarded to one of their own members).
Broderick never drove a car, and did not fly on an airplane until he finally agreed to fly to his own 89th birthday party, hosted in San Francisco by his old associate Louis Lurie.
Although best known as a businessman and civic leader, Broderick was also a memoirist and local historian. Every year from 1932 to the end of his life, he sent out a booklet about local history at Christmas, drawing both on research and his own personal memories (though also, doubtless, passing along some apocryphal stories). Some of these writings were later published in two volumes, Timepiece and The "HB" Story.
According to Nard Jones
, Broderick was among the last Seattleites who could "fully" speak Chinook Jargon
.
Life and achievements
Broderick was born and raised in MinneapolisMinneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
, Minnesota
Minnesota
Minnesota is a U.S. state located in the Midwestern United States. The twelfth largest state of the U.S., it is the twenty-first most populous, with 5.3 million residents. Minnesota was carved out of the eastern half of the Minnesota Territory and admitted to the Union as the thirty-second state...
where he attended the public schools until the financial panic of 1893
Panic of 1893
The Panic of 1893 was a serious economic depression in the United States that began in 1893. Similar to the Panic of 1873, this panic was marked by the collapse of railroad overbuilding and shaky railroad financing which set off a series of bank failures...
caused him to drop out at age 13. From that time, he worked to help support his family, but continued to study informally on his own (including Greek classics). He would later describe himself as "a graduate of the Minneapolis Public Library
Minneapolis Public Library
The Minneapolis Public Library and Information Center was a library system serving the residents of Minneapolis, Minnesota in the United States. It was founded as the publicly traded Minneapolis Athenæum in 1860 and became a free public library in 1885 founded by T. B. Walker...
".
After a brief stint composing advertisements for agency Lord and Thomas in Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, he married Mary Barclay of St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
October 4, 1901; the couple moved to Seattle before the end of the year. Broderick went to work for a prominent local real estate firm, John Davis & Company. Over the next few years he worked his way up from an entry-level job posting For Sale signs to a management role. He first became a public figure in his role at Davis acquiring property for the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
.
He left Davis's employ in 1908 to found his own real estate firm, Henry Broderick, Inc. He remained president of the company until 1965 and then served as its chairman until 1969, when the firm was sold to Coldwell Banker
Coldwell Banker
Coldwell Banker is a large real estate franchise founded in 1906 in San Francisco.Coldwell Banker has an international presence, with offices on six continents, 46 countries and territories...
. Henry Broderick, Inc. became the city's largest real estate firm and one of its largest property management firms. Its role in property management proved particularly crucial to carry it successfully through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
From the outset of his career, Broderick, a Roman Catholic, refused to participate in real estate covenants against Jews. He adopted this policy as early as his time at John Davis and Company: around 1904 he refused to have the firm manage a large apartment complex that excluded Jews. As a result, his own firm attracted many Jewish clients.
In 1909, Broderick was youngest of 49 trustees of Seattle's Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
Alaska-Yukon-Pacific Exposition
The Alaska–Yukon–Pacific Exposition was a world's fair held in Seattle in 1909, publicizing the development of the Pacific Northwest.It was originally planned for 1907, to mark the 10th anniversary of the Klondike Gold Rush, but the organizers found out about the Jamestown Exposition being held...
(A-Y-P), an unofficial world's fair
World's Fair
World's fair, World fair, Universal Exposition, and World Expo are various large public exhibitions held in different parts of the world. The first Expo was held in The Crystal Palace in Hyde Park, London, United Kingdom, in 1851, under the title "Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of All...
. Years later, in 1962, as the only surviving A-Y-P trustee, he served as a trustee Seattle's Century 21 Exposition
Century 21 Exposition
The Century 21 Exposition was a World's Fair held April 21, 1962, to October 21, 1962 in Seattle, Washington.Nearly 10 million people attended the fair...
and, toward the end of his life as an honorary trustee of Spokane, Washington
Spokane, Washington
Spokane is a city located in the Northwestern United States in the state of Washington. It is the largest city of Spokane County of which it is also the county seat, and the metropolitan center of the Inland Northwest region...
's Expo '74
Expo '74
Expo '74 was an environmentally themed world's fair in Spokane, Washington that ran from 4 May to 3 November 1974.Expo '74, in proclaiming itself the first exposition on an environmental theme, distanced itself from the more techno-centric world's fairs of the sixties...
world's fair.
Although Broderick was himself the youngest of 10 children born to Irish immigrants, he and his wife Mary never had any children of their own. Mary Broderick died in 1958. The Brodericks were patrons to many younger people, and their 1906 home in the Denny-Blaine neighborhood was often the scene of parties at which "High school and university students, as well as personnel of the armed forces, have enjoyed classical music or boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie
Boogie-woogie has the following meanings:*Boogie-woogie, a piano-based music style*Boogie-woogie , a swing dance or a dance that imitates the rock-n-roll dance of the 1950s*"Boogie Woogie" , a song by EuroGroove and Dannii Minogue...
in the Brodericks' music room, walked alone, in pairs, or groups over the landscaped grounds…" Broderick wrote in one of his memoirs:
… [L]ife there was influenced by the great Greek philosopher EpictetusEpictetusEpictetus was a Greek sage and Stoic philosopher. He was born a slave at Hierapolis, Phrygia , and lived in Rome until banishment when he went to Nicopolis in northwestern Greece where he lived the rest of his life. His teachings were noted down and published by his pupil Arrian in his Discourses...
. … Exponent of “everything in its place”, he advocated the practice of the inner life, utterly divorced from externals. … We determined that No. 1717 was to be a haven untouched by the tedium of the materialistic side of life. … [W]e carefully excluded all who came with thoughts of commerce lurking in the background.
Starting with the Broadway High SchoolSeattle Central Community CollegeSeattle Central Community College is a community college located in Seattle, Washington, in the Capitol Hill neighborhood. It is one of the three colleges which make up the Seattle Community College District...
group who graduated in 1908, we gathered a collection of youngsters whose lives became intertwined with our own. We called them “near-sons” and “near-daughters”…
Broderick was a member (1951–1975) of the Seattle University
Seattle University
Seattle University is a Jesuit Catholic university located in the First Hill neighborhood of Seattle, Washington, USA.SU is the largest independent university in the Northwest US, with over 7,500 students enrolled in undergraduate and graduate programs within eight schools, and is one of 28 member...
board of regents, and a mentor to Father A. A. Lemieux, president of the Jesuit institution from 1948-1965. A constant joiner and an inveterate civic leader, he was a member of the Seattle Chamber of Commerce
Chamber of commerce
A chamber of commerce is a form of business network, e.g., a local organization of businesses whose goal is to further the interests of businesses. Business owners in towns and cities form these local societies to advocate on behalf of the business community...
and Downtown Boosters Club (and served terms as president of each), Greater Seattle, Inc., the board of the Seattle Symphony
Seattle Symphony
The Seattle Symphony is an American orchestra based in Seattle, Washington. Since 1998, the orchestra is resident at Benaroya Hall. The orchestra's season runs from September through July, and serves as the pit orchestra for most productions of the Seattle Opera in addition to its own concerts...
(where he also served a term as president), the Seattle Arts Commission, the Rainier Club
Rainier Club
The Rainier Club is a private club in Seattle, Washington; Priscilla Long of HistoryLink.org calls it "Seattle's preeminent private club." Its clubhouse building, completed in 1904, is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. It was founded in 1888 in what was then the Washington Territory...
, the Seattle Press Club, the Seattle Tennis Club, Washington Athletic Club
Washington Athletic Club
The Washington Athletic Club , is private social club and athletic club located in a 21 story skyscraper in downtown Seattle, Washington. It is located at 1325 6th Avenue at Union Street on the same block as the 5th Avenue Theatre. The tower opened in 1930 after many years of delays and three...
, 101 Club, the Harbor Club, and even the Pacific Northwest International Writer's Conference.. He served on the boards of directors of The Seattle Star
Seattle Star
The Seattle Star was a daily newspaper that ran from February 25, 1899, to August 13, 1947. It was owned by E.W. Scripps and in 1920 was transferred to Scripps McRae League of Newspapers , after a falling-out within the Scripps family...
, the Seattle Day Nursery, as a trustee of the Seattle Chorale, and, from 1929-1933, the Washington Prison Parole Board. He was a founding member of the Seattle Realty Board (now the Seattle-King County Board of Realtors). In 1952 he was given the Board of Realtors' First Citizen Award (not typically awarded to one of their own members).
Broderick never drove a car, and did not fly on an airplane until he finally agreed to fly to his own 89th birthday party, hosted in San Francisco by his old associate Louis Lurie.
Although best known as a businessman and civic leader, Broderick was also a memoirist and local historian. Every year from 1932 to the end of his life, he sent out a booklet about local history at Christmas, drawing both on research and his own personal memories (though also, doubtless, passing along some apocryphal stories). Some of these writings were later published in two volumes, Timepiece and The "HB" Story.
According to Nard Jones
Nard Jones
-Life:According to Jones' self-description in "Puget Sound Profiles",he was born in Seattle and graduated with honors from Whitman College, beginning his career as a campus correspondent for the Walla Walla Daily Bulletin...
, Broderick was among the last Seattleites who could "fully" speak Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon
Chinook Jargon originated as a pidgin trade language of the Pacific Northwest, and spread during the 19th century from the lower Columbia River, first to other areas in modern Oregon and Washington, then British Columbia and as far as Alaska, sometimes taking on characteristics of a creole language...
.
Partial bibliography
The following is a partial bibliography of works by Broderick.- [Christmas greetings from Henry Broderick.] Seattle: Dogwood Press (F. McCaffrey), 1933-1975.
- The command ment breakers of Walla Walla. Seattle: Dogwood Press (F. McCaffrey), 1934.
- Timepiece; being a first collection of the writings of Henry Broderick. Seattle, 1953.
- Early Seattle profiles by "HB"; some recollections. Seattle: Dogwood Press (F. McCaffrey), 1959.
- Mirrors of Seattle's old hotels. Seattle: Dogwood Press (F. McCaffrey), 1965.
- The HB story: Henry Broderick relates Seattle's yesterdays, with some other thoughts by the way. Seattle: F. McCaffrey, 1969.
- "HB" writes about Henry Broderick. Self-published, 1971.