Carolyn Dimmick Final PDF.indd - Washington Secretary of State

Hughes: How was that imparted?
Dimmick: It was just that my mother would say, “You know, you can go way beyond anything
that I was able to do because I was being held back, and you’ve got the whole world ahead
of you.” Of course daddy just wanted me to be happy. Like I took flying lessons because I
traded off answering the telephone for an airline, Kenmore Air Harbor. One of my brother’s
friends was a pilot there and so he got me the job answering the phone and doing stuff. In
exchange, they gave me flying lessons. So one day my father is sitting home in Broadview,
and an airplane goes down right in front of him on the Sound. I’m off that day. But by the
time I got home that was the end of my flying lessons.
Hughes: How many flying lessons had there been.
Dimmick: Well, you had to have 10 to get a student license and I had about eight.
Hughes: Did you like flying?
Dimmick: It was great. It was a float plane. And that’s what dumped right in the Sound in
front of my dad’s eyes.
Hughes: Did you ever land one?
Dimmick: I don’t remember exactly what I did, but it was fun.
Hughes: So is that a major regret?
Dimmick: Well, I knew that was that. I mean you don’t argue (with father).
Hughes: How old were you then?
Dimmick: Oh about 16. When dad said something, that was it because he didn’t really exert
himself unless it was something he was serious about. You could argue with mother all you
wanted to, but when dad said “That’s the end of your flying lessons” I said, “OK.”
Hughes: Any inspirational teachers or mentors that you remember growing up?
Dimmick: Mrs. (Ella) Willard in high school. I liked her very much. And my friend and I used to go
over and help her clean her house when she was having a party. She was a widow. Very nice lady.
Hughes: How hard was it to get into the University of Washington in 1947?
Dimmick: It wasn’t hard at all; walked right in.
Hughes: You’ve got the money; they’ll take you?
Dimmick: That’s it.
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