Carolyn Dimmick Final PDF.indd - Washington Secretary of State

73 percent of the vote.
Hughes: Against the guy who did the skywriting. Mr. Merson.
Dimmick: And then I’m sworn in. In the meantime I had gone over and talked to Gov.
John Spellman, who had lost to Booth Gardner in his bid for re-election. And I said, “John,
I cannot leave this bench unless you agree to appoint a woman because I will be pillored
and posted and shot by every woman lawyer in town. I know that you planned to appoint
Barbara Durham last time, but you felt Jimmy Andersen deserved it because he had been
passed over before.”
And Spellman said, “That is correct.”
I said, “So who would you be thinking about in my spot?”
And he said, “Barbara Durham.”
Hughes: Did you know John Spellman pretty well?
Dimmick: Yes. I trusted him.
Hughes: How did you know him?
Dimmick: Well when I was on the Superior Court he had an office down in the Smith
Tower. I always knew John. … And so in my heart I felt he guaranteed me that. So when I
went over and took the oath of office, which Dolliver administered, and I had to say “I’m
going to well and truly” blah, blah, blah, blah. I knew I wasn’t because I’m resigning the
next day. I had to resign immediately because John was a lame duck in January. So I was
sworn in; I resigned and he appointed Barbara to my seat on the Supreme Court. So it was
a done deal except I didn’t have a job for like three months.
Hughes: Exactly. There was some real risk. You’ve got the nomination for a job, and
though it holds the promise of a lifetime judicial appointment, you still have to be
confirmed by the U.S. Senate?
Dimmick: Exactly.
Hughes: Did you know much about Booth Gardner to think that Booth might not have
been as inclined to appoint Barbara Durham?
Dimmick: I wasn’t going to take a chance. I couldn’t do it to the women of the world, you
know, really.
85