The day the President of the United States stood atop a limousine in downtown Tacoma

Craig Sailor
·4 min read

In all the images history can collect of a U.S. president, only a handful become iconic. For former President Jimmy Carter, who celebrated his 100th birthday Tuesday, one of those is from the day he stood on top of his presidential limousine in downtown Tacoma.

Carter, the nation’s 39th president, visited Tacoma on Sept. 23, 1980, while running for re-election.

The following is a look back at that day using White House records and News Tribune archives.

Dawn in California

Carter woke up that morning in Los Angeles. The day started routinely for a president on the stump. Carter had brief calls with Assistant for National Security Affairs, Zbigniew Brzezinski, and Defense Secretary Harold Brown.

He then flew to San Jose where, among other events, he participated in a briefing on solar power and the alternative energy movement in California. After making a statement on conflicts in Iraq and Iran, he flew to Portland where he toured an energy-efficient housing complex.

Arrival at McChord

At 4:04 p.m., Air Force One touched down at McChord Air Force Base (now part of Joint Base Lewis-McChord). A 50-person line of Democratic party leaders, candidates and dignitaries waited for him.

President Jimmy Carter meets a line of Democratic party leaders, candidates and dignitaries upon his arrival via Air Force One at McChord Air Force Base on Sept. 23, 1980.
President Jimmy Carter meets a line of Democratic party leaders, candidates and dignitaries upon his arrival via Air Force One at McChord Air Force Base on Sept. 23, 1980.

Noticeably absent was Democratic Gov. Dixy Lee Ray. The often idiosyncratic governor turned down Carter’s invitation to join him. Still, Carter praised Ray for her efforts in getting relief for the victims of the Mount St. Helens eruption, just months earlier. Ray ran for reelection but lost in the primary to state representative Jim McDermott.

Future Tacoma mayor Bill Baarsma was in the reception line that day. At the time, he was chair of the Pierce County Democrats. He was able to get a few words to the president.

“I said, ‘Mr. President ... the Democratic Party will help you secure the state of Washington’ or words to that effect,” Baarsma recently recalled.

Port of Tacoma

Lt. Gov. John Cherberg and labor officials joined Carter’s motorcade to the Continental Grain Company terminal along Schuster Way. There, he toured the plant and addressed more than 400 employees and guests. In the terminal’s control booth, Carter flipped a switch that sent grain into a docked freighter.

“I’m glad it came down in the right place,” he quipped.

Outside the terminal, he plugged a legendary Washington politician.

“I’m here to salute two of Washington’s most important products — grain and Sen. Warren Magnuson,” he said.

Magnuson, who spent 44 years in Congress, first in the U.S. House of Representatives, would be defeated in November by Republican State Attorney General Slade Gorton.

Carter’s speech and photo op took place in front of the docked freighter. It had been turned 180 degrees so the bow, instead of the stern, would appear in the background, according to Baarsma.

Headquarters

Carter then motorcaded to his Tacoma presidential campaign headquarters at 909 Pacific Ave. with McDermott, who would lose the governor’s race to John Spellman but would later serve in the U.S. House of Representatives. Also in the motorcade were John Rosellini, the Democratic candidate for Attorney General, Ronald Dotzauer, the Democratic candidate for Secretary of State and Tacoma Mayor Mike Parker.

“With every step of his whirlwind visit, Carter waved to the crowd from his presidential limousine and walked to roped-off crowds to shake as many hands as he could,” wrote TNT political writer Jerry Pugnetti.

It was outside his campaign headquarters where Carter left the safety of his limousine and climbed onto its roof, “much to the consternation of his Secret Service agents,” according to News Tribune archives. With photographers recording the moment for history, Carter climbed back inside after about 30 seconds.

President Jimmy Carter, much to the consternation of his Secret Service agents, has unexpectedly climbed onto the rooftop of his armored limousine as it stopped in downtown Tacoma. He turned and waved to the crowds lining Pacific Avenue for about 30 seconds before descending. Those stuck in the back of the 15-deep crowds were thus able to get a clear view of the President. President Carter then shook as many hands as possible outside the Carter-Mondale campaign office at 9th & Pacific.

Carter’s climb to the top of the limo may have been a spontaneous act in Tacoma, but, four days later, he would repeat it in Lansdowne, Pennsylvania.

Seniors and donors

Carter made a brief stop at the Beacon Senior Center at 13th and Market streets and then traveled to the Tacoma Bicentennial Pavilion, now part of Hotel Murano, at 1320 Broadway for a TV interview and a Democratic National Committee fundraiser. About 100 people attended the event, including Puyallup tribal leader Robert Satiacum.

At 6:44 p.m., Carter left the Bicentennial Pavilion for McChord. Air Force One departed roughly 20 minutes later, bound for Andrews Air Force Base in Maryland.

During his brief stay in Tacoma, Carter never publicly mentioned Ronald Reagan — the Republican challenger who would end Carter’s presidency less than two months later.

The Northwest Room at Tacoma Public Library provided information for this story.