Lasting Impacts of Kimble Support Endure over 20 Years

A door in the basement of Terrell Library is adorned with the name Kimble, a token of recognition for Wallis and Marilyn Kimble, who have generously funded the vital work that goes on behind that door—digitizing precious historic records in the WSU Libraries’ archives.

But in so doing, they have funded so much more. The generosity of private donors has become more important than ever to the vital work of WSU Libraries, and it is important to recognize the true extent of their impact, well beyond the program they intended to fund. Joleen Warner, digital projects manager for Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections, is well aware of the importance of the Kimble endowment and the digitization project they helped to create: the Wallis and Marilyn Kimble Northwest History Database.

WSU student workers digitizing newspaper clippings as part of the Wallis and Marilyn Kimble Northwest History Database have found other historical notations, such as this undated handwritten commentary on a clipping regarding the death of Lt. Edward Stephens of Spokane in World War I. Image courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Clipping Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.
Obituary for Lt. Edward Stephens of Spokane. Image courtesy of the Pacific Northwest Newspaper Clipping Collection, WSU Manuscripts, Archives, and Special Collections.

“If we did not have the support of the Kimbles, I’m not sure where we would be at today,” says Warner. “We are currently about 20 years into this project and just over halfway into the digitization process. When I consider the amount of lives this project has touched, the numbers are easily in the hundreds if not thousands.”

For example, the Kimble endowment funds student worker positions to digitize materials and publish them online. WSU student Simon Rogers has worked on the project since 2022. He and his fellow student workers are proud of the work they have done. Not only has Rogers learned the digitization process, but he has also enjoyed engaging with historic materials and experienced their ability to bring the past to life. (For another student worker’s experience on the Kimble project, read the April Browse story.)

“Whoever was working on these newspaper clippings ages ago wrote their own commentary about the articles,” says Rogers while digitizing newspaper clippings from World War I. “When I first saw this, I literally got shivers! There’s so little that’s said, but it means so much and a lot of it can be reflected in the conflicts ongoing in 2024.”

The Kimble funding also provides students with something much more fundamental: financial freedom to develop a strong work ethic and focus on their education, Warner says.

“Many of the students who work here are hardworking, passionate, and self-reliant,” she says. “They often talk about the stress and expenses associated with pursuing a degree. The earnings provide a relief to those struggling financially.”

In addition to the impact on WSU students, the Kimble gift supports WSU faculty by offering important hands-on instruction for their students about how to work with primary sources in their research, Warner says. Furthermore, many members of the public have benefited from the availability of these digitized collections online for use in their personal research.

“Without the Kimbles, many of us would not get to accomplish important work or come to jobs that we love every day,” she says.

Rogers concurs. “Without this endowment, the digitization project wouldn’t have started. That’s so much historical information that wouldn’t be easily accessible to the public, which is sad to think about.”