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Tacoma's Fred Haley, civil rights advocate and candy maker, dies
By Warren King
Seattle Times staff reporter
Fred Haley championed education, civil rights.
As one of the most successful candy manufacturers, Fred Haley was widely known as president of Brown & Haley, maker of world-famous tins of Almond Roca and other chocolates. But his heart, for much of the time, was elsewhere.
Mr. Haley fought for the rights of others, championed education issues in Tacoma and statewide, and stood firm in his convictions under sometimes withering criticism.
"Brown & Haley was his livelihood, but his passions were education and civil rights," said his daughter Susan Headley of Tacoma.
Mr. Haley, who was nationally recognized for his civil-rights work, died Monday at his Lakebay, Pierce County, home after a brief illness. He was 92.
A native of Tacoma, Mr. Haley was a graduate of Stadium High School and Dartmouth College, and he served as a Navy harbor pilot during World War II.
He worked for Brown & Haley for all of his career and became general manager and later CEO after the 1954 death of his father, J.C. Haley, who co-founded the company in 1912. Known for expanding the firm's business worldwide, especially to Asia, he twice accepted national awards to the company from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Along the way, Mr. Haley made his mark in championing the rights of others, especially in education.
As a member of the Tacoma School Board from 1954 through 1965, he encouraged the hiring of minority teachers and pushed for the desegregation of schools, advocating magnet schools to help further that goal.
While on the School Board, he and two other board members voted in 1954 to retain school counselor Margaret Jean Schuddakopf, who was accused of being a communist by the House Un-American Activities Committee. More than 20,000 residents had called for her firing, and many people boycotted Brown & Haley for a time.
"People were afraid of communism," Headley said. "But the thing about Dad was he never was afraid to stand up for his convictions."
Mr. Haley co-chaired a statewide study committee for education reform in the 1980s and was a trustee for The Evergreen State College in Olympia and Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. He also was on an advisory committee for secondary education for the U.S. Department of Education.
One of Mr. Haley's major interests was in establishing a University of Washington branch in Tacoma. He served on the committee that studied its feasibility and was a major figure in pushing for its creation and location in downtown Tacoma.
"He was just a visionary. He saw the need for excellent public education and felt there was not enough access to higher education in the South Sound," said Carol Van Natta, UW, Tacoma assistant chancellor for advancement.
Mr. Haley cared deeply about the rights of all people and loved meeting and talking with people from all walks of life, his children said.
As a college student, he worked summers as a trail builder for the U.S. Forest Service, and he remained friends with some of the workmen through his life. He walked four miles daily from his Tacoma home to the Brown & Haley factory and often would engage people in conversation along the way. At the company, he knew all of the 200 to 350 employees by name.
One of his proudest times was participating in the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights. "As children growing up, we all knew the words to 'We Shall Overcome,' " said his daughter Mimi Haley of Tacoma.
In 1985, Mr. Haley was honored with the American Civil Liberties Union's William O. Douglas Award for his work.
The importance of learning was instilled in the Haley children from the earliest age. There was no TV in the house until later years, but Mr. Haley often read them classics such as "Winnie the Pooh" and "Robinson Crusoe." As youngsters, his four children were sent abroad for six months to a year for schooling in Spain, France, Japan or Taiwan.
"He felt very strongly about understanding other cultures, mores and ways of thinking about things," Susan Headley said.
In addition to Headley and Mimi Haley, survivors are sons Mark, of Tacoma, and Evan of Hamilton, Ontario; and a brother, Ted, of Rockford, Ill. Mr. Haley's wife, Dorothy, died in 2003.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fred T. and Dorothy G. Haley Professorship in the Humanities; Office of Advancement; University of Washington, Tacoma; 1900 Commerce St.; Tacoma WA 98402.
By Warren King
Seattle Times staff reporter
Fred Haley championed education, civil rights.
As one of the most successful candy manufacturers, Fred Haley was widely known as president of Brown & Haley, maker of world-famous tins of Almond Roca and other chocolates. But his heart, for much of the time, was elsewhere.
Mr. Haley fought for the rights of others, championed education issues in Tacoma and statewide, and stood firm in his convictions under sometimes withering criticism.
"Brown & Haley was his livelihood, but his passions were education and civil rights," said his daughter Susan Headley of Tacoma.
Mr. Haley, who was nationally recognized for his civil-rights work, died Monday at his Lakebay, Pierce County, home after a brief illness. He was 92.
A native of Tacoma, Mr. Haley was a graduate of Stadium High School and Dartmouth College, and he served as a Navy harbor pilot during World War II.
He worked for Brown & Haley for all of his career and became general manager and later CEO after the 1954 death of his father, J.C. Haley, who co-founded the company in 1912. Known for expanding the firm's business worldwide, especially to Asia, he twice accepted national awards to the company from the U.S. Department of Commerce.
Along the way, Mr. Haley made his mark in championing the rights of others, especially in education.
As a member of the Tacoma School Board from 1954 through 1965, he encouraged the hiring of minority teachers and pushed for the desegregation of schools, advocating magnet schools to help further that goal.
While on the School Board, he and two other board members voted in 1954 to retain school counselor Margaret Jean Schuddakopf, who was accused of being a communist by the House Un-American Activities Committee. More than 20,000 residents had called for her firing, and many people boycotted Brown & Haley for a time.
"People were afraid of communism," Headley said. "But the thing about Dad was he never was afraid to stand up for his convictions."
Mr. Haley co-chaired a statewide study committee for education reform in the 1980s and was a trustee for The Evergreen State College in Olympia and Linfield College in McMinnville, Ore. He also was on an advisory committee for secondary education for the U.S. Department of Education.
One of Mr. Haley's major interests was in establishing a University of Washington branch in Tacoma. He served on the committee that studied its feasibility and was a major figure in pushing for its creation and location in downtown Tacoma.
"He was just a visionary. He saw the need for excellent public education and felt there was not enough access to higher education in the South Sound," said Carol Van Natta, UW, Tacoma assistant chancellor for advancement.
Mr. Haley cared deeply about the rights of all people and loved meeting and talking with people from all walks of life, his children said.
As a college student, he worked summers as a trail builder for the U.S. Forest Service, and he remained friends with some of the workmen through his life. He walked four miles daily from his Tacoma home to the Brown & Haley factory and often would engage people in conversation along the way. At the company, he knew all of the 200 to 350 employees by name.
One of his proudest times was participating in the 1963 March on Washington for civil rights. "As children growing up, we all knew the words to 'We Shall Overcome,' " said his daughter Mimi Haley of Tacoma.
In 1985, Mr. Haley was honored with the American Civil Liberties Union's William O. Douglas Award for his work.
The importance of learning was instilled in the Haley children from the earliest age. There was no TV in the house until later years, but Mr. Haley often read them classics such as "Winnie the Pooh" and "Robinson Crusoe." As youngsters, his four children were sent abroad for six months to a year for schooling in Spain, France, Japan or Taiwan.
"He felt very strongly about understanding other cultures, mores and ways of thinking about things," Susan Headley said.
In addition to Headley and Mimi Haley, survivors are sons Mark, of Tacoma, and Evan of Hamilton, Ontario; and a brother, Ted, of Rockford, Ill. Mr. Haley's wife, Dorothy, died in 2003.
A memorial service will be held at a later date. Memorial contributions may be made to the Fred T. and Dorothy G. Haley Professorship in the Humanities; Office of Advancement; University of Washington, Tacoma; 1900 Commerce St.; Tacoma WA 98402.
