Richard Hobbs Retires

All of us at Winthrop Group send Richard warmest good wishes for a happy, healthy, and satisfying retirement!

For 13 years Winthrop Group’s  Lead Archivist and Historian, Richard Hobbs, has represented our firm in the Pacific Northwest and dedicated his professional training, knowledge, and expertise to the benefit of our firm’s clients. Noteworthy among numerous elements associated with Richard’s Winthrop years is the fact that upon joining Winthrop in 2008, without hesitation, he immediately took on full responsibility for the archives and the history related services for two widely regarded and long-time clients: Laird Norton Company in Seattle, WA and Pendleton Woolen Mills in Portland, OR.  Both of these clients were then, and still are, among the early clients of the Archives & Information Services Division Winthrop Group. 

Richard has continued during the following years to be the Archivist for these two much-valued clients and at the same time added to the diversity of clients that have engaged Winthrop for information and archival services.  Among them are Broughton Land Company; Casey Family Programs; Darigold; the City of Shoreline, Washington; Deschutes Brewery; Northwest Kidney Center; Samis Foundation; Seattle Rep; and the Washington State Jewish Historical Society. 

A majority of Richard’s work with Winthrop clients has focused on establishment, basic implementation, and/or use of archives by a variety of businesses and non-profit organizations.  Like his Winthrop archivist colleagues, he has been instrumental too in establishing protocols that ensure preservation of clients’ essential documentation, images, selected artifacts, etc.  Many of these resources now can be used in various formats and for purposes that include communications and outreach, advertising, brand-related purposes, design inspiration, as well as celebration of employee accomplishments as well as historical events.

Winthrop is pleased to note also that as a professional archivist Richard has maintained his memberships in the Society of American Archivists, Northwest Archivists, and Seattle Area Archivists, and that he holds a certificate in Archives and Records Administration.  Under the Winthrop Group banner Richard also has been an active historian. He authored two published books (Our Brother’s Keeper: The Life of Sam Israel and The Broughtons of Dayton: Family and Business in the Northwest Heartland); wrote more than 30 articles for our clients’ internal company newsletters; and edited the book Charles J. Broughton: Letters to Family, 1873-1919.  Going forward, Richard intends to continue using his education (PhD and MA in History), and experience as a historian and author.

All of us at Winthrop Group send Richard warmest good wishes for a happy, healthy, and satisfying retirement and we look forward to reading his next book!