Hal Zimmerman

Everybody knows that Camas is growing.  Schools continue to push at the seams, real estate markets are healthy and the city maintains efforts to support a vision that will serve us well in the future.  Fortunately, there is a consensus that it’s important we do not just grow for growth’s sake.  Citizens feel privileged to live here and care that we make a concerted effort to maintain the quality of life that attracted us to begin with.

This dedication, however, is not a recent phenomenon.

People have been interested in Camas ever since 1883 when Henry Pittock purchased land to start his paper mill.  It wasn’t long before a Post office, schools, and churches followed.  And in 1908, The Lacamas Post, forerunner to the Post Record, came into existence.  Before you knew it, a car dealership, creamery, and movie theater followed suit.  In fact, it was one of the subsequent publishers of the Post Record, Hal Zimmerman, who declared the Oregonian as the first newspaper to start a city.

If you’ve been in Camas for any length of time the name Hal Zimmerman should ring a familiar bell.  He purchased the Camas Post Record in 1957, and ran the business for 23 years.   A native of Valley City, North Dakota, Hal moved to Washington in 1941 to attend the University of Washington.  After three years serving in the United States Air force he returned and not only graduated with a journalism degree, but met and married Judy Williams.  They’ve been quite a team ever since.

Hal’s journalism activities go all the way back to high school where he was agency manager for the Minneapolis Star Journal – winning two awards.  While in College he was news editor for the North Seattle News, and, after graduating, worked at Sedro-Wooley Courier Times doing full time news editing.  He subsequently bought and managed the Cowlitz County Advocate, in Castle Rock, from 1950 to 1957, which he then sold to purchase the Camas Post Record.

And that was just the beginning.

When you look at the life of Hal Zimmerman and his wife, Judy, you come away with a clear image of dedicated participation in many areas of life.  They have jointly committed themselves to the community via the newspaper – Judy handled many aspects of the business as well – community organizations, and church groups.  Hal recognized early on the importance a newspaper could have in the community, and the opportunity it provided to serve the public; something he has done in a dedicated fashion his entire life.

Hal has been president of the Washington Newspaper Publisher Association, Chamber of Commerce President, Kiwanis club president, and is a former First Citizen of Camas.  He served 14 years in the House of Representatives before being elected to the Senate in 1980.  After 8 years without losing an election, he resigned to accept Governor Booth Gardner’s appointment to the state Pollution Control Hearings Board.

According to Mr. Zimmerman, early growth in Camas was gradual, thus allowing the area to absorb change.  The paper mill, the heartbeat of the town, was the driving force behind economic and social productivity.  If the paper industry waned, so did the town.  But the mill’s Research Lab brought in highly educated people whose involvement on school boards assisted the continuing focus on education in Camas.  Good schools were one of the reasons Hal and Judy came to Camas, and they have continued to help with the advancement of that education through volunteer work such as the Camas Educational Foundation.

The Glen Jackson Bridge, another one of Hal’s involvements, opened Camas up to the Portland Metropolitan area, and thus, to High Tech firms.   If you can get to the airport, you can get to the rest of the world.

And the story goes on.  There aren’t many stones unturned in the Zimmerman’s lives.  Hal was the chairman of the House Natural Resources and Ecology Committee, chairman of the Senate Local Government Committee, chairman of the Legislative Budget Committee, and served on the Ways and Means, Government Operations and Rules Committee.  Judy has served on the Columbia River Mental Health board of directors for 28 years, and the American Center of Oriental Research for over 20 years.  This agency organizes American archaeology in the Middle East.  She is an accomplished musician - plays both Oboe and English horn - and plays regularly with the Vancouver Pops orchestra.  Judy has also led Youth Groups for the Camas United Methodist church, organized work camps, and raised money for projects.  They raised three children, and somewhere along the way found time to travel, visiting every continent on the globe.

Camas Mayor Paul Dennis says that we are blessed to have people like Hal and Judy in our midst.  After 22 years in the legislature, Hal is still highly respected.  This is a result of many things, not the least of which was his genuine concern for his constituents.  Hal himself has said that serving your fellow man is one of life’s greatest satisfactions.

He’s been referred to endearingly as the man with the messy desk, who had such respect for the printed word he kept every single one of them…scattered across his desk, or maybe on his office walls.  And if you asked him a simple question you’d better sit down and put on your seat belt because the volumes of words on his desk also live in his mind.  For Hal Zimmerman, life is never black and white.  Life is big and complex and worthy of our dedication.  Even now he continues to set tasks that will maintain some type of constructive activity in his life.  He volunteers at the Camas Educational Foundation, is on the board of directors of the Two Rivers Museum in Washougal, and continues with various church committees and projects.  He swims regularly, writes books filled with memories for his children and grandchildren, and thanks God daily for a life well lived and for Judy, the wife who continues to stand by his side.

It’s citizens like Hal Zimmerman who helped to nurture and shape the city of Camas.  Mayor Dennis is right.  We’re lucky to have him in our community.

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