Jim West: Looking back at a life of service
March 28, 1951
Born in Salem, Ore.
Attends Rogers and Grant elementary schools in Spokane.
1969
Graduates from Lewis and Clark High School.
Attends University of Nevada at Reno and joins ROTC.
November 1971
Joins U.S. Army, 82nd Airborne Division, as a personnel specialist and paratrooper.
May 1974
Works as assistant manager at the Undersea Center, a retail scuba diving store in North Carolina.
October 1974
Earns certificate of completion in law enforcement at Johnston Technical Institute in North Carolina.
November 1974
Honorably discharged from active duty. Resigns from scuba shop and returns to Spokane to pursue law enforcement career.
January 1975
Hired by Medical Lake Police Department as patrolman. Serves as Scoutmaster for Boy Scout troop in Medical Lake.
May 1975
Graduates from Spokane Sheriff’s Academy.
September 1975
Studies law enforcement at Spokane Community College.
December 1975
Resigns from Medical Lake Police Department and becomes deputy sheriff for Spokane County.
January 1977
Transfers from SCC to Gonzaga University and opens a scuba diving shop.
July 1977
With sheriff’s Deputy David Hahn, develops and supervises a camping program to Diamond Lake for juveniles with minor offenses through a federal Juvenile Justice Collaboration grant to Youth Alternatives Inc.
May 1978
Graduates with a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Gonzaga University.
Resigns as deputy to run for sheriff as a Republican against Larry Erickson. Campaign platform includes youth outreach.
Also in 1978, West serves with David Hahn as Scoutmaster for Troop 345 at Hamblen Elementary in Spokane.
On Election Day, West loses to Erickson, earning 31 percent of the vote.
1979
Appointed assistant sergeant-at-arms for the state House during the 1979 legislative session, a GOP political appointment. He was backed for the job by then-Rep. Dick Bond, R-Spokane.
1980
Awarded Boy Scout District Award of Merit.
1980-82
Unseats incumbent Spokane City Councilwoman Marilyn Stanton and becomes the city’s youngest councilman ever at age 28. Works as a real estate agent.
April 1982
Awarded the Jaycee Outstanding Young Citizen of Spokane award.
May 1982
Announces that he will run for the 6th District House seat vacated by Republican Rep. Mike McGinnis. At age 31, he wins the seat in the solidly Republican district.
1983
Quits his Spokane City Council job to become a legislator. Sponsors the first program in the Legislature for high school students to come to Olympia for one-week internships.
1986
West decides in February to challenge one of his GOP mentors, state Sen. Sam Guess. In May, Guess announces he won’t run again, largely because he supports abortion rights and the party has been taken over by anti-abortion rights activists. West says he opposes abortion and state funding of abortions. West wins the seat with 51 percent of the vote.
1987-2003
West serves in the Washington state Senate, rising to become chairman of several powerful committees. He is chosen to lead his caucus as Senate majority leader.
July 1988
Peter John Boyce, of Leavenworth, a student in a scuba diving course, dies during a dive in Lake Coeur d’Alene that was supervised by West. Boyce’s family files a wrongful death lawsuit; the state Appeals Court in Spokane rules there was no negligence because Boyce signed a consent form.
1990
During a hearing on AIDS education, West proposes that sex between teenagers under 18 be made unlawful. The bill, supported by the abstinence group Teen Aid, dies a month later.
1991
West is appointed council endowment director of the Inland Northwest Council of the Boy Scouts of America.
1996
Runs unsuccessfully for lieutenant governor.
1998
Prosecuted for leaving threatening message on the answering machine of building industry lobbyist Tom McCabe. Pays $500 to a charity and apologizes to McCabe in a misdemeanor plea agreement with the Thurston County prosecutor’s office.
2000
Runs for Spokane mayor and loses in the primary.
2002
With control of the Senate at stake, wins re-election, beating Democrat Laurie Dolan. Their campaign is the most expensive in state history.
2003
Republicans choose West as Senate majority leader.
April 2003
Announces he has colon cancer. Has surgery in Seattle in May.
Fall 2003
Elected mayor of Spokane and has more cancer surgery. He underwent additional cancer surgery in 2004.
May 5, 2005
The Spokesman-Review publishes a package of news stories, the result of a 2 ½-year investigation, accusing West of abusing positions of public trust – as a sheriff’s deputy, Boy Scout leader and powerful politician – over a quarter-century. The investigation includes online sex chats between West and a person posing as a high school student who was a computer expert hired by the newspaper. West offers the “student” a City Hall internship.
May 9, 2005
Spokane resident Shannon Sullivan files a recall petition.
May 11, 2005
FBI opens a public corruption investigation.
May 31, 2005
City Council unanimously passes resolution seeking West’s resignation. West appears on “Today” show and denies misusing office for personal gain.
June 13, 2005
Superior Court Judge Craig Matheson rules West recall petition is valid.
June 27, 2005
West files last-minute appeal challenging recall ruling.
June 28, 2005
Recall sponsor Shannon Sullivan asks the Washington state Supreme Court for an emergency review.
Aug. 24, 2005
Supreme Court rules recall petition “factually and legally sufficient.”
Oct. 6, 2005
County workers verify enough signatures to certify a recall. A special all-mail election is set for Dec. 6, 2005.
Dec. 6, 2005
West is recalled by 65 percent of the voters.
Dec. 16, 2005
West is removed from office.
Feb. 16, 2006
U.S. Department of Justice and the FBI announce there is insufficient proof to charge West under a “very narrow” federal public corruption law.
July 22, 2006
West dies at University of Washington Medical Center after a three-year cancer fight.