This day in history: Controversy leads to dismantling of city trainee program. Local doctor proclaims ‘Take-a-Bath Day’ in Spokane

From 1975: The city of Spokane “deliberately built failure” into its controversial firefighter trainee program, said Ann Dewey, president of the Spokane chapter of the National Organization for Women .

This was the latest salvo in a long-running controversy over including women in the training programs, and ultimately including women as firefighters. The organization accused the city of failing to adhere to federal affirmative action guidelines.

The eight people who successfully completed the program were male trainees. Dewey said that having a city official monitoring compliance was like “asking the mouse to watch the cheese.”

The City Council already had voted to drop the trainee program completely, after the city lost federal funds because of the controversy.

From 1925: Dr. Ralph Hendricks, Spokane health commissioner, proclaimed the day as “Take-a-Bath Day” in Spokane.

This whimsical campaign’s official slogan was “Spokane Wash!”

It was dedicated to the “memory of Adam Thompson, who 83 years ago installed in his home in Cincinnati the first bathtub in the United States” – or so Hendricks claimed.

Hendricks was apparently serious about the hygienic advantages of bathing, but he was also clearly having fun with the idea.

As honorary chairman of the “Bathtub Committee,” he asked everyone with information concerning bathtubs and the history of bathtubs to address communications to the committee at its Spokane post office box.