Established 1982
The Evergreen State College - Tacoma
In 1972, longtime Tacoma resident and Evergreen faculty member Dr. Maxine Mimms overheard locals talking about that "new college in Olympia." They thought it was just for kids in the forest and that it couldn't meet the needs of adults in the city.
Dr. Mimms took that as a challenge. She began the Tacoma Program with just a handful of students meeting in her home in the Hilltop neighborhood. The program was formally established at 12th and MLK in 1982.
As word spread and more students and faculty joined, the program continued to outgrow one location after another. In 2001, the program found its permanent home on 6th Avenue.
Dr. Maxine Mimms
Dr. Mimms began working at Evergreen in 1972. After learning Tacoma's Hilltop residents did not feel their educational needs were being met, she began teaching students in her home while continuing to teach at Evergreen's campus in Olympia.
Dr. Mimms retired in 1990, but is still connected with Evergreen Tacoma and attends the annual Founders Day event in her honor each year.