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J.HE STORY of any public accounting office is mostly a
story of people. In telling a story about the Seattle office
of Touche, Ross, Bailey 8c Smart, there is little to be said
that does not encompass those people, past and present,
who have made significant contributions to the office.
The factual data is simple. On July 1, 1935 the Seattle
office of Allen R. Smart & Co. was opened on the ninth
floor of the 1411 Fourth Avenue Building, then Seattle's
finest office building. The space was tiny but ample for
the organization of two—the manager and the secretary-typist-
bookkeeper. The location was maintained for 25
years but was steadily enlarged until half the floor was
occupied. In November 1960 the office was moved across
the street to the just-completed Washington Building,
now the prestige office building in Seattle.
Going back just a little, the first Pacific Coast office of
Allen R. Smart & Co. was in Los Angeles. The Seattle
work was served from there. When the Seattle office was
opened, the Los Angeles office was closed and work there
was covered by travel. It was but a few years, however,
until the Los Angeles office was reopened as a sub-office
of Seattle and continued as such until the Touche
merger in 1947.
Somewhat later, the Seattle office had a sub-office in
24
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TRBirS office is in Seattle's finest office building
Portland which was absorbed in the merger with Stratford,
Hanson 8c Co.
Gross fees for the first year of 1935, including the work
in Los Angeles, were just about enough to cover the
salary of one college graduate of today. Today's gross
fees rank the office about tenth in size in the firm. In
operating efficiency it would rank somewhat higher.
The office has strong tax and management services departments
with much greater activity in both than is the
case in most offices. As this is written, 36 people are
attached to the office.
THE QUARTERLY
