The WWU Centennial Oral History Project was initiated in 1993 by a dedicated group of staff and faculty. The goal of the project was the development of oral history interviews for use in the planned centennial celebration at Western Washington University, commemorating 100 years of scholarly achievement. The result was an invaluable set of interviews which document the history of the University and supplements the archival record.  The history of WWU actually dates to 1893, when Washington State Governor, John H. McGraw signed legislation approving the creation of the Bellingham Normal School, but due to lack of funding the school did not open until the fall of 1899.  Bellingham Normal School became Western Washington School of Education in 1937, Western Washington State College in 1961, and finally achieved university status in 1977.

The Centennial project provides information and presents a wide range of viewpoints which document the university's growth and achievements over the past century.  The individuals that project organizers sought to interview include former faculty and staff, trustees, and alumni of the university.  The project was coordinated by the Center for Pacific Northwest Studies and is expected to expand as more interviews take place beyond Western's 1999 centennial.