Wat Takeshita, interviewed by Marilyn L. Geary, April 12, 2004

Wat Takeshita, born to immigrant Japanese parents, grew up in Fresno County during the 1930s. He was incarcerated at an internment camp during World War II and later joined the U.S. Army. In June of 1952 he moved to Marin and got a job with the Marin Independent Journal.

During his career with the I.J., he often worked the beat at the courthouse. He was a witness to the election of Marin County's first woman supervisor, Vera Schultz, and also interacted with the old "courthouse gang", including County Clerk George S. Jones, Assessor George Hall and Supervisor William D. Fusselman. He saw the County government move from downtown San Rafael to the new Frank Lloyd Wright-designed Civic Center. He was also at the Civic Center on the tragic day in August, 1970, when Judge Haley was killed.

In the following excerpt, Mr. Takeshita discusses the radical change in Marin County government which commenced in 1952 with the election of Vera Schultz.