Seattle Worlds Fair 1962

The 1962 World's Fair was the brainchild of City Councilmember Al Rochester and planning began far in advance. In 1957, Seattle voters passed a $7.5 million Civic Center bond for possible fairground development, which was matched by the state legislature. The Century 21 Commission secured certification as an official World's Fair from the International Bureau of Expositions.

Congress passed Senate Bill 3680 in August 1958, establishing a Federal Commissioner to coordinate ways in which the federal government could participate in the Fair, including issuing of invitations to foreign nations and appropriating funding for buildings. The U.S. government contributed over $9 million, primarily to build the NASA-themed U.S. Science Exhibit, now the Pacific Science Center.

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