David Bullock

With family roots that lead directly to Roslyn, Washington, David Bullock spent considerable time there—but all of it was long after a 1934 incident prompted a New Republic writer to dub the town a “little nest of Fascists.” Bullock wanted to understand why, at that moment, the community was such a tinderbox, and he made some surprising discoveries along the way. In the 1930s, members of radical labor movements often opposed each other, yet he unearthed attempts at cooperative efforts between Communists, Socialists, and the Industrial Workers of the World. He also found elements of a David and Goliath story, with fierce local leaders pitted against powerful national interests.

Some Central Washington residents warned Bullock to avoid the topic. Even decades later, they consider the region’s labor history to be controversial and many have intense reactions when interviewed. One source refused to provide a college paper he wrote in the 1970s, asserting individuals within the community could still be hurt by its contents. Despite resistance the author persisted, bringing “Coal Wars” to life through local interviews, newspaper articles, court documents, and corporate archives.

David Bullock is a faculty member in the Walla Walla University Communications and Languages Department. He received his Ph.D. in Communication from the University of Arizona, an M.A. in Communication from Washington State University, and his undergraduate journalism degree from Walla Walla University. He has received numerous accolades for his speaking abilities, including selection as the 2013 Walla Walla University Distinguished Faculty Lecturer, the 2012 William Landeen Library Lecturer, and a Humanities Washington Inquiring Minds Lecturer from 2010 through 2012.

David Bullock is the author of “Coal Wars: Unions, Strikes, and Violence in Depression-Era Central Washington.”