Let’s remember when the Dalai Lama came to Seattle, on this day in 1979 (October 3)
The Dalai Lama has now occasionally been visiting the Northwest for exactly 40 years, with his first trip to UW and Seattle University taking place on October 3, 1979.
Per HistoryLink’s treasure Walt Crowley:
On October 3, 1979, the Dalai Lama arrives in Seattle during the first United States visit by the spiritual leader of Tibetan Buddhists. The historic three-day event includes meetings with local Tibetan exiles and lectures at Seattle University and the University of Washington.
The Dalai Lama’s Seattle visit was the idea of Jigmie Yuthok, a former Tibetan government official who fled Chinese occupation in 1959 and eventually settled in Seattle, where he later joined the staff of Seattle University’s Connolly Center. Although the local Tibetan community then consisted of barely 40 people, including children, Yuthok secured the support of Seattle University scholar Fr. Richard Sherburne, SJ, to invite the Dalai Lama to Seattle. Significantly, Jesuit missionaries were the first Europeans to encounter and describe both Buddhism and Tibet for the Western world.
University of Washington president William Gerberding joined SU president Fr. William J. Sullivan, SJ, in sponsoring Seattle’s inclusion on the Dalai Lama’s U.S. itinerary. The Dalai Lama’s visit featured public lectures at the UW and SU, where he received an honorary doctorate and the gift of a telescope. The Dalai Lama also blessed a ceremonial scarf that Fr. Sullivan later presented to Pope John Paul II.
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