Longtime Bellingham port manager dies
Tom Glenn, who served for 21 years at the helm of the Port of Bellingham, died July 31. He was 86.
Long remembered for not seeking the spotlight in a port community where he had such a lasting effect, more than 700 people attended his retirement party in 1984.
A lifelong area resident, Glenn worked on boats and vehicles in the Army before spending several years in the Army Corps of Engineers. After a short stint teaching industrial arts in Seattle, Glenn landed a position with Bellingham Shipyards in 1950 developing new equipment. In 1958 he joined the port as the agency's first full-time engineer and five years later he was named manager.
Notable developments at the port during Glenn's tenure included the acquisition of the Pacific American Fisheries properties in Fairhaven, expansion of the Squalicum Harbor and Bellingham International Airport, development of the Intalco smelter, creation of foreign trade zones and laying the groundwork for the Bellwether on the Bay project.
Longtime Bellingham port manager dies
