My Father's Legacy

The life story of the founder of a Seattle hospital, written by his daughter.

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In the more than 90 years since its founding, Swedish Medical Center has retained the vision of excellence demanded by its founder, Dr. Nils August Johanson. It provides the region's most comprehensive system of care, including two hospitals, renowned specialty clinics and a wide range of outpatient services. Swedish's two campuses, located on Seattle's First Hill and in the Ballard neighborhood, comprise twenty city blocks. As Nordstrom points out in her memoir, her father had the gift of attracting staff members who shared his intention to keep Swedish at the forefront of medical progress. This quest for excellence has continued under succeeding regimes of daring and inspired leadership. Her father's distinguished career as a skilled surgeon, respected teacher, and founder of an internationally recognized medical center is well documented in this memoir, but we also learn of his role as a loving and indulgent father and grandfather. Katharine Johanson Nordstrom (1911-2000) had family ties to two major Seattle enterprises: Swedish Medical Center, founded by her father in 1910, and Nordstrom, the mercantile empire established by her father-in-law, John Nordstrom, in 1901.