Jack Dallas Helped Popularize Swap Meets In The Seattle Area

Jack L. Dallas, an affable businessman who helped popularize drive-in swap meets in the Pacific Northwest, got in on the ground floor of modern recycling.

He even recycled himself, rising from Boeing accountant to district manager of Forman and United Theatres to swap-meet king.

He had noticed California drive-in operators beginning to rent space in their theaters on weekend days to people selling used household, garden and garage items.

So he hired his theater staffers as vendors, bought ads, handed out passes and invited the community to buy and sell at bargain prices in vast, fenced drive-ins that came complete with snack bars.

"He opened the first drive-in swap meet that ever succeeded in this area in 1971 at the Midway Drive-In Theatre (in Kent)," said his wife of 47 years, Alta Dallas of Gig Harbor. "It was slow at first. Then we got arts and crafts and vegetables. It took three years to really get going.

"His motto was, `Don't give up. If it doesn't work, try something new and hang in there until it does.' "

Mr. Dallas died of lung cancer Tuesday (Dec. 16). He was 67.

Born in Portland, he grew up in La Center, Clark County, where he was a high-school student-body president and football star. He moved to the Seattle area in 1953 to work for Boeing.

"Before he quit Boeing, he came to work part-time as a cashier at United Drive-Ins," said Walt Thayer, retired motion-picture programmer and director of advertising for United Theatres. "He was just a very nice man, a very conscientious employee and a pleasure to work with."

Mr. Dallas went to work full-time for United Theatres in 1959. But in 1974 he left to become a partner in Tacoma's Star-Lite Drive-In Theatre. His weekend Swap `N Shop there drew thousands of bargain hunters.

He took the "show" on the road in 1984, promoting the Swap Meet and Bargain Fair that ran at the Kingdome and the Puyallup Fairgrounds as well as in Spokane, Yakima, Portland and Eugene.

In 1992 he and his wife sold his business interests and traveled the world.

Mr. Dallas most enjoyed promoting businesses and mentoring employees in their earliest jobs. He was president of Variety Club of the Pacific Northwest (1979-80), and of the Theatre Owners of Washington, Alaska and Northern Idaho (1982-83).

"One of his big projects was the Variety Club Haunted House, and Variety Club Telethon," said his daughter, Christy Alden of Puyallup. "He really enjoyed putting things together and directing operations."

"He was a pretty good scrounger and had access to volunteer help," said his wife. "He also was a good salesman."

Mr. Dallas' other survivors include his daughters Caryn Hansen

and Cheryl Cannon, both of Tacoma; sisters Shirley Murray of Beaverton, Ore., and Mildred Wilson of Albany, Ore.; brother Frank Dallas of La Center; and eight grandchildren.

Services have been held. Remembrances may go to the National Easter Seal Society, 230 W. Monroe St., Suite 1800, Chicago, IL 60606, in honor of his great-niece Allison Falleur, 1996 Youth Representative.

Carole Beers' phone message number is 206-464-2391. Her e-mail address is: cbee-new@seatimes.com