Spellman was born in Seattle to insurance executive Sterling Bartholomew " Bart " Spellman ( 1895 – 1955 ) and teacher Lela A. Spellman ( née Cushman ; 1895 – 1985 ) . He was of Irish and English Puritans descent . His paternal grandfather , Dennis Bartholomew " Denny " Spellman , arrived in Seattle from Ireland just before the great fire of 1889 and became a successful plumbing contractor . His maternal grandmother was one of the first white children born in Oregon Territory and settled in the town of Brownsville . His father , Bart , was a standout guard for the University of Oregon in its 1917 Rose Bowl victory over the heavily favored University of Pennsylvania and later was an assistant coach at both Oregon and the University of Washington
great fire of 1889
Great Seattle Fire
John Spellman