MacPherson Family Story

In 1928, William R. MacPherson, Sr. left the dairy business and began to sell real estate in Wallingford. Four years later, in June of 1932, MacPherson -- with his wife Anna, four sick children and "two pennies in his pocket" -- opened his own office at 4229 Brooklyn Ave. in Seattle's University District.

Their sons Bill and Murdock assumed control of the company after returning from World War II. Combining their talents, the two brothers created a varied and successful real estate company that dealt with development and new construction, recreational properties, relocation and residential re-sale properties.

Shortly after Bill's death in 1988, Murdock and the family decided that it would be best for the residential, relocation and property management divisions of the company to go ahead under the leadership of Bill's children -- Scott, Doug, Shawn and Bruce. Murdock retained control of the recreational inventory and rental properties and formed a new development company as well.

Current company President, Scott MacPherson, started his career at a very young age working on the golf course of a company development. After graduating from the University of Puget Sound in 1969, he sold real estate at the Aurora branch before opening and managing the Woodinville branch.

Bruce also started by doing maintenance with his brother Scott at the golf course, then began selling recreational property when he was 18 years old. After attending Seattle University, he spent several years at the company's development office in Central Oregon. After returning to the Puget Sound area he managed several of the resale branches. He now is supervising the implementation of the company's "beyond the state of the art" computer networks.

In every family there is a historian; in the MacPherson's it is Shawn, the only sister and the current director of facilities. "We grew up going to the office on Saturday, checking out open houses and developments on Sundays, and working every summer vacation for the company," said Shawn, a 1974 graduate of Washington State University.

"The company is really like having another sibling. Our associates and support employees are virtually members of the family. Our grandmother Anna (known to the children as Nana Mac, and to her co-workers as Mrs. Mac) worked at the office until she was 92. She instilled in all of us a work ethic, love of books and the power of a positive attitude," Shawn said.

Doug started cleaning the office buildings during summer vacations as a child. He also did yard work at the developments and delivered interoffice mail. A graduate of the University of Puget Sound with a degree in psychology, he worked as a psychiatric social worker while attending law school, from which he graduated in 1980. He returned to the company from private practice in the mid-80s and handles the in-house legal affairs of the company along with his other duties.

Throughout their offices, family history abounds in pictures. Each has a picture of their father. "He was the consummate promoter, always working the room and always having a great time," said Bruce. "He knew this was a people business, and he loved to be around people. He had such force of will and charm; he was always making business contacts." The family was raised more with a sense of adventure and purpose than the pretense of opulence. "We weren't raised to be rich man's kids," Doug said. "I think the very thought of that disgusted him. What we have came from work."