Conference marks Leonard Arrington's 100th birthday with new, diverse scholarship

The Leonard J. Arrington Centennial Conference will be July 12-13 on the Utah State campus.

The Leonard J. Arrington Centennial Conference, set for July 12-13 on the Utah State campus, will celebrate the 100th anniversary of the historian’s birth with – what else? – shared scholarship.

The renowned Mormon scholar was born July 2, 1917, in Twin Falls, Idaho. He died in 1999, leaving the door open for the then-new field of academic LDS historical research. Arrington is known for such books as The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-day Saints (1979, Alfred A. Knopf) and Brigham Young: American Moses (1985, Alfred A. Knopf).

The keynote speaker for the two-day conference, which is free and to the public, will be Laurel Thatcher Ulrich. She speaks at 7 p.m. Wednesday, July 12. Ulrich is an acclaimed LDS historian and Pulitzer Prize winner for her 1991 book, "A Midwife's Tale." Her newest work is "A House Full of Females: Plural Marriage and Women's Rights in Early Mormonism, 1835-1870" (Knopf, January 2017).

Workshops featuring many top scholars in LDS history will begin at 8:30 a.m. on July 12 and continue through mid-day July 13. Among workshop presenters and participants are Greg Prince, biographer of Leonard Arrington ("Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History," published May 2016 by University of Utah Press), and Gary Bergera, editor, "Confessions of a Mormon Historian: The Diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1999," scheduled to be released this fall by Signature Books.

All events will take place in Huntsman Hall (Jon M. Huntsman School of Business) in the L. Tom Perry Pavilion, room 470.

There is no charge or registration required for the two-day conference.


Here's the full agenda for the conference:
      

July 12, Wednesday

8:30 a.m. 
Welcome by Douglas Anderson, dean of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Workshop: Writing About Arrington

Presenters

• Matthew Godfrey,  editor and managing historian of "The Joseph Smith Papers" and member of the LDS Church History Department editorial board
• Greg Prince, biographer of Leonard Arrington ("Leonard Arrington and the Writing of Mormon History," published May 2016 by University of Utah Press)
• Gary Bergera, editor, "Confessions of a Mormon Historian: The Diaries of Leonard J. Arrington, 1971-1999" (Signature Books, to be published Oct. 31, 2017; 2,500 pages) 

 

10:30 a.m.
Workshop: Taught by Arrington, with chair Douglas Anderson, dean of the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business

Presenters

• Hardy Redd, rancher in La Sal, Utah
• Michael Dryden, founder of Earth Toxics
• Dwight Israelsen, professor of economics and finance, USU
• Janet Daines Stowell, Chicago-based teacher
• George Daines, Logan-based attorney

 BREAK

1 p.m.
Workshop: Teaching Arrington, with chair Randy Simmons, director of the Institute of Political Economy at USU

Presenters

• Leonard Rosenband, emeritus professor of history, USU
• Bartell Jensen,  emeritus professor, USU
• Dwight Israelsen, professor of economics and finance, USU
• Frank Shuman, faculty member of USU's School of Accountancy

 

2:30 p.m.  
Workshop: Arrington’s Idaho influence, with chair Ross Peterson, emeritus professor of history, USU

Presenters

• Gregg Simonds, president of Open Range Consulting in Park City
• Megen Arnell Ralphs, human resources director at Syberjet Aircraft
• Brian Olmstead, manager for Magic Valley Water

 

4 p.m.
Workshop: Mentored by Arrington, chaired by Martha Bradley, associate vice president, University of Utah, and vice chair of the Utah State Board of History 

Presenters

• Kenneth and Audrey Godfrey, writers and editors of "Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints" (Deseret Book, 2002)
• Dwight Israelsen, professor of economics and finance, USU
• Susan Arrington Madsen, author of many books, including "Growing Up in Zion" (Deseret Book, 1996)
• Christine Rigby Arrington, publisher and editor
• Arthur Woodbury, Arrington neighbor and friend

 

7 p.m.
Keynote speaker:  Dr. Laurel Thatcher Ulrich, Harvard University

 
July 13, Thursday

9 a.m.
Workshop: Arrington and the LDS Church,  chaired by Hal Gary Anderson

Presenters

• Marlin Jensen, former historian for LDS Church
• Matthew Grow, director of publications, Church History Department, and editor of "The Joseph Smith Papers"
• Alex Baugh, professor and chair of BYU's Department of Church History and Doctrine

11 a.m.
Workshop: Arrington and Centers of Study, chaired by Chris Fawson, professor of economics, USU

Presenters

•  Phil Barlow, professor of religious studies and Leonard J. Arrington Professor of Mormon History and Culture, USU
•  Brad Westwood, director of the Division of History for the state of Utah
•  Brian Q. Cannon, director, Charles Redd Center for Western Studies, BYU

 

12 noon
Tour of the Arrington Room and Utah State University Special Collections at the Merrill-Cazier Library, bottom level

The event has been organized by the Jon M. Huntsman School of Business.

Share

Related Stories