Utah Westerners

Utah Westerner speaking at the Marriott Library

September 13, 2012 at 9:48 am kenttschanz Leave a comment

John McCormick and John Sillito will be speaking about their new book, A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic and Decidedly Revolutionary, on Sunday, September 16^th at the Marriott Library, University of Utah at 3pm.

Best known today for its conservatism, Utah actually has a long tradition of radicalism stretching back more than a century. In many ways, Utah radicals have been part of national patterns. In the 1890’s Utahns, like their counterparts across the country, sought to build a Populist Party and a viable union movement. Of particular importance is the Socialist Party of America, which reached a peak of political influence in the first two decades of the twentieth century–in Utah and nationally–as over one hundred socialists were elected to office in Utah towns. While little known today, Utah’s radical past helps us gain a fuller picture of the state’s diverse past.

John McCormick and John Sillito will draw on their recent book A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic and Decidedly Revolutionary, published by Utah State University Press. McCormick and Sillito are also the editors of A World We Thought We Knew: Readings in Utah History published by the University of Utah Press.

John S. McCormick earned a Ph.D. in intellectual history from the University of Iowa. He is currently dean of the School of Humanities and Social Sciences at Salt Lake Community College. He has published books and articles in a number of areas, including political history, urban history, historic preservation, and the built environment. His books on Utah history include The Gathering Place: An Illustrated History of Salt Lake City.

“John Sillito is emeritus professor of libraries at Weber State University and currently teaches there as an adjunct in the History Department. A native of Salt Lake City, he has degrees in history and political science from the University of Utah. He is the editor of History’s Apprentice: The Diaries of B. H. Roberts, 1880-98. His writings have appeared in such journals as the Utah Historical Quarterly, Sunstone, and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.

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