Utah Westerners

January Announcement for the Utah Westerners

March 8, 2013 at 6:41 pm kenttschanz Leave a comment

WHEN UTAH WAS A DIFFERENT KIND OF RED STATE:

SOME OBSERVATIONS ON A RADICAL PAST

JOHN McCORMICK and JOHN SILLITO

In their recently published book, A History of Utah Radicalism: Startling, Socialistic, and Decidedly Revolutionary, (published by Utah State University Press, winner of the Utah State Historical Society’s  Best Book Award in 2012), McCormick and Sillito explore Utah radicalism since the late 19th century, focusing on those movements on the Left “that have challenged the fundamental principles on which society has been established and have offered alternative visions of how to live and organize life.” Especially important is the Socialist Party of America which sunk deep roots in Utah, electing over 100 men and women to office in the early 20th century, and gaining significant support among various segments of the Utah population. McCormick and Sillito will discuss this little-known but fascinating story they think is worth a closer look.

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 numerous books and articles in a number of areas, including political history, urban history, and historic preservation. His books include The Gathering Place: An Illustrated History of Salt Lake City and A World We Thought We Knew: Readings in Utah History (with John Sillito).

Utah Westerner, John R. Sillito is Emeritus Professor of Libraries at Weber State University and currently teaches in Weber’s History Department. He is currently a member of the board of editors of the Utah Historical Quarterly. Sillito 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, 1880-9, which won the MHA Best Documentary Award in 2004. Sillito’s writings have appeared in several journals including the Utah Historical Quarterly, Sunstone, and Dialogue: A Journal of Mormon Thought.

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