Series 11963
Centennial Commission (1947) News clipping scrapbooks
Dates: 1945-1947.
1.00 cubic foot and 4 microfilm reels
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
An agency history is available.
Scope and Content
This series is made up of news articles about centennial activities and events clipped from numerous newspapers and magazines in Utah and other states to preserve a record of these incidents. The articles and various publications of the Centennial Commission and memorabilia from selected occurrences are affixed in scrapbooks created by the Arts Division, Beautification Division, and Centennial Commission. A fourth scrapbook is not identified.
Compiled by the Arts Division, the first scrapbook includes clippings about the following: auditions, upcoming performances, contest entries, the signing of Arnold Sundgaard as "Promised Valley" writer, centennial preview, centennial seal, coronation of centennial royalty, drama ("Promised Valley," "Peg o' My Heart," "Blossom Time," "Angel Street," "But Not Goodbye," and "Message of the Ages"), symphony, music festival, music educators conference, concerts, local events, art exhibits (Springville and One Hundred Years of American Painting), parades and floats, and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints MIA dance festival. Articles were clipped from the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake Telegram, Ogden Standard-Examiner, Provo Herald, New York Times, and various local newspapers. Clippings appear in random order and span March 1946 to June 1947.
The Beautification Division scrapbook includes articles from several magazines, community newspapers, and copies of division publications, grouped together in that order. The majority of the newspaper clippings appear in chronological order under a heading for the month in which they were published (February 1946 through July 1947). Some, however, are grouped under subject headings, which include "Awards," "Beautification Conference," "Beautification Projects," "Community Beautification and Planning Features," "Contests," "Miscellaneous," "Posters," "Proclamations," and "Zoning Ordinances." Included are centennial articles clipped from the Apartment and Hotel Journal, Highway Traveler, Legend, Stockman's Review, Utah,and Utah Farmer. Division publications include the "Action Program," "Working Manual," "Beautification Bulletin," "Beautification News Notes," and "New Towns for Old."
A target at the beginning of microfilm reel 2 identifies a third scrapbook as being created by the Centennial Commission. Contents include clippings about the following: events calendar, centennial gowns, exhibit in the District of Columbia, scout camp, pioneer program, "Centennial Side Glances" history series, exhibits, letters of the editor and editorials, local history features and events, exposition (fair), beard growing contest, pioneer trek, monuments, Independence Day, left-over funds returned to the state. Articles were clipped from the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Salt Lake Telegram, and various local newspapers. News clippings from different papers were pasted in staggered layers, one on top of the other. To microfilm each of the articles, the entire page was filmed, one clipping removed and photographed again. The process is repeated until all clippings were uncovered and photographed. Clippings generally appear in chronological order (January to August 1947).
Compiled by an unknown creator, the final scrapbook consists mainly of publicity from the 1947 Tournament of Roses parade in Pasadena, California. A float sponsored by the Utah Centennial Commission appeared in the annual New Year's Day event. Over half of the pages in the scrapbook are dedicated to newspaper articles, souvenir pictorial programs, picture postcards, etc., generated by the festivities. Coverage of the parade appeared in the Los Angeles Daily News, Los Angeles Examiner, Los Angeles Herald & Express, Los Angeles Times, the Pasadena Star News,and Salt Lake Tribune. Several pages are dedicated to the coronation of the centennial queen, who participated in the Rose Parade by riding on the Utah float. A section of articles from out-of-state newspapers includes publicity of the recreation of the pioneer trek from Nauvoo, Illinois, to Salt Lake City, tourism information relating to Salt Lake and Utah's national parks, John Cobb's new speed record, and even a Gimbel's Department Store advertisement referring to Brigham Young and the centennial. Out-of-state publications include the Chicago Daily Tribune, Hartford Times, Headlight, Los Angeles Times, Milwaukee Journal, New York Times, Omaha Evening World Herald, and San Francisco News. Editorials and news reports about various centennial activities appeared in the Deseret News, Ogden Standard-Examiner, Salt Lake Telegram, Salt Lake Tribune, San Juan Record,and Vernal Express. Wire copy from the Salt Lake Bureau of United Press supplements local coverage of events. Publicity about the This Is the Place monument appeared in local and out-of-state publications. The "Utah Veterans Employment Service News" introduced a new cover with a centennial theme with the January 1947 issue. Covers of three issues (January through March) are included. A separate section of articles about beautification, including proclamations dealing with beautification campaigns, appears at the back of the scrapbook. Souvenir programs, including an event honoring Utah's living immigrant pioneers, a production of "Macbeth" starring Orson Welles, the Utah Centennial "Official Program," and the International Invitational Jumping Tournament, have been incorporated into the collection. Memorabilia include centennial event admission tickets, certificates, etc.
Arrangement
Chronological
Related Records
Reports from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 2228, include summaries of centennial events documented by these clippings.
Audio recordings from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 14154, are an audio recording of the May First program honoring pioneer immigrants.
Centennial motion picture films from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 15188, includes a motion picture record of centennial events documented by these clippings.
Minutes from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19313, mention planning for the centennial events documented by these clippings.
Committee minutes from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19314, mention planning for the centennial events documented by these clippings.
Division reports from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19315, include summaries of centennial events documented by these clippings.
Community beautification photographs and articles from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19319, are the source of for the clippings found in the Beautification Division scrapbook under the Community Beautification and Planning Features section.
Custody History
Records of the Centennial Commission originally were deposited with the Utah Historical Society, which in 1949 was designated by Governor J. Bracken Lee as the official repository for the records of the commission. The newly independent Utah State Archives retained custody of the records following its removal from the Historical Society in 1969.
Access Restrictions
This series is classified as Public.
Preferred Citation
Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.
Processing Note
Archival processing was completed in February 2000 by W. Glen Fairclough, Jr. Filming dates for the Arts Division and Centennial Commission scrapbooks are unknown. filming of two scrapbooks (Beautification Division and another compiled by an unknown creator) were completed in 2001.
Indexing Terms
- Utah--Centennial celebrations, etc.
Page Last Updated October 18, 2012.