Series 2227
Centennial Commission (1947) Centennial event programs, press books, and advertisements, 1946-1947.
1 microfilm reel
These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.
Historical Note
See history of the records' creator.
Summary of Records
Scope and Content
This series is made up of souvenir programs and catalogs published or distributed by the Centennial Commission and various divisions in conjunction with different cultural and athletic events presented as part of the Utah Centennial observance. Integrated into the collection are advertising fliers and posters and press books prepared for members of the media covering athletic events. The "Parade of Champions," an eight-page banquet program resembling a newspaper, includes brief histories of national champion Utah athletes and teams feted at a testimonial dinner.
In addition to events organized solely for the centennial, various athletic championships, conferences, and cultural events coinciding with the centennial observance in Utah were staged by organizations from throughout the country during 1947. Events sponsored or endorsed by the Centennial Commission were listed in the Official Program. The event programs published by these organizations have been incorporated with theserecords. Notable examples of organizations staging sanctioned national and regional athletic championships in the Beehive State during the centennial year are the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA), the United States Lawn Tennis Association, the National Field Archery Association, the Western Golf Association, and the Inter-mountain Amateur Ski Association. Also cooperating with the commission were the Metropolitan Museum of Art and the Whitney Museum of American Art in New York, which prepared an display of American paintings, and the Library of Congress, which presented an Exhibition Commemorating the Centennial of the Settlement of Utah. Catalogs of both displays are also part of the collected programs. Other participating organizations are the California-Western Music Educators Conference which held its annual convention in Salt Lake City in conjunction with the centennial, the American National Theatre and Academy, which presented "The Barretts of Wimpole Street,"and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which was invited to present encore performances of a pageant entitled "Message of the Ages."
Research Note
The Official Program served as the master calendar for the various events conducted around the state. It includes a schedule of the arts and crafts exhibits, performances, and local celebrations.? At the request of the Centennial Commission, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints presented a sacred pageant entitled "The Message of the Ages" in Salt Lake City, May 5 through June 6, 1947. The pageant originally was staged for the LDS Church's centennial in 1930. A program and souvenir photo booklet from the 1947 production are included as is a program from the 1930 pageant (presumably that of A. Hamer Reiser, secretary of the Centennial Commission and chairman of the subcommittee on pageantry, whose name is written on the cover).
Arrangement
Alphabetical by document type
Additional Forms
This series is available on microfilm.
Access Restrictions
This series is classified as Public.
Use Restrictions
These records are available for reproduction and use.
Preferred Citation
Cite the Utah State Archives and Records Service, the creating agency name, the series title, and the series number.
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. Custody was transferred to the Utah State Archives, which became a separate state agency in 1969.
Acquisition Information
These records were acquired from the creating agency through established retention schedules.
Processing Information
Archival processing of these records was completed in August 1998 by W. Glen Fairclough, Jr. Microfilming for reference use was completed in May 2004.
Related Material
Reports from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 2228, include summaries of centennial events documented by these programs
News clipping scrapbooks from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 11963, include event programs as well as press coverage of centennial events documented by these programs
Centennial motion picture films from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 15188, include a motion picture record of centennial events documented by these programs
Minutes from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19313, mention planning for the centennial events documented by these programs
Committee minutes from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19314, mention planning for the centennial events documented by these programs
Division reports from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19315, include summaries of centennial events documented by these programs
Division correspondence and subject files from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19317, include a game program from the high school all-star game and a press guide from the NCAA track and field championship meet.
Weber County centennial committee records from the Centennial Commission (1947), Series 19321, include a scrapbook with programs for events in and near Ogden
Indexing Terms
Container List
| Reel | Box | Folder | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 | 1 | Centennial Commission Official Program, 1947 (November 1946-December 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 2 | Division Programs (Arts); 100 Years of American Painting catalogue (July 1-29, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 3 | Division Programs (Arts); California-Western Music Educators Conference (March 30-April 2, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 4 | Division Programs (Arts); Centennial Programs (composite of events), (January-June 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 5 | Division Programs (Arts); Mendelssohn's oratorio "Elijah", Mormon Tabernacle Choir (August 17, 1947); "The Barretts of Wimpole Street" |
| 1 | 1 | 6 | Division Programs (Arts); "Promised Valley" (July 21-August 9)/Street Pageants (July 23-24) |
| 1 | 1 | 7 | Division Programs (Expositions); Days of '47 Rodeo Program (July 14-19, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 8 | Division Programs (Expositions); Skating Vanities of 1947 souvenir program |
| 1 | 1 | 9 | Division Programs (Expositions); State Fair Days at the Utah Centennial Exposition (September 1-20, 1947); *Utah Centennial Exposition brochure |
| 1 | 1 | 10 | Division Programs (Expositions); Utah Centennial Exposition program (June 2-September 20, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 11 | Division Programs (Sports); Archery; 2nd Annual National Field Archery Championship program (August 4-7, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 12 | Division Programs (Sports); Banquet; Parade of Champions (April 2, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 13 | Division Programs (Sports); Boating; Utah Centennial Regatta program (May 30, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 14 | Division Programs (Sports); Football; All-America Conference professional football game program, Brooklyn Dodgers vs. Chicago Rockets (August 23, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 15 | Division Programs (Sports); Golf; Western Open Golf Tournament brochure (August 29-September 1, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 16 | Division Programs (Sports); Skiing; Snow Cup Races program (December 22, 1946) |
| 1 | 1 | 17 | Division Programs (Sports); Skiing; Snow Cup Giant Slalom program (December 22, 1946); International Invitational Jumping Tournament (March 8-9, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 18 | Division Programs (Sports); Tennis; United States Clay Court Tennis Championship program (June 28-July 6, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 19 | Division Programs (Sports); Track and Field; *26th Annual NCAA Track and Field Championships program (June 20-21, 1947); 26th Annual NCAA Track and Field Championships entry blank (June 20-21, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 20 | Division Public Relations/Press Books (Publicity); 26th Annual NCAA Track and Field Championships press book (June 20-21, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 21 | Division Public Relations/Press Books (Publicity); Western Open Golf Tournament press book (August 29-September 1, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 22 | Fliers Advertising Touring Dramas and Pageant (Arts Division); "Angel Street"; "Blossom Time" (March 1, 1947, performance at Morgan High School); "Blossom Time"; "But Not Goodbye"; "Dear Ruth"; "Peg o' My Heart"; "Promised Valley" (July 21-Aug. 9, 1947)/100 Years of American Painting (July 1-29, 1947) [two-sided flier] |
| 1 | 1 | 23 | Poster Advertising Pageant (Arts Division); "Promised Valley" (July 21-August 9) [see oversize storage] |
| 1 | 1 | 24 | Publications (Organizations other than the Centennial Commission); Centennial of the Settlement of Utah Exhibition catalogue, June 7-August 31, 1947 |
| 1 | 1 | 25 | Publications (Organizations other than the Centennial Commission); The Message of the Ages Sacred Pageant (April 6, 1930) |
| 1 | 1 | 26 | Publications (Organizations other than the Centennial Commission); The Message of the Ages Sacred Pageant (25 performances, May 5-June 6, 1947) |
| 1 | 1 | 27 | Publications (Organizations other than the Centennial Commission); The Message of the Ages Sacred Pageant (1947) |