Series 23036
Salt Lake City School District (Utah) School Children's Constitution and Flag Monument books

Dates: 1932-1952.

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These records are housed in the Utah State Archives' permanent storage room.

Historical Note

An agency history is available.

Scope and Content

This series contains two books compiled by the school district to document and commemorate the erection of the School Children's Constitution and Flag Monument on the west side of Washington Square in front of the Salt Lake City and County Building. The monument was completed in 1937 and included a flag pole with a sculpture of two children with the United States Constitution standing at the base, and one of the children pointing up toward the flag. School children donated money to fund the monument and local children acted as models for the sculpture. In 1936 each school in the city compiled a list of students and what occupation each aspired to when they grew up. These lists were sealed in a time capsule in the monument when it was dedicated in 1937.

The books in this series were compiled after the time capsule was opened in 1952. They include copies of newspaper articles about the erection of the monument and photographs of the dedication in 1937 and the opening of the time capsule in 1952. They also contain documentation of efforts to erect a flag pole not only at the City and County Building, but at each school in the district as well.

The bulk of the volumes is taken up by negative photostatic copies of the lists of children's aspirations. These lists are arranged by school and grade and, in most cases, include a photograph of the school and information about the flag pole for that school. The lists typically give the grade and teacher, the name of each student and the career they wanted to pursue when they grew up. In some cases (especially for younger grades) teachers apparently wrote all the information, but in many cases the information is written in each students own hand.

Arrangement

Generally divided between elementary and secondary schools, thereunder alphabetical by name of school.

Custody History

Information in the series indicates that the Salt Lake City School District originally intended these books to be deposited with the Utah State Historical Society. For unknown reasons, the books ended up in the collection of the Salt Lake City Public Library. After holding the books for many years, the library transferred Volume I to the State Archives in July 2000. Volume 2 was transferred to the Archives in July 2016.

Additional Forms

This series is available online as part of the Utah State Archives Digital Archives.

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

This series was archivally processed by Alan Barnett in August 2016.

Finding Aids

Other: A table of contents at the beginning lists elementary schools, high schools, and the training school in alphabetical order and tells which volume and on what pages the records appear. Indexes: An name index for schools and school children is available.

Indexing Terms

  • Time capsules--Salt Lake City
  • Vocational interests--Salt Lake City
  • School children--Statues

Container List

BOX DESCRIPTION
1 Volume 1, Elementary schools; Columbus - Riley
2 Volume 2, Elementary schools; Sumner - Whittier, Bonneville
2 Volume 2, Secondary schools; Bryant - West High
2 Volume 2, Training School

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