USU Hosts 2007 Arrington Mormon History Lecture

William A. Wilson, a humanities professor emeritus in folklore and literature at Brigham Young University, presents the 2007 Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture Thursday, Sept. 27, 7 p.m., at the Logan LDS Tabernacle, 50 N. Main. The lecture is free and open to all.

Wilson’s lecture is titled “What’s True in Mormon Folklore? The Contribution of Folklore to Mormon Studies.”

 

“Mormon folklore study … should be a crucial part of any program that attempts to understand what Mormons do because of what they believe,” Wilson said.

 

Wilson opened a description of his lecture with the saying “just because something didn’t happen doesn’t mean that it’s not true.”

 

“This lecture will demonstrate that the materials of Mormon folklore are, no matter what their origins, true,” Wilson wrote. “This lore will take us about as close as we can get to Mormon hearts and minds, for the simple reason that people tell stories about, and participate in, those practices that interest them most.”

 

The materials of Mormon folklore include objects frequently made by early pioneers and subsequent generations, including quilts. Rituals like family prayer and stories told of remarkable spiritual events or common daily happenings are also included.

 

The Arrington Lecture, held each fall, is presented by Special Collections and Archives in the Merrill-Cazier Library at Utah State University, in conjunction with the Leonard J. Arrington Foundation.

 

USU’s Merrill-Cazier Library houses the personal and historical collection of the late Leonard J. Arrington, a renowned scholar of the American West. As part of that gift to the university, Arrington requested that the historical collection also become the focus for an annual lecture on an aspect of Mormon history. Honoring that request, the Leonard J. Arrington Mormon History Lecture Series was established in 1995.

 

Wilson earned his doctorate in folklore from Indiana University. He began his teaching career as a high school English teacher in Bountiful, Utah, and has since taught at Indiana University, UCLA, USU, the University of Oregon and BYU. At BYU, he served as chair of the English department, as director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies and as director of the BYU Folklore Archives, now known as the William A. Wilson Folklore Archives.

 

During his association with USU, Wilson served as director of the folklore program and developed the annual Fife Folklore Conference. He also helped develop the Fife Folklore Archives and was instrumental in incorporating the archive into the Merrill-Cazier Library’s holdings.

 

Wilson is a Fellow of the American Folklore Society and is the author of a number of prize-winning books. He has twice won the Morris S. Rosenblatt Award for articles published in “Utah Historical Quarterly.”

 

All college students are invited to participate in a writing competition in conjunction with the lecture and cash awards will be given. Call (435) 797-2663 for more information.

 

Contact: Brad Cole (435) 797-8268
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354