"Wives of the Presidents"

Current university first lady Phyllis A. Hall reviews the lives and contributions of past first ladies in an upcoming presentation by the Friends of Utah State University Libraries. The event is simply titled, "Wives of the Presidents."

Hall will base her remarks on a small pamphlet she recently assembled, "Wives of the Presidents: Agricultural College of Utah to Utah State University, 1890–2002." Starting with Belle Graham Osborn Sanborn, the first, first lady at the Agricultural College of Utah, and moving to the present, Hall takes a look at the institution's 14 first ladies.

"There seems to be no direct evidence that Belle moved to Logan," Hall wrote in the pamphlet. "Her fourth child was born 18 years after her first child in Missouri, the same year that Jeremiah became president. At this time they also had a three year old son. Their oldest son, Harry, became a student in the Agricultural College of Utah. Evidence for this exists in the demerit books where Harry's name appears. Nothing further is known about Belle Graham Osborn Sanborn."

The university's second first lady, Annie Maria Pettegrew Paul, chose not to live on campus with her family. Her husband reported in 1895 that: "I found it necessary in order to meet what seems to be public requirements of the president of the college to remove from the College House, built for the President, to a more accessible portion of Logan City."

Renovations were made to the president's home on campus when the third president, Joseph Marion Tanner, and his somewhat extended family moved back into the farm house on campus. The following renovations were requested: "electrification, indoor plumbing, re-papering, a new furnace and the installation of a telephone."

Hall found that various first ladies had multiple interests, ranging from work with the PTA to writing. Leah Eudora Dunford Widtsoe spoke often on health and nutrition. Phebe Almira Nebeker Peterson was a graduate of the Agricultural College, and as first lady she organized the Dames Club for wives of married students and the Newcomers Club. Her first dinner party at the school was for the entire football team. Many of the university's first ladies were teachers, including Hall.

Hall joined the first ladies club in 2001 when Kermit L. Hall became the university's 14th president. She received a bachelor's degree in education at the University of Akron and earned a master's degree in library science from George Peabody College for Teachers in Nashville. She has worked as a teacher and as a children's librarian. She is a member of the American Library Association, Phi Delta Kappa, an international association for professional educators, and is a member of the Utah and Cache Valley Storytelling guilds.

Hall's presentation is Friday, March 21, and begins at 7:30 p.m. at the Merrill Library on campus. The event is free and all are invited.

The last Friends of Utah State University Libraries event is April 25, when Stephen Sturgeon presents "The Politics of Western Water."

Friends of University Libraries is an informal organization that recognizes the central role of the university's libraries in the education of students. The group provides financial and programming support for the libraries. It holds a series of meetings and activities during the year and sponsors a popular lecture series during the summer on the Utah State campus.

Anyone interested in Friends of Utah State University Libraries should contact Trina Shelton, (435) 797-2631.

Contact: Trina Shelton (435) 797-2631
Writer: Patrick Williams (435) 797-1354