There are few records held by the Utah Division of Archives and Records Service that illustrate the power and importance of communication like the correspondence sent and received by Utah’s governors.
As the chief executive of the State, the governor directly engages with issues of both local and national importance. The governor correspondence collections are filled with an array of documents, from handwritten on plain paper to typed on beautiful letterhead. This ongoing information exchange is foundational to the historic record as it provides unique, often personal, insights into key historical moments.
Where to Begin
With over fifteen governors’ correspondence collections in the Utah State Archives, starting your research might feel overwhelming. Don’t fear! This new research guide brings together the correspondence from the various administrations of Utah’s governors. There are also descriptions of each correspondence record series so you can easily see the themes of the collections. Where possible, a list of topics of state and national interests unique to any given governor’s administration are also included.
Several of the collections are available for viewing and download in our Digital Archives. For access to documents and collections that are not available online, please reach out to our Research Center at historyresearch@utah.gov. We would be happy to help you by either scanning and emailing or setting up an in-person private research appointment!
Utah History Day 2021
This new research guide was prompted by the 2021 Utah History Day theme of “Communication in History: The Key to Understanding.” This theme asks students to consider how people exchange information and interact with each other and to explore how the methods and modes of communication have changed over time. Utah History Day, one of our favorite events of the year, is hosted by Utah State History. This annual event offers hands-on history education and yearly competitions to Grades 4-12 throughout the state. Winning projects then move on to the National History Day competition! We are proud to be involved with Utah History Day by sponsoring the Utah State Archives History in Government Prize. We hope this research guide assists students in their projects and we look forward to seeing the results later this year!