With the University of Utah now a nationally recognized institution both academically and athletically, it’s hard to believe there was a time when it was just a small regional institution. The point of its transition—and the man who shepherded that change—is the subject of historian Anne Palmer Peterson’s intriguing book.
A. Ray Olpin became president of the University of Utah in 1946, just when soldiers returning home from World War II heralded a surge in the university’s enrollment from 4,000 to 12,000 before Olpin retired in 1964. The intervening years found Olpin struggling to provide a grander vision of the university beyond the state’s borders, including defending academic freedom and selling state legislators on the potential for world-class programs. Join the author for a special presentation including a slide show of archival photographs recognizing this local academic pioneer.
Anne Palmer Peterson: Years of Promise @ The King’s English Bookshop, 1511 S. 1500 East, 801-484-9100, Tuesday, Dec. 1, 7–9 p.m. KingsEnglish.com