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Aaron Ward Tracy (1885-1966) is best known for his involvement in the organization or Weber State College. He was one of its founders, and an English teacher while it was called Weber State Academy. He later became the head of their English Department, and established the forensics program. Tracy was born to Henry Tracey and Phoebe Draper. He was orphaned, and grew up in the home of David O. McKay. Tracy received his B.A. in English from BYU, and went on to become the principal of schools in both Weber and Box Elder Counties. He was also president of Weber Academy from 1922 to 1936. From 1937 to 1941, Tracy taught at BYU, and during World War II served as historian at the Ogden Defense Depot. He returned from 1951-1952 to the Depot as their training officer. Tracy was also active in state government. He was chairman of the Utah Department of Publicity and Industrial Development from 1945-1949, and was a menber of the Utah State Legislature from 1933-1935, and again from 1959-1961, and 1963. In 1912, Tracy married Ethel Marriott in the Salt Lake Temple, and together they had seven children. He died in 1966.

The Salt Lake Theatre was constructed on First South and State Street. Brigham Young made the decision to build the theatre there in 1858, due to the popularity of nearby Camp Floyd's theatre which was neither big enough nor permanent. An auction at Camp Floyd furnished most of the fund for the building, which was to be the largest structure erected in the Salt Lake valley up to this time. It's main architect was William E. Folsom, and the primary supervisor was Hiram B. Clawson. The original design of the building was simple elegance, with doric style columns at the entrance, and a white chalky plaster front that lit up very well at night. The interior was modeled after the European opera houses, with a parquet and four ascending circles, capable of holding 1500 people. It had two grand boxes at the top, and large storage and rehearsal areas in the back. Because the theatre was an important addition to Salt Lake City, many different entertainments were held there, everything from dramatic plays to lectures, to political conventions. Famous actors of the day graced the stage, including Lily Langtrey, Oscar Wilde, and all of the Barrymores. There were also balls and celebrations honoring various organizations and holidays, such as the Mormon Battalion, and Independance Day. Although it's venues were international and well-known, the Salt Lake Theatre never made much profit, and was usually only able to pay it's expenses. In the twenties, the combination of a faltering economy and the advent of motion pictures cut into it's already insufficient revenues, and Heber J. Grant made the unpopular but neccesary decision to close it. Despite valiant attempts by various groups to keep the theatre open, it closed in 1928, and was razed to the ground.