Archives West Finding Aid

Wilbur L. Bud Rusho was born in Montrose, Colorado on 29 September 1928. He attended public schools in Montrose and in Denver after which he served in the U. S. Army between 1946 and 1948, attaining the rank of staff sergeant. Subsequent to his discharge, Rusho became a student at the University of Colorado where he majored in political science and economics. After Bud graduated in 1952, he obtained employment as an investigator for the U. S. Civil Service Commission, a postion which he held for six years. His investigative work required him to travel throughout Wyoming and Colorado. In 1958 Rusho was appointed as a public affairs officer in the Bureau of Reclamation which was a division in the U. S. Department of the Interior. Bud's initial assignment required him to move to Page, Arizona where he was responsible for conducting tours of the construction of the Glen Canyon Dam. During his five year stint in the Glen Canyon area, Rusho launched what was to become a lengthy and distinguished career in the production of motion pictures and videotapes. Included in Bud's production activities were that of script writer, director, cameraman, and editor. His creative endeavors were rewarded when five of his productions received video- film festival and magazine awards. Upon the completion of the Glen Canyon Dam in 1963, the Bureau of Reclamation transferred Rusho to Salt Lake City, Utah where he continued his work as a public affairs specialist. For the ensuing twenty-five years of governmental service, Bud composed press releases, wrote speeches, and designed exhibits.

While in the employ of the federal government, Rusho engaged in researching and writing about topics associated with the history of the Colorado River. His first published work was entitled "Powell's Canyon Voyage." It appeared in 1969. Six years later Bud co-authored with C. Gregory Crampton Desert River Crossing: Historic Lee's Ferry on the Colorado River. A revised version of this book, Lee's Ferry: Desert River Crossing, was published in 1992. The Rusho publication which attracted considerable attention and acclaim was Everett Ruess: A Vagabond for Beauty. This 1983 opus spawned a revival of interest in the saga surrounding the disappearance of the twenty-year old talented poet and painter. Evidence of the mystique of the life of Everett Ruess can be seen in numerous newspaper and periodical articles, biographies, and films. Fifteen years following the book which produced the letters of Ruess, Rusho edited Ruess's journals. The title of this work is Wilderness Journals of Everett Ruess. A sample of Everett's poetry can be found in the 2000 edition of On Desert Trails with Everett Ruess in which Bud composed the epilogue. In addition to the aforementioned publications, Bud wrote several articles and book reviews (1968-2000) which appeared in issues of the Deseret News, Salt Lake Tribune, Utah Historical Quarterly, Western Historical Quarterly, Utah History Encylcopedia, and The Arizona Sheriff. An informative oral interview discussing various events and experiences of Rusho's life was published in 2008.

Rusho's abiding love of the history of rivers, canyons, trails, and exploration in the American West led him to become deeply involved in numerous organizations and activities related to these interests. One of the founding members of the Utah Westerners founded in 1967, Bud served as the club's secretary and president and helped to arrange many field trips which visited historical sites throughout the Western states. Due to his writings about and lectures on John Wesley Powell, he was asked to join the advisory board of the Powell Historical Museum which is housed in Green River, Utah. During the period of Utah's Bicentennial celebrations, Rusho chaired a research committee which focused on a study of the historic Dominquez-Escalante trail. In 1991 Bud became a member of the Fort Douglas Historical Preservation Board. A photographer of considerable skill and merit, he garnered a variety of awards (1990-1995) recognizing his excellence in photography as well as in video scripts and production. The organization, which granted Rusho these awards, was the Rocky Mountain Outdoor Writers and Photographers. Illustrations of Rusho's photographic output are located in the Audio and Visual Division of Special Collections. Bud's entrepreneurial spirit was manifested in his post-governmental career. He was the the vice president, director of production, owner, and manager of two Salt Lake City firms, viz., Sun Time Productions and Cricket Productions.

Wilbur L. Bud Rusho died on 1 March 2011.