J. Bracken Lee photograph collection, 1890-1975

Overview of the Collection

Title
J. Bracken Lee photograph collection
Dates
1890-1975 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.2 linear feet, (2 archives boxes)
Collection Number
P0037
Summary
The J. Bracken Lee photograph collection consists mostly of images documenting J. Bracken Lee's activities as mayor of Salt Lake City (1962-1974). The collection also includes a small number of Lee family photographs dating from the late 19th century.
Repository
University of Utah Libraries, Special Collections
Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library
University of Utah
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City, UT
84112-0860

Telephone: 8015818863
special@library.utah.edu
Access Restrictions

Twenty-four hour advanced notice encouraged. Materials must be used on-site. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law.

Languages
English

Content DescriptionReturn to Top

The J. Bracken Lee collection contains photographs of Lee during his tenure as Mayor of Salt Lake City from 1962 to 1974. Included is the collection are portraits, photographs of Lee with other people (largely unidentified), at a parade of troops at Fort Douglas, and at the Dedication Ceremonies for the opening of Parley's Canyon I-15 and I-80 freeways. There are also a few 19th century photographs, possibly Lee's ancestors.

Historical NoteReturn to Top

A native of Price, Utah, J. Bracken Lee was born 7 January 1899, a son of Arthur James and Ida May (Leiter) Lee. He received his elementary school training in Fruita, Colorado, and later graduated from Carbon High School in Price, Utah, in 1917. On graduation day he enlisted in the United States Army and served throughout World War I. He was honorably discharged in March 1919, with the rank of 2nd Lieutenant, but retained his commission in the reserve officers corps. After serving in the military, he returned to civilian life in Price where he became involved in the insurance and real estate business.

In 1920, J. Bracken Lee married Nellie Pace and two years later on January 29, 1922 they became parents of a daughter, Helen Virginia. Illness brought death to Nellie on January 1, 1926 leaving him a widower with a four-year old daughter. He married Margaret Draper on February 23, 1928 at Price, Utah. They are the parents of the following children: James Bracken, Margaret Jon, and Richard Lewis.

Beginning in the early 1930's Lee became very interested in public affairs. He was elected mayor of Price, Utah, in the fall of 1935 and served six successive terms before declining nomination for a seventh.

Defeat as a candidate for the U. S. House of Representatives and his first try for governorship of Utah did not discourage Lee. In 1948 he was elected to the office of governor by an overwhelming majority. In 1952 he was re-elected by an even greater margin.

After failing in his bid for the U. S. Senate on the Independent ticket in 1958, he ran for mayor of Salt Lake City in 1959. He received more votes than all five of his opponents combined in the primary contest, and in the general election he defeated his opponent with the largest number of votes received by a mayoralty candidate. He campaigned for re-election in November 1963 and again when the votes were counted it was another Lee landslide. In a third consecutive campaign in 1967 he received another vote of confidence and was re-elected for his third term as mayor.

J. Bracken Lee retired in 1972 after serving in public office for 32 years.

Use of the CollectionReturn to Top

Restrictions on Use

The library does not claim to control copyright for all materials in the collection. An individual depicted in a reproduction has privacy rights as outlined in Title 45 CFR, part 46 (Protection of Human Subjects). For further information, please review the J. Willard Marriott Library's Use Agreement and Reproduction Request forms.

Preferred Citation

Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.

Administrative InformationReturn to Top

Arrangement

Collection is arranged topically.

Separated Materials

Audio-visual materials were transferred to the J. Bracken Lee audio-visual collection, (A0037).

Manuscript materials were transferred to the J. Bracken Lee papers (MS 0037).

Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top

Portraits, Events during tenure as Mayor, AddendumReturn to Top

Container(s) Description Dates
Box Folder
1 1
Portraits
  • 1-3: Portraits of J. Bracken Lee
1 2
Lee and unidentified individuals
  • 4: Lee in the city council chambers
  • 5: Lee at a Veterans of Foreign Wars Dinner
  • 6-10: Lee with unidentified people
1 3
Fort Douglas Parade
  • 11-14: Lee and President Joseph Fielding Smith of the LDS Church at ceremonies honoring troops called to active service during the Berlin Crisis, 1962
1 4
Dedication ceremonies, Parley's Canyon, I-15 and 1-80. December 23, 1966
  • 15-16: J. Bracken Lee at Ceremonies
  • 17-18: Lee and Frank E. Moss
  • 19: Lee, Moss and Calvin Rampton
  • 20: Rampton giving speech
  • 21-28: Miscellaneous photographs
1 5
Individuals, 19th century photographs
  • 29: Aunt Emily
  • 30: Ted Mulford (1891)
  • 31: Emily Mulford as an infant (1896)
1 6
Warehouse
  • 32-36: Photographs of a warehouse and boiler
1 7
J. Bracken and Margaret Lee
  • 37: Portrait of J. Bracken Lee
  • 38-39: Lee and others at ceremonies at the Union Pacific Railroad Station, 1950s
  • 40-41: J. Bracken and Margaret Lee standing on the steps of the Kearns Mansion, 1950s
  • 42: Portrait of Margaret Lee, 1950s
1 8
Duplicates
  • Duplicates(3)
1 9
Personal (Addendum)
  • 1-8: Portraits of J. Bracken Lee
  • 9: J. Bracken and Margaret Lee Standing on steps of Kearns Mansion
  • 10: J. Bracken Lee having his blood pressure measured
  • 11-54: Contact sheets of snapshots of J. Bracken Lee in his office
1 10
Lee with groups (Addendum)
  • 1: Govenor Lee being lassoed by Montie Montana at a social function
  • 2-3: Govenor Lee with unidentified people
  • 4: Govenor Bracken, Mrs. Lee, Justice Roger I. McDonough, Dr. E. Allen Bateman
  • 5: Govenor Lee with service men and women
  • 6: Unidentified group of young men
1 11
General (Addendum)
  • 1: State Capitol
  • 2-3: Unidentified
  • 4: Autographed Portrait of Montie Montana
1 12
National Miner's Union, film project
  • 1: Unidentified man, this image came with possible identifying information: "Frame from J. Bracken Lee film on National Miners Union March in Price, Utah. The man is holding a tear gas grenade, September 11, 1933."
  • 2: Article entitled "Lee of Utah: Champ or Scamp?"
1 13
Ground breaking ceremony
  • 1 : Photo shows Ground-breaking of New Duaine Brown Chevrolet facilities, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 2 : Photo shows Mayor J. Bracken Lee receiving "Make America Better" plaque from Mess Larraine Pay
  • 3 : Photo shows "Utah Motor Club Safety Award" to J. Bracken Lee
  • 4 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee with others at a Liberty Award ceremony
  • 5 : Photo shows two men of the air force
  • 6 : A group photo at Philippine Zoo, White Peafowls partially visible
  • 7 : Photo shows (left to right) Father O. Aquila, Mayor N.S. Amoranto, P.C. Villamnure at the Tracy Aviary, with Spalding Peafowls, Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 8 : Photo of a group of people in front of monument to the Philippines, J. Bracken Lee is on the right side of the wreath
  • 9 : Photo of an unidentified group of men
  • 10 : Photo of three men, the one seated is probably J. Bracken Lee, signing "KSOP Day" proclamation
  • 11 : Signing "KSOP Day" Proclamation; photo showing J. Bracken Lee (seated) shaking hands with Henry Hilton (KSOP Salt Lake City Founder), Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 12 : Photo shows a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Greyhound Lines terminal in Salt Lake City, Utah. Far left is Governor Calvin "Cal" Rampton.
  • 13 : Photo shows a groundbreaking ceremony for a new Greyhound Lines terminal in Salt Lake City, Utah. Far left is Utah Governor Calvin "Cal" Rampton.
  • 14 : Photo shows two photocopied news articles on Legislature Deadlock
  • 15 : Photograph of J. Bracken Lee crowning a young woman
  • 16 : Photograph of J. Bracken Lee crowning a young woman
  • 17 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee (seated) with two unidentified people
  • 18 : Photo shows Main Street (looking north) in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 19 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee with a group of people campaigning
  • 20 : Photograph of J. Bracken Lee with a girl soliciting donations for Muscular dystrophy
  • 21 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee campaigning for United States senator
  • 22 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee campaigning for United State senator
  • 23 : Photo shows J. Bracken Lee and others at a campaign dinner
  • 24 : Photo shows J. Bracken Lee and others at a campaign dinner
  • 25 : Photo shows a Ground-breaking ceremony for the Royal Inn in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 26 : Ground breaking ceremonies for the Royal Inn in Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 27 : Ground breaking ceremonies for the Royal Inn in Salt Lake City, Utah
2 1
Oversize, portrait
1: J. Bracken Lee, portrait.
1962-1974
2 2
Oversize, general
  • 2 : Photograph of two men and one woman participating at an event
  • 3 : Photo shows J. Bracken Lee in an Old Sports Car waving to people at a downtown parade, Fort Douglas, Utah
  • 4 : Photo shows J. Bracken Lee in an Old Sports Car waving to people at a downtown parade, Fort Douglas, Utah
  • 5 : Photograph of Timmy and his dog Lassie
  • 6 : A group photo, Lassie (dog), J. Bracken Lee, Jon Peorost, Timmy, three unknown women, and an unidentified man
  • 7 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee with County Commissioner possibly in his office
  • 8 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee with an unidentified group of people
  • 9 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee (second from right) at a luncheon in honor of Werner Brown (second from left), President of Hercules Corporation
  • 10 : Photo shows an article about Hercules, Utah congressmen are shown, Inter-mountain Industry, September 1970
  • 11 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee (second from right) at a luncheon in honor of Werner Brown (second from left), President of Hercules Corporation
  • 12 : Left to right: Max Wheelwright, President, Wheelwright Co., Mayor J. Bracken Lee, Frank Doane, General Manager, Press Division of Mergenthaler
  • 13 : Photo shows Congressman Sherman P. Lloyd presenting Salt Lake City's resolution of support of President Nixon's Vietnam policy to the President
  • 14 : Photo shows Mayor J. Bracken Lee accepting a medallion from Mayor of Little Rock, Arkensas, from the mayor's representative, Mr. Ken Moyer
  • 15 : Days of '47 Program, July 24, 1971; photograph of five men, one sitting, four standing, and a framed picture in the background
  • 16 : Photo shows"Keys of Good Will" award to Salt Lake City, Utah
  • 17 : Photo of J. Bracken Lee (seated in the center) with other men

Names and SubjectsReturn to Top

Subject Terms

  • Mayors--Utah--Salt Lake City--Photographs
  • Politicians--Utah--Photographs

Personal Names

  • Lee, J. Bracken (Joseph Bracken), 1899-1996--Photographs

Family Names

  • Lee family--Photographs

Geographical Names

  • Salt Lake City (Utah)--Politics and government

Form or Genre Terms

  • Group portraits--1890-1974
  • Photographic prints--1890-1974
  • Portrait photographs--1890-1974