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Leonard H. Kirkpatrick papers, 1852-1950

Overview of the Collection

Creator
Kirkpatrick, Leonard Henry, 1907-1962
Title
Leonard H. Kirkpatrick papers
Dates
1852-1950 (inclusive)
Quantity
1.5 linear feet
Collection Number
MS 0484
Summary
The Leonard H. Kirkpatrick papers (1852-1950) contain Kirkpatrick's writings on Utah's past and libraries throughout the state of Utah. Leonard H. Kirkpatrick was hired on as the head librarian of the Thomas Library at the University of Utah in 1941 and was an avid promoter of the University of Utah Library. He assisted in making the library an important research institution.
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
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Historical Note

Very little is known about the early life of Leonard H. Kirkpatrick (1907-1962). He was born in Arkansas in December 1907. He received his B.A. at Stanford University in 1929 and taught high school in Wyoming and Utah for the next four years. He then returned to Stanford where, in addition to getting a master's degree, he served as Assistant Librarian at the university. In 1936 he arrived at the Utah State Agricultural College (now Utah State University) where he was a librarian. During his stay he married Grace Jensen. In 1941 he took over as Head Librarian from Esther Nelson at the University of Utah's Thomas Library. For the next two decades he dealt with the changes World War II brought to the University of Utah from the sudden drop in students during the war to the explosion of the student population after the war. Always an advocate of librarianship, he was known to have a passion for his work and was a popular speaker. He sought to make Utahns more knowledgeable about the history of their state and made several shrewd purchases for the library, many of which are in today's Special Collections. As the Thomas Library grew more crowded with each passing year, Kirkpatrick began a campaign for library expansion and finally for a new building. His dream of a new library was cut short; just a few months after the Planning Committee for the new library started meeting, Kirkpatrick was killed in a traffic accident in November 1962. He is generally credited with helping turn the University of Utah Library into an effective research organization and promoting libraries throughout the state and region.

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Content Description

The Leonard H. Kirkpatrick papers (1852-1950) focus on materials for a dissertation that Kirkpatrick was writing for the Graduate Library School of the University of Chicago. The materials focus on the early libraries in the state of Utah and the involvement of the LDS Church in establishing libraries in the Utah Territory. There are also miscallaneous articles and lectures that Kirkpatrick wrote, including one on BYU President Ernest Wilkinson who supposedly "prayed" the BYU football team to victory.

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Use of the Collection

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.

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Administrative Information

Acquisition Information

Transferred from the University of Utah Archives in 1982.

Processing Note

Processed by Lora Crouch in 1987.

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Detailed Description of the Collection

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Subject Terms

Form or Genre Terms

Finding aid created by Lora Crouch
1987 (last modified: 2019)

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