Archives West Finding Aid

Beth S. Jarman was born in Salt Lake City on 6 April 1941. Her parents, Wayne and Jean Smith, owned a farm and raised all three of their daughters there. Beth was the second of the three. It was on this farm that she learned the meaning of hard work, but she also found time for fun activities such as swimming and riding her horse. After graduating from high school she attended the University of Utah where she received a master's degree in American History in 1963. In 1962, while in her junior year, she married Michael C. Jarman. They had two children, Alex and Michelle. She received her Ph.D. in Cultural Foundations of Education in 1977. Jarman's professional activities centered on promoting quality education. She was a member of the National and Utah Councils for Social Studies, and personally introduced a community-based American Government curriculum which directly involved students in governmental and political processes. She also helped design a course entitled "American Studies," created to motivate high school seniors and prepare them for college. Jarman was also involved outside of the classroom. As a member of the Democratic Party, she was vice chairwoman and chair of her legislative district. In 1973, she was elected to the Utah State House of Representatives where she was a member of the Womens' Political Caucus. As a legislator she held town meetings, met with various city councils, and worked with special interest groups hoping to better Utah communities. During this time she joined others in encouraging women to run for office and worked for the ratification of the Equal Rights Amendment. She became chair of the Committee to Study Discrimination in Utah's Laws and helped make many bills into laws which eliminated discrimination against women in Utah. Jarman's legislative term ended in 1977. She became chair of the Utah Housing Finance Committee on June 1st of the same year. One month later she was appointed the first woman Executive Director of the Department of Community Affairs by Utah Governor Scott M. Matheson. Both positions were held until 1979. Jarman received many awards and honors for her service to the communities and state of Utah. One such honor was being named a regional finalist for a White House Fellowship. From there she went on to work with the government in Oregon and Arizona.