Eugene Jelesnik (1914-1999) was born of the Jewish faith on 19 March 1914 in Alexandrovsk, Ukraine, Russia, to Jacob and Jenny Jelesnik. He and his mother came to the United States in 1925, after the death of his father, to escape the Bolshevik Revolution. They lived in New York before moving to his permanent home in Utah. While in Utah, he met and married Virginia Bell Washburn in 1938. They were together for fifty-four years prior to her death. Jelesnik was the founder of the Salt Lake Philharmonic Orchestra. He was a musician, an entertainer, and concert broker who arranged for such performers as Frank Sinatra and Liberace to perform in Utah. He was also the host of the weekly amateur hour "Talent Showcase" television program. Eugene Jelesnik passed away on 16 February 1999 at the age of eighty-four.
The Eugene Jelesnik papers (1940s-1962) consist mainly of announcements, programs, and brochures related to the musical performances and entertainment that Jelesnik (1914-1999) was involved with. Also included are articles, sheet music, correspondence, and miscellaneous papers.
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.
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
Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Gift of Tony Weller in 2007.
Processed by Sam Francis and Lisa DeMille in 2007.
Photographs and audio-visual materials were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P1424 and A0919).