William G. Hartley papers, 1968-2014

Latter-day Saint historian William "Bill" G. Hartley (1942-2018) received both a bachelor's and master's degree in history from Brigham Young University (BYU) and completed PhD coursework at Washington State University. Hartley wrote several books, magazine articles, and scholarly publications on LDS, U.S. immigration, family, and oral history. He is best known for his work on the Joseph Smith Papers project and his book, "Stand by My Servant Joseph." He also appeared on the KSL television documentary series "History of the Saints" as the consulting historian. In 1972, Hartley joined the staff of Church Historian Leonard J. Arrington under the LDS Church Historical Department and the research-based Church History Division. Here, he directed the Oral History Program. After the church transferred its History Division to BYU, he served as an associate professor of history, a research historian for the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History, and director of the Family History and Genealogy Research Services Center at the university. In addition, Hartley served as president of the Mormon History Association (MHA) and founding president of the Mormon Trails Association (MTA). In 2012, he received the MHA's highest honor, the Leonard J. Arrington Award for a lifetime of distinguished contributions to Mormon history. Hartley's work made significant contributions to studies of Mormon resistance to persecution in Missouri, the evolution of LDS priesthood offices and leadership structures, the Mormon Battalion, the Pony Express, and of multiple western U.S. migrations and pioneer trails over land and sea. In 2001, Hartley experienced one of these western migrations for himself when he participated in Sea Trek, a commemorative reenactment voyage celebrating 150 years since Scandinavian converts to the church migrated from Denmark to Utah. This was one of Hartley's favorite memories. After a two-year battle with cancer, William G. Hartley passed away in 2018 at the age of 76. A devout believer of the LDS faith, Hartley said of his own eventual passing, "On the other side I'll find out how accurate or inaccurate the histories I wrote really are."