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Ted Wilson papers

 Collection
Identifier: ACCN 0859

Scope and Contents

The Ted Wilson papers (1976-1988) document the tenure of this Salt Lake City mayor (1976-1985) and his campaign for the U. S. Senate against Orrin Hatch in 1982. His mayoralty papers are concerned with administrative activities, boards and committees, the city council, correspondence, city departments, personnel, politics, speeches, and other topics. Included are scrapbooks, correspondence, meeting materials, background materials on Orrin Hatch, news clippings, reports, notes, and other papers.

Dates

  • 1976-1988

Creator

Language of Materials

Collection materials are in English.

Conditions Governing Access

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.

Conditions Governing 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.

Biographical Sketch

Ted Wilson was born on 18 May 1939 in Salt Lake City Utah. He attended schools in Salt Lake City, graduating from South High School in 1957, and from the University of Utah in 1964. He received a B.S. degree in economics and education from the University of Washington in 1969. From 1957-1963, Wilson served in the Utah Army National Guard and was discharged with the rank of Radar Sergeant. He married Kathryn (Kathy) Carling in 1963. They had five children: Benjamin, Jennifer, Melissa, Jessica, and Joseph.

Wilson was an instructor at the Leysin American School in Leysin, Switzerland from 1964 to 1965. After returning from Europe he taught economics at Skyline High School in Salt Lake City for seven years and worked summers as a ranger in Grand Teton National Park. In March 1973, he was appointed administrative assistant and field representative to Congressman Wayne Owens. In April 1975, he was appointed director of the department of Social Services in Salt Lake County. In 1975, he ran for mayor of Salt Lake City, and was sworn in as the city's twenty-ninth mayor on 5 January 1976.

As Mayor, Wilson advocated and promoted growth and development for the City. He was a driving force in the modernization of the Salt Lake International Airport. One of Wilson's most significant accomplishments occurred in 1979 when the mayor led the movement to change city government from a five-member, partisan commission form to a more representative and modern seven-member, non-partisan council form. Wilson served as mayor until 1 July 1985 when he accepted and adjunct professor of political science at the University of Utah. At the University he handled fundraising for the Hinckley Institute, contracted and arranged national leaders and political figures visits to the University, and oversaw the Institute's intern program. He also taught several political science courses.

Wilson's book, Utah's Wasatch Front, was about life along Utah's Wasatch Front and explored the contrast of city and canyons, basin and range, and problems and promise in one of America's fastest growing metropolitan areas.

Wilson served on many voluntary local boards including the Intermountain Health Care Board, the Utah Arboretum Board, the University of Utah Medical School Advisory Board, and the University of Utah Alumni Board.

Extent

68 Linear Feet

Abstract

The Ted Wilson papers (1976-1988) document the tenure of this Salt Lake City mayor (1976-1985) and his campaign for the U. S. Senate against Orrin Hatch in 1982. His mayoralty papers are concerned with administrative activities, boards and committees, the city council, correspondence, city departments, personnel, politics, speeches, and other topics.

Arrangement

Organized in eleven series: I. Administrative Files; II. Boards and Committees; III. Correspondence; IV. Council Files; V. Department Files; VI. Personal Files; VII. Political Files; IX. Speeches and Subject Files; X. Scrapbooks; XI. Addenda.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Boxes 1-114 were donated in 1985. Boxes 115-134 were donated in 1988. Boxes 135-136 were donated in 1990.

Separated Materials

Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections (P0269).

Processing Information

Processed by Sam Walker, Mark Evans, Brent Andersen, and Tracy Paul from 1986-1990.
Title
Inventory of the Ted Wilson papers
Status
Completed
Author
Finding aid created by Sam Walker.
Date
1986 (last modified: 2018)
Description rules
Describing Archives: A Content Standard
Language of description
Undetermined
Script of description
Code for undetermined script
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English.

Repository Details

Part of the J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections Repository

Contact:
295 South 1500 East
Salt Lake City Utah 84112 United States
801-581-8863