Edna Clark Ericksen oral history audio recordings

Collection

Identifier: A0339

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Edna Clark Ericksen oral history audio recordings (1972-1982) consist of extensive interviews with Ericksen about her life experiences:

Tapes 1-3 were produced through the efforts of grandson Scott G. Kenney.

Tapes 4-19 are the result of conversations between Mrs. Ericksen and a grandniece and were intended to provide the basis for a life history.

Tapes 20-45 represent an attempt by Edna Clark Ericksen and Clark Knowlton to preserve a chronological record of her life.

Dates

1972-1982

Creator

Ericksen, Edna Clark, 1889-1983 (Person)

Conditions Governing Access

Materials must be used on-site; no use of original material, access copies will be made available for viewing. Five business days advanced notice required. Access to parts of this collection may be restricted under provisions of state or federal law, condition of the material, or by donor.

Biographical Note

Edna Clark Ericksen was born in Auburn, Wyoming, on 19 November 1889 to Hyrum Don Carlos Clark and Ann Eliza Porter Clark. In 1905, at the age of sixteen, Edna left Star Valley and went to Paris, Idaho, in order to attend Fielding Academy, a LDS Church-sponsored combination elementary and high school. Although she did not complete her studies there, she enrolled at Brigham Young College in 1907. There she met her future husband, Ephraim E. Ericksen, who became the University of Utah's first Professor of Philosophy. They married on 8 June 1910. In 1920, Edna was called to the General Board of the LDS Primary organization, and was assigned the task of developing a program for boys between the ages of nine and eleven. Characteristically, Edna began by listening to the boys themselves, and then went on to develop what has been called the most successful program in the history of the Primary. It was at this time that Edna turned her imagination and flair for craftwork into a home industry that would contribute to the Ericksen family coffers for the next thirty years. She designed, made, and sold uniforms, badges, and insignias for the Primary and other local organizations. In 1932, Edna was elected to the Utah House of Representatives, where she served until 1935. Six years later, she was appointed to fill the State Senate seat vacated by Gordon Weggeland. She was elected in her own right the following year. After the death of E. E. Ericksen in 1967, Edna traveled to Europe, Mexico, and the Far East. In 1974, she was honored by the Utah Women's Political Caucus and the National Organization for Women for her contribution to women's causes.

Edna Clark Ericksen's family is committed to the preservation of her personal history. After a message was sent to the Clark Family Association by Clark S. Knowlton reminding the family that LDS Church authorities have instructed members to keep a record of their lives and the lives of their ancestors various family members taped interviews with Edna Clark Ericksen between 1972 and 1982. Edna Clark Ericksen died in Salt Lake City on 15 August 1983.

Extent

45 Audiocassette

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

The Edna Clark Ericksen oral history audio recordings (1972-1982) consist of extensive interviews with Ericksen about her life experiences. Ericksen served in the Utah State Legislature in the 1930s-1940s and on the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS) Primary General Board.

Arrangement

The materials are arranged chronologially by interview date.

Related Materials

See also the Edna Clark Ericksen papers (Ms 617) and photograph collection (P0425).

Forms part of the Aileen H. Clyde 20th Century Women's Legacy Archives