Walter Jones photograph collection

Collection

Identifier: P0759

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

The Walter Jones photograph collection consists of 2 boxes containing color photograph prints and color slides. Box 1 consists of portraits of soldiers, including Walter Jones. It also contains photographs of street fairs held in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah from 2005 and 2006. Jones was on the organizing committee for the Avenues Street Fair. The 2005 Avenues Street Fair was held on South Temple between “S” Avenue and Virginia Street. The 2006 Avenues Street Fair was held on 11th Avenue between D and I Avenues.

Box 2 consists primarily of slides created by Jones in relation to his research into various aspects of United States military history, particularly the visual representation of the Vietnam War in American print media. The slides are copy work of magazine articles and book covers. Many were used in Jones' presentations and lectures on the topic, particularly those given at the Popular Culture Association (PCA) conferences between 1998 aned 2002.

Dates

1987-2006

Creator

Jones, Walter, 1944- (Person)

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

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances.

Permission to publish material from the Walter Jones photograph collection must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator.

Biographical Note

Walter Robert Jones was born on December 1,1944 in Casper, Wyoming to Ruth Kerlin and Walter Lawrence Jones. He graduated from Natrona County High School in 1963 and enrolled at Casper Junior College the same year. After graduating with an associate degree, Jones transferred to the University of Wyoming. He graduated in 1967 with a BA in History.

After graduating from college, Jones enlisted in the United States Army, commencing a 28-year military career. In his initial tour of duty, Jones studied the Korean language for one year at the Defense Language Institute in Monterrey, California. Subsequent to being certified as a language specialist, Jones was sent to South Korea where he was assigned to a post in the Demilitarized Zone for thirteen months. The final stretch of his active military service occurred when he was employed to work for the National Security Agency. During the years of 1976-1995, Jones was a member of the Wyoming and Utah national guard units. By the time he had retired from national guard service, Jones had attained the rank of Sergeant Major and had received several awards for meritorious service.

After his military discharge in early 1971, Jones decided to pursue a graduate degree in Library and Information Service at Brigham Young University. Two years later he received a MLIS degree and began working as a reference librarian at the Natrona County Public Library located in his hometown of Casper, Wyoming. This experience aided him in acquiring the job as Director of the Uinta County Library, a job which he held for six years (1976-1982). In 1982, Jones was hired by the University of Utah’s Marriott Library to head the Western Americana Division of the library's Special Collections and Archives Department. He was appointed to the position of Assistant Director of Special Collections in 1999. During his stint as a faculty member, Jones received a MA in History (1988), was elected to the University Academic Senate, and was a member of many university and library committees.

In addition to his career in archives and libraries, Jones wrote and published in a variety of genres, including historical scholarship, fiction, and poetry. His first book, entitled A History of the Sand Bar, 1888-1977, was published in 1981. Additional monographs, Derricks and Determination: Oil Exploration in a Portion of Southwestern Wyoming, 1847-1982and Window of the World: The First 100 Years of Natrona County Public Library, were published in 2005 and 2010 respectively. Between 1975 and 2007, Jones wrote articles concentrating on Wyoming history and a number of book reviews focusing on Intermountain history and the Vietnam War. Jones also wrote short stories, which were published in the 2001-2004 issues of Vietnam War Generation Journal and Dialogue. Jones also presented papers and appeared as a speaker, panelist, moderator, and commentator at professional conferences and public venues. Some examples include meetings of the Mormon History Association Conference, the Utah State Historical Society Conference, the Conference of Intermountain Archivists, and the Utah Westerners.

In 1988, Jones began his teaching career as a United States history lecturer at Salt Lake Community College. He has also taught courses on Korean and Vietnamese history for the Modern Language and History departments at the University of Utah since 1998. After retiring from the Marriott Library Special Collections and Archives, Jones began teaching for Continuing Education at the University of Utah.

In addition to his scholarship and teaching, Jones was a member of the Greater Avenues Community Council Board, the Salt Lake City Human Rights Commission, and the Committee for the Avenues Street Fair. He also served as an election judge.

Walter Jones married Helen Walker in 1973; together, they had two children.

(Adapted from biographical sketch by Roger V. Paxton.)

Extent

2 Boxes

Language of Materials

English

Additional Description

Abstract

Walter Jones (1944-) is a veteran of the United States Army, military historian, and archivist who served as head of the Western Americana division of the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections and Archives. This collection contains slides and photographs related to Jones' experience and scholarship on twentieth century American military history and photographs of street fairs in the Avenues neighborhood of Salt Lake City, Utah.

Arrangement

Arranged by subject

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated by Walter Jones in 1997, 1998, 2005, 2009, 2011.

Separated Materials

See also the Walter R. Jones papers (Accn1647) in the Manuscripts Division and Walter R. Jones audiovisual collection (A0510) in the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.