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Joel Edward Ricks Papers

 Collection
Identifier: UUS_COLL MSS 114

Scope and Contents

This twenty-five box collection contains the professional papers of Joel Edward Ricks and spans the period of 1850 to 1972. This collection contains Ricks’ correspondence (1907-1969), diaries (1944 and 1947), research papers, an unpublished manuscript, photographs, and other papers. Of particular interest, are the materials in Boxes 5-9 which contain both original and transcriptions of original diaries, correspondence, and other similar materials that Ricks collected and used for his personal research on Utah history and the history of Mormonism.

Dates

  • 1850-1972

Language of Materials

Material in English

Conditions Governing Access

No restrictions on use, except: not available through interlibrary loan.

Conditions Governing Use

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

Permission to publish material from the Joel Edward Ricks Papers must be obtained from the Special Collections Manuscript Curator and/or the Special Collections Department Head.

Biographical Note

Joel Edward Ricks was born October 18, 1889 at Rexburg, Fremont County, Idaho the son of Nathan and Sarah Ann Taylor Ricks. In 1908 Ricks enrolled at the University of Utah and graduated in 1912 with a BA in History. He then took a teaching position at South Sanpete High School at Gunnison, Utah where he taught and served as the school’s principle until 1917. In 1917 Ricks found employment at Weber College where he worked as a teacher until 1920 and from 1920 to 1922 he served as president of the college. During this period he married Katherine "Kitts" McKay of Huntsville, Utah on June 8, 1917 in the LDS Salt Lake Temple.

While working at Weber College, Ricks also enrolled at the University of Chicago where he received an M.A (1920) and later a PhD (1930) in American History. His PhD dissertation was entitled “Forms and Methods of Early Mormon Settlement in Utah and the Surrounding Regions: 1847-1877.”

On July 1, 1922, Ricks began his career at the Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State University). He taught at USU from 1922 to 1967, serving as head of the History Department from 1922 until 1955. While at USU Ricks served on many committees, including chairman of the Awards and Honors Committee, president of the Faculty Association, president of Phi Kappa Phi, and as chairman of the University Semi-Centennial Committee. He also served on the Board of Trustees for the Utah State Historical Society (USHS) and was its president from 1949 to 1957. He worked to ensure that the USHS was a state-wide organization with its membership open to all, and established branches or county chapters throughout the state; the first of these being the Cache Valley Historical Society (see Coll Mss 43: Cache Valley Historical Society Papers). He was also an ardent supporter of the Sons of the Utah Pioneers organization.

Ricks was the author of a number of publications, including A History of Fifty Years (1938), the semi-centennial history of the Utah State Agricultural College, and he was the co-author and editor of A History of a Valley (1956), a centennial history of Cache Valley. In 1964 Ricks’ PhD Dissertation was published as a monograph by USU. Ricks was engaged in a project to write a book entitled Mormon Colonization under John Taylor at the time of his death on November 27, 1974.

Extent

25 boxes (12.5 linear feet)

Additional Description

Abstract

Contains the personal and professional papers of Utah State University history professor Joel E. Ricks. The bulk of the collection centers around Utah and Mormon settlement history. Also contains Ricks' lecture and class notes.

Arrangement

Arranged by material type and dates.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

The materials in this collection were donated to USU Special Collections in various batches during the early 1980s by S. George Ellsworth, the trustee of the Joel E. Ricks estate.

Related Materials

Cache Valley Historical Society Papers Coll Mss 43

USU Special Collection also contains another Joel E. Ricks collection, Coll Mss 46: The Joel E. Ricks Cache Valley History Collection, which contains transcriptions of autobiographies, diaries, and family histories of early Cache Valley residents.

Source:

  • Obituary, The Herald Journal , November 27, 1974.

Subjects

Finding Aid & Administrative Information

Title
Guide to the Joel Edward Ricks papers 1850-1972
Author
Finding aid/Register created by Special Collections & Archives
Date
©2012
Description rules
Finding Aid Based On Dacs (Describing Archives: A Content Standard, 2nd Edition)
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid encoded in English.

Revision Statements

  • 2009: Template information was updated to reflect Archives West best practice guidelines.

Repository Details

Repository Details

Part of the Utah State University, Merrill-Cazier Library, Special Collections & Archives Repository

https://archives.usu.edu/
Contact:
Merrill-Cazier Library
Utah State University
3000 Old Main Hill
Logan Utah 84322-3000 United States
435 797-8248
435 797-2880 (Fax)

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