Utah’s WWII Narratives | Perspectives 2025

How are historians helping to shape our understanding of Utah and WWII? Discover fresh insights into the historical context, research methodologies, and diverse interpretations of Utah’s vital role in the war from a panel of historians who specialize in WWII. The moderated panel will be followed by an open Q&A. Don’t miss this opportunity to hear from the leading voices shaping our understanding of this pivotal era in Utah’s history.

Event details: Tuesday, Oct. 28, from 7:00-8:00 p.m. at Weber State University, Haven J. Barlow Lecture Hall (Lindquist Hall, Room 101) located in the Social & Behavior Science Bldg.
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1299 Edvalson St
Ogden, Utah 84408

Panelists:

Lorrie Rands graduated from Weber State University in 2014 with a BA in History and a minor in Public History. In 2022 she received her masters in Professional Communications from Weber State. She has been working in Special Collections and University Archives at the Stewart Library as an oral historian and manuscript processor since 2014, and has worked on various oral history projects including All Out for Uncle Sam: World War II in Northern Utah. Her senior thesis, Food Comfort and a bit of Home: Maude Porter and the Ogden Canteen, 1942-1946, was published in the Utah Historical Quarterly, Winter 2016.

Branden Little is a professor of history at Weber State University where he researches the international history of the United States, humanitarian relief, and expeditionary warfare. He specializes in the era of the First and Second World Wars. He earned a Ph.D. in history from the University of California, Berkeley (2009), an M.A. in national security affairs from the U.S. Naval Postgraduate School (2002), and his B.A. in international relations and history from the University of California, Davis (1998). He received prizes for his doctoral dissertation and master’s thesis.

Allan Kent Powell retired in 2013 as managing editor of the Utah Historical Quarterly and as senior state historian at the Utah State Historical Society. He is the author of numerous articles and several books, including Utah Remembers World War II and Nels Anderson’s World War I Diary, which received the Army Historical Foundation’s Distinguished Writing Award for 2013.

This lecture is being offered as part of a larger series entitled: Perspectives Lecture Series: Exploring Utah’s WWII Experience.

Overview

What was Utah’s World War II experience? The Utah Historical Society’s 2025 Perspectives series will explore this question from a variety of perspectives, linking past experiences to the present through the stories and voices that shaped our state’s history and culture. From front-line soldiers to extensive homefront efforts due to Utah’s strategic location, Utahn’s varied experiences have left a profound legacy that can still be felt across the state today. This series aims to explore how we honor and remember Utahn’s service, sacrifice, and experiences.