Scandinavian Conference Bios

Edward A. Geary
Ed Geary has taught at Brigham Young University since 1968, where he has served as director of the Charles Redd Center for Western Studies. He has served as Associate Chair and as Chair of the English Department. He has served as chair for the Utah Centennial County History Council and worked on both the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the Utah Arts Council. Geary has served as book review editor and upon the board of editors for Dialogue. He also is a past president of the Association for Mormon Letters. He has written many papers on Utah history including some on Sanpete/Ephraim humor.

Ed is an award winner: BYU English Department Professor of the Year award, 1980; Certificate of Commendation, American Association for State and Local History, for The Proper Edge of the Sky: The High Plateau Country of Utah, 1994; Association for Mormon Letters award in Personal Essay, 1985, for "Goodbye to Poplarhaven"


Roger Baker
Roger Baker, a long time member of the Snow College and Brigham Young University faculties, will discuss the development of higher education at the Sanpete Stake Academy, now Snow College, in Ephraim.  It is not a simple story since the educational developments were in the context of polygamy, federal law that confiscated LDS Church property,  and competition from other religious academies.  The early poverty of Ephraim required work from every able resident and the need to work was yet another conflict for individuals who wanted to attend school.  Baker's work on this topic includes access to the LDS History library collection as well as the Snow College archives and his 25 years at Snow college makes his research quite personal.