Gwen Williams Prize 2020-2021 Recipients

Beyond Suffrage: A Century of Northern Utah Women Making History

Sarah Langsdon (Stewart Library Special Collections)

This project's purpose was to bring awareness of the impact that women have had on the local area and community since the 1870s, demonstrated through research and oral histories of women from all walks of life and experiences. Through this project, participating students were given the opportunity to learn how to conduct oral histories and research. The research culminated in an exhibit about the impact of women, using the nineteenth amendment as the catalyst.

Due to the COVID-19 Pandemic, the exhibit was only open to the public for a short time before being transferred to a virtual format. A total of 584 people viewed the exhibit in-person, with 1,000 people viewing the exhibit virtually. The virtual exhibit can be found at beyondsuffrage.org. The exhibit includes the oral histories and research conducted on women of the area, as well as additional information about Ogden and other historical influencers The project's public programming series, conducted virtually, included five historian lecturers, three panel events, and four story time events The lectures focused on women's histories in healthcare, politics, labor and activism. One panel explored the stories of the women involved in the project, while another panel explored women activists. A story time event, geared toward a younger audience, highlighted children's books that explore the sufferage movement, civil rights, and voting. 

This project was well-received by Weber State University and the local community, and was successful in spreading awareness of the impact of women in the local area and community. It is a project well-deserving of the Gwen Williams Prize.