UTAH AFTER STATEHOOD B Y GEORGE D. C L Y D E
Sixty-eight years ago today, the first elected officials of the brand new State of U t a h took the oath of office in historic ceremonies in Salt Lake City. Very shortly our distinguished historian and speaker of the day, Professor Richard D. Poll, will tell us something about the U t a h of 1896 and the early days of statehood. For a very few moments, let us take a close look at the U t a h of 1964, as a sort of reverse stage-setting for our journey into the past. At the very beginning let me make it clear that in reviewing the present and comparing it with the past, I a m inviting you to consider the giant strides of progress that have come with time and h u m a n effort. U t a h has h a d 10 governors, some of them of one political party, some of the other. Each administration has had its own particular aims and policies. We are looking today at the sum total of what has occurred over these years and in the course of these many administrations, without any thought of trying to tie the record of progress to a consideration of political philosophy — which, of course, is a separate and fascinating study in itself but has no place in this observance. O n today's m a p U t a h appears to occupy precisely the same place it did 68 years ago when we first achieved statehood. But the m a p is deceiving. In the purely academic sense of measurement in statute miles, we do occupy the same place which was ours at the close of the nineteenth century. But in the very real sense of daily living, it is something else entirely. Measured by the time of travel, or the time it takes to ship the world's goods from place to place, Utah's geographical position is nothing like what it was 68 years ago. With modern jet air travel one can leave Salt Lake City and in less than 12 hours be in London. Such a trip would have required at least as many days in 1896, but I believe a more striking comparison may be found Governor Clyde of the State of U t a h presented the following remarks at the annual Statehood Day observance, January 6, 1964.
