LeRoy R. Hafen
Encyclopedia
LeRoy Reuben Hafen was a historian of the American West and a Latter-day Saint. For many years he was a professor of history at Brigham Young University
(BYU).
to John George Hafen, a polygamist, and Mary Ann Stucki. He attended high school in Cedar City, Utah
for two years and then at the St. George Stake Academy (now Dixie State College of Utah
) in St. George, Utah
. It was in St. George that Hafen met his wife, Ann Woodbury. They were married on 3 September 1915 in the St. George Temple. He received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University
. After this he taught school in Bunkerville and then was the principal of Virgin Valley High School
. He then pursued graduate studies receiving his master's degree from the University of Utah
, writing his dissertation on the Mormon handcart pioneers
, and then received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
. At Berkeley Hafen studied under Herbert E. Bolton.
For 30 years, from 1924 until 1954, Hafen was the Colorado State Historian, and then he taught at BYU for 17 years. While Colorado State Historian Hafen was also the director of the Colorado State Museum and editor of the Colorado Magazine. He also worked as a history professor at the University of Denver
. Among other projects as State Historian Hafen oversaw was a diorama of the city of Denver funded through federal work aid projects. In 1947 Hafen served as a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow
and in 1949-1950 he has a fellowship at the Huntington Library. Hafen was one of the founders of the Western History Association
.
Hafen taught both American and Latin American history at BYU. He and his wife donated a collection of 3000 books and 2000 pamphlets.
Among books by Hafen were the history of Colorado, The Indians of Colorado, Handcarts to Zion, Broken Hand: The Life of Thomas Fitzpatrick and a large collection of books on Mountain Men and the fur trade
. Hafen edited the collection entitled The Mountain Men and the Fur Trade of the Far West which had 292 biographies by at least 20 different authors. Among the authors whose work appeared in these volumes edited by Hafen were David J. Weber
, Abraham P. Nasatir and Carl P. Russell. Hafen also edited Volumes 9, 10 and 11 of the Southwest Historical Series. Hafen also edited (along with his wife Ann) the 14 volume collection of primary sources The Far West and the Rockies, 1820-1875 which was the leading publication of the Arthur H. Clark Company
during the 1950s and for the editing of which Arthur H. Clark, Jr. had specifically recruited Hafen.
Hafen's book Broken Hand: The Life of Thomas Fitzpatrick
involved him in a complex set of interactions to bring it to publication. He originally co-authored it with W. J. Gent with the intent of having it published as a popular history. With the advent of the Great Depression
Gent was not able to sell the manuscript. In the summer of 1930 Hafen taught at the University of Colorado
and also joined with John Van Male in the formation of The Old West Publishing Company, with the two of them as partners in the business. This ended up being the only book published by the company. Hafen also wrote with Carl C. Rister Western America (1941) which was a text-book on the history of the Trans-Mississippi west in the United States and through 1960 was the only textbook with this as its primary focus.
Among articles of note by Hafen were "The Old Spanish Trail, Santa Fe to Los Angeles" in Huntington Library Quaarterly Vol. 11, No. 2, Feb. 1948, p. 149-160.
Many of Hafen's books were written in cooperation with his wife. This included the 15 volume series called the Far West and the Rockie Mountains. The Hafens were the parents of two children.
Ann died in 1970 of cancer. In 1971 Hafen married her widowed sister Mary. He died on March 8, 1985 in Palm Desert, California
.
with a forward by David Dary.
The Colorado Historical Society gives out a LeRoy R. Hafen award.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
(BYU).
Biography
He was born on December 8, 1893 in Bunkerville, NevadaBunkerville, Nevada
Bunkerville is an unincorporated town in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,014 at the 2000 census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place of Bunkerville has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is...
to John George Hafen, a polygamist, and Mary Ann Stucki. He attended high school in Cedar City, Utah
Cedar City, Utah
As of the census of 2000, there were 20,527 people, 6,486 households, and 4,682 families residing in the city. The population density was 1,021.8 people per square mile . There were 7,109 housing units at an average density of 353.9 per square mile...
for two years and then at the St. George Stake Academy (now Dixie State College of Utah
Dixie State College of Utah
Dixie State College of Utah is a college located in St. George, Utah, United States.-History:...
) in St. George, Utah
St. George, Utah
St. George is a city located in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Utah, and the county seat of Washington County, Utah. It is the principal city of and is included in the St. George, Utah, Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city is 119 miles northeast of Las Vegas, Nevada, and 303 miles ...
. It was in St. George that Hafen met his wife, Ann Woodbury. They were married on 3 September 1915 in the St. George Temple. He received his bachelor's degree from Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. After this he taught school in Bunkerville and then was the principal of Virgin Valley High School
Virgin Valley High School
Virgin Valley High School is a high school in Mesquite, Nevada under the jurisdiction of the Clark County School District. Up until the opening of Beaver Dam High School in Beaver Dam, Arizona , high school students from the Littlefield Unified School District across the Colorado River attended...
. He then pursued graduate studies receiving his master's degree from the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
, writing his dissertation on the Mormon handcart pioneers
Mormon handcart pioneers
The Mormon handcart pioneers were participants in the migration of members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to Salt Lake City, Utah, who used handcarts to transport their belongings...
, and then received his Ph.D. from the University of California, Berkeley
University of California, Berkeley
The University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. At Berkeley Hafen studied under Herbert E. Bolton.
For 30 years, from 1924 until 1954, Hafen was the Colorado State Historian, and then he taught at BYU for 17 years. While Colorado State Historian Hafen was also the director of the Colorado State Museum and editor of the Colorado Magazine. He also worked as a history professor at the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
. Among other projects as State Historian Hafen oversaw was a diorama of the city of Denver funded through federal work aid projects. In 1947 Hafen served as a visiting professor at the University of Glasgow
University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow is the fourth-oldest university in the English-speaking world and one of Scotland's four ancient universities. Located in Glasgow, the university was founded in 1451 and is presently one of seventeen British higher education institutions ranked amongst the top 100 of the...
and in 1949-1950 he has a fellowship at the Huntington Library. Hafen was one of the founders of the Western History Association
Western History Association
The Western History Association was organized in 1961 at Santa Fe, New Mexico, to "promote the study of the North American West in its varied aspects and broadest sense." Included in the field of study are the American West and western Canada. The Western History Association is headquartered at...
.
Hafen taught both American and Latin American history at BYU. He and his wife donated a collection of 3000 books and 2000 pamphlets.
Among books by Hafen were the history of Colorado, The Indians of Colorado, Handcarts to Zion, Broken Hand: The Life of Thomas Fitzpatrick and a large collection of books on Mountain Men and the fur trade
Fur trade
The fur trade is a worldwide industry dealing in the acquisition and sale of animal fur. Since the establishment of world market for in the early modern period furs of boreal, polar and cold temperate mammalian animals have been the most valued...
. Hafen edited the collection entitled The Mountain Men and the Fur Trade of the Far West which had 292 biographies by at least 20 different authors. Among the authors whose work appeared in these volumes edited by Hafen were David J. Weber
David J. Weber
David Joseph Weber was an American historian whose research focused on the history of the Southwestern U.S...
, Abraham P. Nasatir and Carl P. Russell. Hafen also edited Volumes 9, 10 and 11 of the Southwest Historical Series. Hafen also edited (along with his wife Ann) the 14 volume collection of primary sources The Far West and the Rockies, 1820-1875 which was the leading publication of the Arthur H. Clark Company
Arthur H. Clark Company
The Arthur H. Clark Company is a major printer of publications related to the history of the Western United States.The company was named for its founder Arthur Henry Clark . He was born and raised in England and attended the University of Oxford for a time before having to find work because of...
during the 1950s and for the editing of which Arthur H. Clark, Jr. had specifically recruited Hafen.
Hafen's book Broken Hand: The Life of Thomas Fitzpatrick
Thomas Fitzpatrick (trapper)
Thomas Fitzpatrick, known as "Broken Hand", was a trapper and a trailblazer who became the head of the Rocky Mountain Fur Company. With Jedediah Smith, he led a trapper band that discovered South Pass, Wyoming....
involved him in a complex set of interactions to bring it to publication. He originally co-authored it with W. J. Gent with the intent of having it published as a popular history. With the advent of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
Gent was not able to sell the manuscript. In the summer of 1930 Hafen taught at the University of Colorado
University of Colorado
The University of Colorado system is a system of public universities in Colorado consisting of three universities in four campuses: University of Colorado Boulder, University of Colorado Colorado Springs, and University of Colorado Denver in downtown Denver and at the Anschutz Medical Campus in...
and also joined with John Van Male in the formation of The Old West Publishing Company, with the two of them as partners in the business. This ended up being the only book published by the company. Hafen also wrote with Carl C. Rister Western America (1941) which was a text-book on the history of the Trans-Mississippi west in the United States and through 1960 was the only textbook with this as its primary focus.
Among articles of note by Hafen were "The Old Spanish Trail, Santa Fe to Los Angeles" in Huntington Library Quaarterly Vol. 11, No. 2, Feb. 1948, p. 149-160.
Many of Hafen's books were written in cooperation with his wife. This included the 15 volume series called the Far West and the Rockie Mountains. The Hafens were the parents of two children.
Ann died in 1970 of cancer. In 1971 Hafen married her widowed sister Mary. He died on March 8, 1985 in Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert, California
Palm Desert is a city in Riverside County, California, United States, in the Coachella Valley, approximately east of Palm Springs. The population was 48,445 at the 2010 census, up from 41,155 at the 2000 census...
.
Legacy
Hafen's book The Overland Mail, 1849-1869 was republished in 2004 by the University of Oklahoma PressUniversity of Oklahoma Press
The University of Oklahoma Press is the publishing arm of the University of Oklahoma. It has been in operation for over seventy-five years, and was the first university press established in the American Southwest. It was founded by William Bennett Bizzell, the fifth president of the University of...
with a forward by David Dary.
The Colorado Historical Society gives out a LeRoy R. Hafen award.