Dr. Philip Notarianni was our guest speaker at the May 2012 dinner meeting. A son of immigrant parents from Italy, Notarianni grew up in Magna, Utah. His parents and his wife’s parents lived fifteen miles apart in Italy! In 2011 he retired after a 40-year career as a historian, which included eight years as director of the Division of State History. He is a member of Our Lady of Lourdes Parish in Magna.
He is the author of several books on history, most notably “Faith, Hope and Prosperity: A History of the Tintic Mining District.” As noted by Governor Herbert, this book “led to the recognition of the Tintic Historical Society as the best local historical society in the nation.”
He spoke about some of the major historical figures in the history of Utah and the settlement of the west. Recounting the lives of such notable explorers and pioneers as Jedediah Smith, John Fremont and Brigham Young, he stressed that the history of Utah is part of a “world dynamic.” Since 1982, Dr. Notarianni has taught Peoples of Utah, a course in the Ethnic Studies program at the University of Utah, where he teaches as an associate instructor.
The Utah Mayflower Society thanks Dr. Notarianni for a wonderful presentation.