The Utah Humanities Council’s Human Ties Awards recognize exemplary public humanities programs. In 2010, just three projects have been selected for this honor from the hundreds of activities that have taken place in the past year. This year, William Thornley spearheaded a project to share some of Smithfield’s heritage through dozens of oral histories, and will be receiving the Human Ties Award.

The award will be given at the 22nd Annual Human Ties Awards event on Thursday, May 27 at 6 p.m. at the Salt Lake City Public Library auditorium (210 East 400 South). Governor Herbert and the National Endowment for the Humanities Chairman Jim Leach will be presenting. The event is free and open to the public.

Human Ties Award: Smithfield Oral Histories, William Thornley

At the 150th anniversary of Smithfield in 2009, William Thornley spearheaded a project to share some of the town’s heritage through dozens of oral histories through an Oral History Grant from UHC, the Division of State History, and Utah State University. Four boxes of 84 cassette tapes consisting of interviews and proceedings of meetings in Smithfield between 1977 and 1984 were examined and evaluated. The oral histories were digitally copied, burned to CD’s for preservation, and then transcribed.

William Thornley received a BS degree in Dairy Food Manufacture and a MS degree in microbiology from Utah State University. After a military assignment in Korea he was engaged in research with the US Chemical Corps. In 1989 he was chosen by the State of Utah to travel to the Soviet Union in an effort to develop business relations with Russian groups. As a result of five trips to the Soviet Union he helped establish seed farms in Russia to provide high quality seed supplies to farmers then gaining an opportunity to grow their own crops as they were gaining independence from the large communal farms.

Mr. Thornley is CEO of Heritage Glass, Inc. which provides stained glass aggregate to Terrazzo and decorative concrete user’s worldwide. He was recently named CEO of the Clark and Gladys Thornley Foundation, a not for profit organization formed to assist the public in recording oral histories and making them available for use by the public.

William and Velda live in North Logan, Utah and enjoy community and church service, in addition to grand children and travels as the opportunities become available.

About the Human Ties Awards

UHC’s annual awards began in 1998 in order to recognize individuals whose work exemplifies UHC’s mission of helping Utahns explore the past, participate actively in the present, and shape the future. In most cases, nominations have come from the board of directors, alumni, and staff. UHC also receives occasional nominations from the public and has been conscious of highlighting various disciplines, institutions, and locations.

Annual awards:

• The Governor’s Award in the Humanities is UHC’s highest honor, presented to a distinguished scholar whose career has enhanced understanding of the humanities among the general public.
• Founder’s Awards honor individuals who have been instrumental to UHC’s success over the past 35 years.
• Humanities Partnership Awards acknowledge long-term collaborative and cooperative relationships with entities that share UHC’s vision.
• Human Ties Awards recognize individuals and organizations who work behind the scenes of highly successful public humanities projects and programs that have received UHC support in the past year.

For more information about the Utah Humanities Council please visit www.utahhumanities.org.