Helen Z. Papanikolas
Encyclopedia
Helen Zeese Papanikolas was a Greek-American ethnic historian, novelist and folklorist who documented the immigrant experience in Utah
and the American West through histories, memoirs, fiction, and poetry. Her ethnographic themes drew upon her experience as a Greek-American in a small western community.
, to Greek
immigrant parents George and Emily Zeese (originally Yiorgis and Emilia Zisimopoulos). The family moved to nearby Helper
and, in 1933, to Salt Lake City, Utah
where they established a chain of grocery stores. In her youth, Zeese attended Helper Central School and Carbon High School while living in Carbon County, and East High School in Salt Lake City.
While attending the University of Utah
, Zeese served as editor of the campus literary magazine Pen and associated with several other students who would become prominent in the field of western history. These included historian and archivist Dale Morgan
. She graduated with a B.A. from the University in 1939. She married Nick E. Papanikolas and the couple had two children, Zeese and Thalia.
In 1984, the University of Utah awarded Papanikolas an honorary doctorate. She and her husband established scholarship programs for minority students at the University of Utah and the College of Eastern Utah. Papanikolas died in November 2004.
During her research, Papanikolas collected numerous primary documents and conducted extensive interviews with immigrants and historians. She was instrumental in organizing and contributing to an ethnic archive at the Oral History Archives, Marriott Library, University of Utah. Selected papers are also held in The Helen Z. Papanikolas Oral Histories Collection, 1969–1974, Utah State Historical Society, in Salt Lake City and in the Immigration History Research Center, College of Liberal Arts, at the University of Minnesota
. Her years of fieldwork and extensive archival work on Greek America led to Papanikolas’ reputation as a leading authority on Greek immigrant life in the United States. She presented papers at national and international conferences and served as a consultant for television documentaries and other projects.
In 1977, Papanikolas was a founder and first president of The Peoples of Utah Institute. As president, she located and identified artifacts associated with ethnic life, produced a major museum exhibit, and sponsored lectures and other programs. Her efforts at the institute led to the establishment of the Hellenic Cultural Museum in Salt Lake City. She also served on the Children's Service Society Board (1962–69); Advisory Board of Editors, Utah Historical Quarterly (1969–73); Board of State History (1973–85); and Utah Endowment for the Humanities State Committee (1973–79).
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and the American West through histories, memoirs, fiction, and poetry. Her ethnographic themes drew upon her experience as a Greek-American in a small western community.
Biography
Helen Zeese was born in a mining community near Castle Gate in Carbon County, UtahCarbon County, Utah
Carbon County is a county located in the U.S. state of Utah. Named for the major coal deposits in the area, the county seat and largest city, is Price. Carbon County is the second largest natural gas producer in Utah , with 94 billion cubic feet produced in 2008. As of 2010 the population was...
, to Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
immigrant parents George and Emily Zeese (originally Yiorgis and Emilia Zisimopoulos). The family moved to nearby Helper
Helper, Utah
Helper is a city in Carbon County, Utah, United States about 120 miles southeast of Salt Lake City and northwest of the city of Price. It is also known as the "Hub of Carbon County". The population was 2,025 at the 2000 census....
and, in 1933, to Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City, Utah
Salt Lake City is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. The name of the city is often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC. With a population of 186,440 as of the 2010 Census, the city lies in the Salt Lake City metropolitan area, which has a total population of 1,124,197...
where they established a chain of grocery stores. In her youth, Zeese attended Helper Central School and Carbon High School while living in Carbon County, and East High School in Salt Lake City.
While attending 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...
, Zeese served as editor of the campus literary magazine Pen and associated with several other students who would become prominent in the field of western history. These included historian and archivist Dale Morgan
Dale Morgan
Lowell Dale Morgan , generally cited as Dale Morgan or Dale L. Morgan, was an American historian, accomplished researcher, biographer, editor, and critic. He specialized in material on Utah history, Mormon history, the American fur trade, and overland trails...
. She graduated with a B.A. from the University in 1939. She married Nick E. Papanikolas and the couple had two children, Zeese and Thalia.
In 1984, the University of Utah awarded Papanikolas an honorary doctorate. She and her husband established scholarship programs for minority students at the University of Utah and the College of Eastern Utah. Papanikolas died in November 2004.
Career and cultural contributions
In 1950, Papanikolas was asked to write about Greek communities for the Utah Historical Quarterly. The subsequent 1954 article The Greeks of Carbon County broadened the scope of published Utah history, which had previously focused on settlement and progress of the administration and membership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormons). The article contributed to a fuller understanding of Utah’s cultural and ethnic heritage and served as a lasting example for local ethnic historians. For fifty years, her works on ethnic history were published in the Utah Historical Quarterly and Western Humanities Review. She wrote seven books, both fiction and non-fiction. Publications also include historical monographs and anthologies such as Toil and Rage in a New Land: The Greek Immigrants of Utah (1970) and The Peoples of Utah (1976). Papanikolas' skill as a novelist and storyteller was demonstrated in The Time of the Little Black Bird, which won the Utah Fiction Prize for 2000.During her research, Papanikolas collected numerous primary documents and conducted extensive interviews with immigrants and historians. She was instrumental in organizing and contributing to an ethnic archive at the Oral History Archives, Marriott Library, University of Utah. Selected papers are also held in The Helen Z. Papanikolas Oral Histories Collection, 1969–1974, Utah State Historical Society, in Salt Lake City and in the Immigration History Research Center, College of Liberal Arts, at the University of Minnesota
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, Twin Cities is a public research university located in Minneapolis and St. Paul, Minnesota, United States. It is the oldest and largest part of the University of Minnesota system and has the fourth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,557...
. Her years of fieldwork and extensive archival work on Greek America led to Papanikolas’ reputation as a leading authority on Greek immigrant life in the United States. She presented papers at national and international conferences and served as a consultant for television documentaries and other projects.
In 1977, Papanikolas was a founder and first president of The Peoples of Utah Institute. As president, she located and identified artifacts associated with ethnic life, produced a major museum exhibit, and sponsored lectures and other programs. Her efforts at the institute led to the establishment of the Hellenic Cultural Museum in Salt Lake City. She also served on the Children's Service Society Board (1962–69); Advisory Board of Editors, Utah Historical Quarterly (1969–73); Board of State History (1973–85); and Utah Endowment for the Humanities State Committee (1973–79).
Awards
Awards for her contribution to cultural history include: http://www.media.utah.edu/UHE/p/PAPANIKOLAS.html:- Archbishop of the Americas Iakovos Saint Paul Medal (1972);
- Fellow of the Utah State Historical Society (1975);
- Japanese-American Citizens League Award (1976);
- Brotherhood Award, National Conference of Christians and Jews, Utah Chapter (1978);
- Distinguished Alumna Award, University of Utah (1983); and
- Honorary Doctor of Humane Letters, University of Utah (1984).
Sources
- Interview/ Deseret News, Salt Lake City, Feb. 20, 2000.
- Obituary and Bibliography, Preservation of American Hellenic History
External links
- Helen Zeese Papanikolas Papers (1954-2001), University of Utah Library, Special Collections. Included are correspondence, research files, news clippings, oral history manuscripts, published and unpublished articles.
- Journal of the Hellenic Diaspora, Special Issue Devoted to Helen Papanikolas, Volume 29.2