Mormon History Association Conference- Omaha, Nebraska





The time has arrived to register for the annual conference which will be held from Thursday, May22 to Sunday, May 25. This year we will be meeting at the spacious Holiday Convention Centrelocated in greater metropolitan Omaha, just off of Interstate 80.



The Conference :

This year's conference is shaping up to be an exciting one. We again are offering severalpaper sessions on various subjects. Topics such as those concerning Kanesville and LDSsettlements in Iowa and life on the Mormon Trail will be in line with this year's theme of thePioneer Sesquicentennial. There will also be others on such varied subjects as Joseph Smith, theMormon Battalion, the LDS Church in Armenia, the impact of the ordination of women on theRLDS Church, the LDS Church in the southern states, Orson Pratt and John Boynton, Mormonrecreation in the 1930s, and an assessment of the state of Mormon historiography.

Go to Complete Program

We are pleased to announce that this year's Tanner Lecturer will be Dr. Glenda Gates Riley,Professor of History at Ball State University. Dr. Riley received a B.A. from Case WesternReserve University, a M.A. from Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and a Ph.D. from Ohio StateUniversity. She taught at several universities, including holding a Fullbright lectureship at theUniversity College in Dublin, Ireland (1986-1987), before moving to Ball State where she is theAlexander M. Bracken Professor of History. Dr. Riley is the author of eleven books, including The Life and Legend of Annie Oakley (1994), A Place to Grow: Women in the American West (1992), The Female Frontier: A Comparative View of Women on the Prairie and Plains (1988)and, Frontier women: The Iowa Experience (1984). We are sure to have an excellent TannerLecture.

Along with the numerous papers and presentations, MHA will have vendors who will bedisplaying books and other articles of interest to conference attendees.

Also, there will be three different tours offered at this year's conference. The first tour will be apre-conference tour of the Handcart Trail and the original Mormon Trail of 1846, both of whichtraverse Iowa. A day in and around Nauvoo, Illinois is also included in this tour. The secondtour will be of significant historic sites in and around Omaha, Nebraska and Council Bluffs, Iowa. The third tour is a post-conference tour of the Mormon Trail from Omaha to Salt Lake City. More information on those tours is included in the registration packet.







The Place :

As already mentioned, The Holiday Convention Centre is a spacious convention center whichcaters to both large and small conventions. While the facilities are large, the convention centerhas been able to create a comfortable and inviting atmosphere with not only large reception areasbut smaller alcoves offering tables and chairs for more intimate conversations.

The Holiday Convention Centre is made up of a convention center and three separate hotels. Thehotels are the Holiday Inn, Hampton Inn and Homewood Suites. People staying at all three hotelswill be able to use the new Holidome Indoor Fun Center which is scheduled to open in April. TheFun Center features a swimming pool, two whirlpools, sauna, a large fitness room with state ofthe art equipment, and an electronic and computer game-room. Another fitness center is located on the third floor of the Holiday Inn high-rise. Other services available at the convention centerare a gift shop, restaurants, valet service, dry cleaning, a coin-operated laundry, car rental andlimousine service. The Holiday Inn also offers twenty-four deluxe pool side suites with arefrigerator, microwave oven and other amenities.

The housing arrangements and prices are for the Holiday Inn and the Hampton Inn. Thosewishing to stay at Homewood Suites will have different prices. Homewood Suites offersapartment-style suites and fully-equipped kitchens. Both the Holiday Inn and the Hampton Innoffer the regular hotel amenities. The prices are as follows:

Holiday Inn & Hampton Inn

1 Double bed -- 1-2 persons ------- 54.00

2 Double beds -- 2-3 person ------- 64.00

1 King bed-- 1-2 persons ---------- 64.00

Pool side suite -- 2-4 persons (This is for Holiday Inn only) - 85.00

Conference goers may reserve rooms directly with the Holiday Convention Centre by calling 1-402-393-3950. We apologize that it is not a toll-free number. However, in order to takeadvantage of the special conference rates, you must call the number given. All sleeping roomswill be held prior to the conference. After that time reservations will be accepted upon availability. Be sure to mention that you are a part of the Mormon History Association Conference in order to get the special room rates.



The Food :

On Friday during the lunch break, MHA will be offering a special luncheon honoring Leonard J.Arrington. The luncheon will be grilled chicken salad and will be $10.50. On Friday andSaturday evenings, MHA will be also be holding the Awards Banquet and the Presidential Banquet, respectively. Friday evening's meal will be $18.00 and will be the River City Buffetwhich features several salads, relishes, vegetables, potatoes, Swiss steak jardiniere and ham, rollsand dessert. Saturday's meal will be $20.00 and will be Chicken Cordon Bleu. For the othermeals, (unless you take the tour on Saturday) you will be on your own.

The Holiday Convention Centre offers two restaurants. The more complete, formal restaurant iscalled Grandmother's. It is open between 6:00-10:00, Monday through Thursday; 6:00-11:00,Friday and Saturday; and, 7:00-9:00, Sunday. Dinner salads average $5.99, while sandwichesrange between $5.29-$6.29. Dinners range between $7.99-12.99. The second restaurant isJake's Express which offers drinks, fruits, and light meals.

Restaurants within immediate walking distance are La Strada (Italian) and Perkins FamilyRestaurant (American). Within driving distance are Austins Steak & Saloon (steakhouse),Angie's (American), Red Lobster (seafood), Godfather's Pizza, and Julio's (Mexican).

People planning on participating on the Saturday tour of Omaha and Council Bluff sites willreceive a box lunch.

Getting There :

For those who are planning on driving to Omaha take Interstate 80 and take the 72nd Street exit,located southwest of the center of Omaha. Go north on 72nd Street one block to Grover Street. The hotels and convention center are on the right. The address is 3321 South 72nd Street,Omaha.

For those who are planning on flying to Omaha, we would like to recommend flying withSouthwest Airlines which is the Official Airline of the Mormon History Association for this year's conference. Southwest Airlines has guaranteed to offer conference goers a discount on their loweveryday unrestricted fare, and most of their even lower restricted fares (subject to terms andavailability).

We think you will be pleasantly surprised at the prices for flying from Salt Lake City, LosAngeles, Washington D.C. or a number of other cities which Southwest Airlines services. Besure to call Southwest at 1800-433-5368 and give them MHA's conference ID code H2427. Ifyou have any questions just read the Southwest Airlines flyer or call the Co-Executive Secretaries.



MHA Saturday Tour :

The Saturday tour will encompass the entire afternoon. The price for the tour, including a boxlunch, is $12.00. Some of the historic sites which will be visited include the following:

The replica of the Kanesville Log Tabernacle, the Fairview Cemetery, Emigrants Landing, Hyde Park, historic sites in old Kanesville (now downtown Council Bluffs), the Mormon Battalion Mustering-In Grounds, site of the 1846 Grand Encampment, Cutler's Park, and Winter Quarters. The stop at Winter Quarters will include a tour of the new LDS Pioneer Trails Center. Stops will include site/paper presentations.

For those not interested in the historic sites tour, program packets will include maps andinformation showing places to see and things to do in the Omaha-Council Bluffs area.







Socializing and Entertainment :

As usual, this will be a great opportunity to visit with old friends and make new ones. Weencourage you to bring your family and friends and enjoy the conference. Along with the usualafter-dinner impromptu chat groups which usually pop up, MHA will have two official receptionsto help create an appropriate setting for making new acquaintances and visiting. The firstreception will be an opening night reception which will be held directly after Thursday evening'splenary session. Saturday evening we will have the traditional Past Presidents Reception directlyafter the Presidential Banquet, entertainment and Presidential Address. Light refreshments will beserved at both of these receptions.

On Friday evening, the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History will hold a special openhouse to celebrate twenty-five years together writing LDS history. Everyone is welcome toattend and visit about Smith Institute and anything else of interest. Light refreshments will also beserved at this get-together.

All three of these receptions are included in the registration package. Please plan on staying afterthe meetings and enjoying the food, punch and association.

A special treat Saturday evening will be a performance of Pitt's Brass Band. This is a receation ofthe famous band which entertained Saints in Nauvoo and across the Plains. The performance willbe between the Presidential Banquet and the Presidential Address and should prove to be one ofthe more memorable MHA experiecnes.



Sunday Worship Service

This year MHA will depart from the usual inter-denominational worship service and will hold a combination worship service/memorial service at the Winter Quarters Cemetery in nearby Florence. In keeping with Memorial Day Weekend, the service will honor those who died whilecrossing the Plains, as well as those who have died in church service. Transportation will beprovided. Please check the registration form.



We look forward to seeing you in Omaha in May. If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to contact the Executive Secretaries by calling: (801) 773-4620 or faxing (801) 779-1348; or, by writing: Mormon History Association, Craig L. & Suzanne Foster, 2470 N. 1000W., Layton, UT 84041. You can also send an E-mail message to: VALH15A@Prodigy.com









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Registration Form for Omaha



Please Return by April 1, 1997







.

Name:____________________________________



Address:___________________________________



City, State, ZIP______________________________



Phone Number (_____) __________________

_______________________________________________________________



Event # Wanted Total

Conference Registration: ______ at $25.00 _______

Friday Registration: ______ at $15.00 _______

Saturday Registration: ______ at $15.00 _______

Friday Lunch: _______ at $10.50 _______

Saturday Tour: ______ at $12.00 _______

Sunday Bus to Services: _______ at $5.00 _______

Awards Banquet: _______ at $18.00 _______

Presidential Banquet: _______ at $20.00 _______

Snowbird Video*: _______ at $10.00 _______

Kingston Video (limited #)*: _______ at $ 7.00 _______

MHA Membership -- if expired: ______ at $15.00 _______

_______________________________________________________________

*See the video offer insert in the pre-registration information Total __________



Is this your first MHA Conference? Yes______ No_______



Fill out the form as completely as possible and send it with complete paymentby April 1, 1997 to the secretaries, Craig L. and Suzanne Foster at 2470 Northand 1000 West, Layton, UT, 84041. Please make checks or money orders payable to MHA. For those wishing to register with VISA or MasterCard,please feel free to call the secretaries at (801) 773-4620, or you can fax yourform with credit card number to (801) 779-1348.



Don't forget to make room reservations for Omaha. The rates are in theregistration letter. The number is 1-402-393-3950 and ask for reservations.



Please be sure to include a phone number and address, in case we need tocontact you about any changes. Also, if you are going on the pre- or post-conference tour, we will contact you before the conference with final details.



Please give the following information for the nametag for each participant as you would like it toappear. Please print neatly so that everything is spelled correctly and the way youwant it.

Name __________________________________

Institution________________________________

City, State________________________________

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