President’s Colleagues of Dixie State University to host presentation on Utah’s state borders

ST. GEORGE, Utah — In the first installment of the President’s Colleagues of Dixie State University meeting series, Professor Steven D. Heath will discuss the history and impact of  establishing Utah's state borders.

Heath will present "Along the 37th Parallel: The Establishment of the Utah-Arizona Boundary" on Monday, October 7at noon in Lecture Hall 156 of Dixie State’s Russell C. Taylor Health Science Center, located at 1526 E. Medical Center Drive in St. George. The meeting is free and open to the public.

In his President’s Colleagues presentation, Heath will share the history of Utah's boundaries, emphasizing the survey work of Howard B. Carpenter along the 37th parallel in 1901. Heath’s interest in the region along the 37th parallel was prompted by his study of Antonio Armijo, who traveled the region in 1829 and established the beginnings of the Santa Fe-Los Angles trade trail. Heath will also discuss the impact of state borders and how they have affected Utah.

Born and raised in Utah, Heath graduated from the University of Utah and taught mathematics at Southern Utah University for 35 years. In addition to his background in mathematics, Heath also has a master’s degree in the history of science. He has studied and written several papers on the history of the Old Spanish Trail, as well as several articles on the life and works of physical chemist Henry Eyring as well as Yale geologist Herbert E. Gregory.

Heath’s presentation will kick off the 2019-2020 President’s Colleagues meeting series. Meetings are held the first Monday of each month from October through May.  

The President’s Colleagues of DSU, established more than 20 years ago by former DSU President Douglas Alder, is a group of retired professors and other professionals who live mostly in the Washington County area. Alder, who also started DSU’s Honors Program, organized the group as a way to increase academic activities on campus.

For more information about Dixie State University, visit utahtech.edu.