Item Detail
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Ballif, Algie Eggertsen
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1896-1984
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MSS OH 55; MSS 1554
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Papers
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Algie E. Ballif was born on May 3, 1896 in Provo, Utah to Lars Echart and Ana Grethe (Nielson) Eggertsen. Because her father was the superintendent of Springville Schools, the first school she attended was Lincoln School in Springville. Prior to graduation from Brigham Young University in 1918, Algie taught at Ricks College for a year where she met her future husband, George. After graduation she became the head of the Physical Education Department at BYU. On December 24, 1920, Algie married George Ballif in the Salt Lake Temple. She taught school to help put her husband through college. Algie was very active in church and community service. She served on her Stake Relief Society Board for ten years and taught literary lessons. She served on the Provo School Board for 23 years and during that time was also the president of the Board Association for two terms. Algie helped fight for five-year school board terms, federal aid to education to assist programs such as school lunch, and equal pay for women and men in the schools. In 1931 Algie was the president of the American Legion Auxiliary and in 1932 she was elected Chairman of the National Membership Organization. Starting in 1959 she served in the state House of Representatives for two two-year terms. Algie also worked very hard to promote John F. Kennedy 's election to the office of President of the United States. She worked with Eleanor Roosevelt who asked her to join the subcommittee of education. While serving on the United States Commission on the Status of Women, Algie helped write the report The American Woman. Governor Rampton of Utah asked her to serve on the Commission of Public Welfare of the State of Utah in 1965. She worked with issues such as Medicare and Medicaid, welfare, and the employment of young mothers. Algie and George Ballif were the parents of four children.
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This collection is a transcription of an interview held with Algie E. Ballif when she was 78 years old. Algie briefly discusses her early life in Provo and her thoughts regarding her childhood and young adulthood focus mainly on school activities. She mentions several influential teachers from high school and college by name, including J. Marinus Jensen, Beatrice Camp, Amoreal Dixon, Edith Barlow, and Alice Reynolds. She describes participating in and winning a national oratorial contest held in 1915 by the National Educational Association at the Salt Lake City Tabernacle. She briefly talks about clothing styles during her college years. Algie describes her responsibilities as a teacher at Brigham Young University, including her participation in Leadership Week which was held there. During most of the interview Algie discusses her experiences in politics, such as when she served as president of the American Legion Auxiliary. Other activities include working on the Commission of Public Welfare of the State of Utah, aiding in the John F. Kennedy campaign, and fighting for the Equal Rights Amendment. Algie was a Democrat and talked a little about trying to teach others about her beliefs. Her commentary on political involvement focuses on politics in Provo and women's roles in politics. This is a collection of personal and professional papers pertaining to Algie and George Ballif, concentrating on the years 1960-1978. Many items concern George's legal career and Algie's work as a legislator. See the BYU Library Catalog for more information.
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1829-1839