Hats off to Boyer and Pat Jarvis

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Hats off to Boyer and Pat Jarvis

Boyer Jarvis is a man of letters—-letters to the editor. Pat Jarvis is a woman of the arts. Put them together and we have one of Utah’s most interesting and energetic couples. They are both in their 80s and still going 90 mph.

Today, and always, our hat is off to Boyer and Pat Jarvis. Their beautiful, purpose-filled journey through life is a primer for all to emulate. Listen up!, but hold on to your hats, it’s a very fast paced trip with lots of landmarks along the way.

They traveled many roads before their paths met, and since marrying in 1955 they have worked both sides of a shared road. They have three children, Seth, Nathan, and Mary Beth; eight grandchildren, ages 29 to 13; and three great grandchildren. The children are all actively searching new roads while not straying far from the main drag.

Boyer was born in Springville, Utah in 1923, but grew up in Arizona, the oldest of seven brothers and a sister. All are alive today. His parents were devout Mormons and while attending college at BYU his father roomed with future BYU president Ernest Wilkinson. Boyer is the only sibling to ‘have left the church’ although he says his brother in Los Angeles is ‘free thinking.’

Boyer suffered from osteomeylitis at the age of 13 and as a result he has carried a distinct limp with him ever since. It is tiring and disabling, but who would know it except that it’s obvious? He never complains. He still swims for about an hour almost every day at the U of U.

He graduated from Mesa Union High School in 1941. He attended Harvard in 1942 and graduated from the University of Arizona in 1947. He earned a Masters Degree from Arizona State in 1950, and a Ph. D at Northwestern in1958, and some 30 years later received an Honorary Doctor of Humanities from the University of Utah in 1989.

For 30 years Boyer was on the faculty at the University of Utah as a professor in the speech and communication departments, and assistant dean of the College of Letters and Science, assistant to the president, adminstrator of the University Theatre, Dean of Summer School, Dean of Admissions and Registration, and Associate Vice President for Academic Affairs. For two years, 1961-62, he was Special Assistant to the United States Commissioner of Education, Sterling McMurrin.

Watts Cookin’ first became acquainted with Boyer Jarvis through reading his progressive and positive letters to the editor. They were always a breath of fresh air. Perhaps it was because Watts Cookin’ resided in Utah County and his letters always came across the border via the Salt Lake Tribune. The Tribune was about the only outside influence that ever came into Happy Valley, that and an occasional guest speaker at BYU, although even that was generally pre-scrubbed before entering.

His clarity on important and divisive issues made me want to meet the man. His letters were always succinct, to the point, and always gave me hope that reason could prevail. A collection of his letters could be part of an instruction manual in grammar, writing, logic, and philosophy.

His written words covered a wide span of topics, but a reader soon learned that at their core was an advocacy for the underdog. His causes have never been selfish or concerning his own needs, but for the needs of others.

As a heterosexual male he has been a leading advocate for both women’s rights and gay rights which reflects his empathy for others.

He was a feminist before Gloria Steinem, and not just through letters, but through actions. Both Boyer and Pat advocated for the passage of the Equal Rights Amendment and for women’s reproductive rights at a time when even most women were reluctant to advocate for themselves.

Although having no family members who are gay he was one of the original founders of the Salt Lake Chapter of PFLAG (Parents, Families, and Friends of Lesbians and Gays). He read a small newspaper notice about the organizational meeting, and acting on his basic instincts of fairness he took the time to attend the meeting. His presence encouraged the others in attendance and he has been encouraging support for gay rights ever since, nearly a quarter of a century. He was ahead of his time and has marveled that so much progress has been made in such a short time span. He was with the gay rights movement when it was just a snowball at the top of the mountain and now it is filling the valleys below.

He advertised himself throughout the community and in numerous public letters as “a recovering homophobe.” He endeared himself to the gay community and gave them the courage to step forward and advocate for themselves. He helped gays, and even their parents, come out of the closet and hold their heads high.

Ironically, it was our daughter Connie, the first of the family to physically escape Happy Valley, who first introduced me to Boyer. She worked for Planned Parenthood and Boyer was serving on the Board of Directors. She was startled at the joy her dad found in meeting Boyer for the first time, not realizing that he had been an unmet idol of mine for many years.

Planned Parenthood was just one of many boards of progressive organizations that he served on–many at the same time. He was particularly devoted to the NAACP, ACLU and the Inclusion Center for Community and Justice and offered wonderful leadership to those non-profit advocacy groups. He was also on the Salt Lake City Library Board and played a significant role in the advancement of one of the greatest libraries in the world.

He is more ‘board certified’ than anyone in the state. How many non-profit, public service boards can a man be on at the same time? Well, whatever it is, he holds the record. Is there one he hasn’t been on? (A complete list of his community service is listed below.)

Why do these boards seek him out? It’s not because of his money. He is not a rich man, but he is generous, both with his time and money. They want him on their boards because he is fair in his judgments, careful in his comments, has influence in the broad community, and is consistently obedient to The Golden Rule.

He also is not just a another prominent name on the board of directors, he is hands on, attends the meetings, offers suggestions, and accepts the smallest assignments and follows through. Furthermore, he makes everyone else in the group a little less judgmental of their perceived opponents. He brings a peace making, cooperative attitude to the table while somehow not yielding the principle and purpose. He is a model for blending advocacy and tact and strategically making progress toward his goals.

One of his passions has been abolishment of the death penalty, and his two current passions have just reached culmination, the passage of the repeal of ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell’ and the ratification of the START nuclear arms treaty with Russia. He has lobbied Utah’s governors and representatives on all three matters, and of course, over the years on many others.

One of Boyer’s enjoyments is being part of the ‘Martha’s Luncheon,’ a small group of friends that meet twice monthly for political chit-chat. One of the main features of the meetings is a ‘life interview’ with an invited guest. That group has met regularly for many years and heard from many interesting people. The first question to the guest is usually, “What makes you tick?” and the answer takes up all the time.

While Boyer has worked one side of the street Pat has been just as energetic working the other side of the street, and they have shared the road most of the time.

One of those shared moments was when they were honored in 2008 as joint recipients of the annual Equality Utah Allies Service Award.

Pat Jarvis: Love of Art and Travel

Pat was born in Savannah, Georgia in 1929; attended grade school in Savannah and Brunswick, Georgia; junior high in Arlington, Virginia and Brunswick, Georgia; high school in Vernon, British Columbia, Santa Maria, California, and graduated from Reno High School in 1948. She graduated from the University of Reno in 1952 with degrees in Sociology and Psychology, also attending one quarter at the University of Minnesota working on a teaching certificate.

Her love of life has been art and she has always found a way to keep it front and center in her life. From 1976 through 2002 she organized art tours for Frank Sanguinetti, the former director of the Utah Museum of Fine Arts, and then for David Dee, another former UMFA director, and Phyllis Haskell, former Dean of the College of Fine Arts at the U of U. Her tours have taken her to many of the countries of Europe, some many times. Also to Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Finland; and Israel, Egypt, the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, the former Yugoslavia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania, and 13 times to Russia. She has also been to Australia, New Zealand, Thailand, Singapore, China, Hong Kong, and Japan.

An unforgettable moment in her life was a private meeting in 1976 with Golda Meir in Tel Aviv, Israel, when Pat presented Mrs. Meir with a charcoal portrait she drew in 1971 in art classes at the SLC Jewish Community Center. Reports are that the prime minister liked the portrait very much.

Pat has shared her husband’s interest in politics and has been active in many community organizations herself. She worked in her voting district for many years as chair, vice-chair, and judge at election time. She was a delegate to the 2010 Democratic State Convention, as well as many previous ones. She was president of the U of U Women’s Club and the first woman president of the Aztec Club, a ‘town and gown’ dinner club. She served on the parents’ board for the Children’s Dance Theatre. She was president of the Friends of the Salt Lake Public Library board when they instituted the Reading Is Fundamental program for SLC elementary schools. She served on the advisory board for the Women’s Resource Center in its early years. She lobbied legislators for the ERA, which was eye-opening and discouraging.

She is currently in her sixth year on the Advisory Board for the U of U College of Fine Arts. She is Political Co-chair on the Utah Steering Committee for the Human Rights Campaign, and in March of this year she went with the committee to Washington D.C. to lobby the Utah delegation of Senators and Representatives to repeal ‘Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell,’ and to pass the Employment Non-Discrimination Act.

Her hobbies include photography, crossword and jigsaw puzzles, and reading. In 2001 she was given an orchid plant which she found endlessly fascinating as it bloomed yearly, dropped flowers, rested a few months, and then bloomed again. She regarded it as a ‘thing of beauty,’ but after eight years it passed on to orchid heaven.

While doing their own thing Pat and Boyer share strong interests in politics, peace and justice, live theatre, music, opera and dance.

Hats off to Boyer and Pat Jarvis, wonderful friends of Utah’s progressive community.

Boyer Jarvis
Community Service and Awards

Community Service
President, Adult Education Council of Greater Salt Lake, 1958-59
Member, Board of Directors, Youth Inc., 1969-75
Chairman, Board of Directors, Youth Inc., 1970-71
Board Member, Alberta Henry Education Foundation, 1973-88
Member, Salt Lake City Sister Cities Committee, 1974-78
Member, Salt Lake City Public Library Board of Directors, 1976-82, 1983-91
President, Salt Lake City Library Board of Directors, 1978-80, 1984-86
Board Member, United Nations Association of Utah, 1976-88
Board Member, Salt Lake Branch NAACP, 1986-94
Vice President, United Nations Association of Utah , 1978-80
President, United Nations Association of Utah, 1980-82
Board Member, Utahns United Against the Nuclear Arms Race, 1983-92
Chairman, Utahns United Against the Nuclear Arms Race, 1985-86
Board Member, Repertory Dance Theater, 1985-86
Chairman, Life Membership Committee, Salt Lake NAACP, 1985-94
Board member, Utah Committee for American-Soviet Relations, 1987-91
Chairman, Utah Committee for American-Soviet Relations, 1989-91
Board Member, ACLU of Utah, 1989-90
Board President, ACLU of Utah, 1990
Board Member, Voices for Utah Children, 1989-95
Board Member, Friends of Marriott Library, 1989-92
Board Member, Utah Heritage Foundation, 1990-95
Member, Salt Lake YWCA Community Advisory Board, 1992-96
Member, Salt Lake County Human Services Advisory Council, 1992-96
Member, U of U Graduate School of Social Work Advisory Board, 1992-04
Board Member, Utah Region, NCCJ—Inclusion Center, 1998-
Board Member, Salt Lake Chapter PFLAG (Parents, Families and
Friends of Lesbians and Gays), 1993-06

Awards
Martin Luther King, Jr. Memorial Award, 1989
Honorary Doctor of Humanities, U of U, 1989
Planned Parenthood of Utah Annette P. Cumming Community
Service Award, 1995
Honorary Alumnus Award, U of U, 2000
Utah League of Women Voters Community Service Award, 2003
Utah Region, NCCJ Humanitarian Award, 2003
Utah Pride Parade Grand Marshal, 2006
Equality Utah Allies Award (with wife, Pat), 2008

And now, the least of their awards:
Hats Off, Watts Cookin’

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