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9 General Description:
10 This concurrent resolution honors the life and achievements of Helen Foster Snow.
11 Highlighted Provisions:
12 This resolution:
13 ▸ recognizes the life of Helen Foster Snow in the United States and China;
14 ▸ honors the work Helen Foster Snow created when she served as a war
15 correspondent in China;
16 ▸ commemorates the awards and honors she received; and
17 ▸ honors her legacy and recognizes August 2022 as the 91st anniversary of when
18 Helen Foster Snow moved to China.
19 Special Clauses:
20 None
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22 Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
23 WHEREAS, Helen Foster Snow, a descendant of Mormon pioneers, was born in 1907
24 in Cedar City to John Moody Foster and Hannah Davis and was raised as a member of The
25 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints;
26 WHEREAS, Helen became interested in journalism at a young age as a result of her
27 genealogy work interviewing her elderly relatives and compiling their stories of early Utah
28 pioneer life;
29 WHEREAS, Helen attended West High School where she became the editor of the
30 school's yearbook and vice president of the student government, the highest position for a
31 female student at that time;
32 WHEREAS, upon graduation Helen attended the University of Utah;
33 WHEREAS, in 1931, Helen traveled to China to pursue writing where she met and
34 married Edgar Snow;
35 WHEREAS, Helen, under the pen name Nym Wales, at risk of her life, reported on
36 major events in Asia in the 1930s, including the Chinese Civil War, the Korean Independence
37 movement, and the Second Sino-Japanese War;
38 WHEREAS, Helen's work as a journalist and an organizer had a worldwide impact;
39 WHEREAS, Helen's insights on Chinese politics and factions were delivered to
40 President Franklin D. Roosevelt, and her ideas were endorsed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt
41 and Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru of India;
42 WHEREAS, prominent Korean academics recommended commendations for Helen to
43 the President of Korea as "the American journalist and writer who, among all non-Koreans,
44 best understands the Korean people";
45 WHEREAS, Helen was twice nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1981 and 1982,
46 for her work promoting peace and progress in the world;
47 WHEREAS, in 2009, a bronze statue of Helen Foster Snow was placed in the Main
48 Street Park in her hometown of Cedar City;
49 WHEREAS, Helen continues to be recognized in China through museum exhibits,
50 books, news articles, video documentaries, dramatized TV series, and a memorial garden;
51 WHEREAS, in 2018, the Helen Foster Snow Foundation was established in Utah to
52 preserve, promote, and continue Helen's legacy of building bridges of international
53 understanding;
54 WHEREAS, Senator Orrin Hatch saluted Helen Foster Snow at the time of her death by
55 writing, "Mrs. Snow built a bridge of goodwill between the hearts of the Americans to the
56 hearts of the Chinese people. Let her life stand as a reminder that what lies behind the very
57 different political systems of the world are real people whose hearts and minds are not so far
58 apart.";
59 WHEREAS, Helen Foster Snow was an exceptional Utahn whose pioneer heritage
60 made a positive impact on the world stage;
61 WHEREAS, Helen Foster Snow represented Utah values of empathy, cooperation,
62 integrity, and industry; and
63 WHEREAS, August 2022 will be the 91st anniversary of when Helen Foster Snow
64 went to China:
65 NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
66 Governor concurring therein, honors the memory and contributions of Helen Foster Snow and
67 her legacy as a journalist, author, and humanitarian, who dedicated her life as a bridge-builder
68 between the peoples of the United States, India, Korea, China, and the Philippines.
69 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislature and the Governor view Helen
70 Foster Snow's bridge of goodwill as a reminder of the power of Utah values in bringing peace
71 and understanding in the world.
72 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Legislature and the Governor commemorate
73 August of 2022 as the 91st anniversary of Helen Foster Snow's first arrival in Asia.