Helen Zeese Papanikolas

Women of Letters » History

Researcher, writer, and ethnic historian who chronicled the everyday lives of Utah peoples. Her book, The Peoples of Utah, is widely considered the most important work on Utah ethnic peoples. Papanikolas was instrumental in organizing the ethnic archives at the Oral History Archives, located in the University of Utah’s Marriott Library. As founder and first president of The Peoples of Utah Institute, Papanikolas located artifacts associated with ethnic life, produced a major museum exhibit, and sponsored lectures and other programs. During her lifetime, Papanikolas was a leading authority on Greek immigrant life in the United States, and she presented papers at national and international conferences and consulted for television documentaries and other projects.