Fife Family Reunion Celebrates Lasting Folklore Legacy
Special Collections & Archives
Joe Kinzer, Community & Oral History Archivist | joe.kinzer@usu.edu
Eighty-eight members of the extended Fife family gathered at Utah State University’s Merrill-Cazier Library on September 29, 2025, for a reunion hosted by Special Collections & Archives and the Folklore Program. Dean of Libraries Jennifer Duncan opened the event by celebrating Alta and Austin Fife’s legacy, thanking the family for their longstanding stewardship, and reaffirming the Libraries’ commitment to preserving and activating the Fife materials for research and teaching.
Community and Oral History Archivist Joe Kinzer followed with “The Fife Legacy: 59 Years and Counting,” outlining the growth of the collection from early fieldwork to current initiatives designed to expand access, support teaching, and develop participatory curation with community partners. Folklore Professor Lisa Gabbert then presented “The Fife Folklore Workshop and Student Fieldwork,” tracing the workshop’s history and highlighting how student fieldwork continues the Fifes’ pedagogical vision.
A dedicated exhibit case showcased the legacy in practice, including a reel-to-reel tape with original index cards, student fieldwork reports, an annotated Austin Fife essay on the Bear Lake Monster, and a facsimile of the “Keepapitchinin” newspaper piece.
Lively, multi-generational conversations, questions about access and digitization, and shared family stories reinforced strong ties and pointed toward future collaboration and potential contributions.