Juanita Brooks

Juanita Brooks. Distinguished Utah Historian. , Juanita Brooks was born Juanita Leavitt on January 15, 1898 in Bunkerville, Nevada. She married Leonard Ernest Pulsipher in 1919, but was widowed upon his death 18 months later. Despite being widowed with an infant son at the age of 20, Juanita completed her advanced education and became one of Utah's preeminent historians. She served on the board of trustees of the Utah State Historical Society for many years., Juanita wrote 12 books, co-authored three others, and had many articles, essays, and stories published in professional journals. The Mountain Meadows Massacre is hailed as her masterpiece, "a near-classic treatment which neither smears nor clears the participants as individuals." Juanita worked her way through Dixie College and continued her education at Brigham Young University, graduating in 1925 with a BA. She was granted a sabbatical from teaching at Dixie College to attend Columbia University, receiving an MA in 1929. Her dedication to writing well-researched, factual history earned her the respect of her peers and honorary doctorates from Southern Utah University, Utah State University and University of Utah., After completing her degree at Columbia, Juanita returned to Utah and resumed her distinguished teaching career at Dixie College. She married William Brooks, a widower with four sons, in 1933. Their union produced a daughter and three more sons. Juanita was widowed again in 1970. She died August 26, 1989 at the age of 91 in St. George, Utah., Sculpted by Annette Everett , A project of the Washington County Historical Society ,