Archives West Finding Aid

Harry Reuben Reynolds came to Utah State University in 1923 as an art instructor. For the next forty-five years, Reynolds taught in the art department at Utah State. During his time at the college, Reynolds played an important role in promoting the arts at the University and in the community and state. His papers reflect that involvement and are a testament to the recognition he received as an artist and as a civic leader.

Reynolds was born in Centerburg, Ohio on January 29, 1898 and passed away in Logan, Utah March 10, 1974. Reynolds received his initial schooling in art at the Chicago Art Institute and graduated from that school in 1923. During his time at Utah State, Reynolds continually worked at furthering his education. In 1930, he spent nine months touring in France, Spain, and in the Canary Islands. While in Europe, he studied and photographed sculpture, paintings, and formal gardens. After returning to USU, he incorporated these photographs into his art classes as visual aids. In 1939, he spent a year taking classes in Art History at the University of Iowa and in 1961, he completed a short course at the Brooks Institute of Photography in Santa Barbara, California.

In addition to his ongoing efforts to enhance his education, Reynolds was involved in promoting the arts in Utah. One area in which he made an impact was his involvement with the Utah State Fair. Reynolds served on the Board of Directors from 1940 until the 1960's and in 1962 was elected President of that Board. As general Art Chairman for the "Days of '47" Centennial Celebration Committee, he was instrumental, in bringing the noted art exhibit "100 Years of American Painting" to Utah from the Whitney and the Metropolitan Museums of Art in New York.

As a recognition for his promotion of and contributions to the advancement of art in Utah, Reynolds was selected as the Distinguished Service Award recipient by the Utah Art Educators Association. Reynolds was also honored in an appointment by the Governor to spearhead the major project of inventorying all art owned by the State of Utah.

At Utah State University, in addition to his duties as an instructor and lecturer, Reynolds was also involved in many extra-curricular activities. Reynolds served as the faculty advisor to the Buzzer yearbook from 1946-1962 and chaired the Utah State University Art Committee for a number of years. In 1955, he accepted the position of Production Manager for USU production "Look On he Land," a play written to celebrate Cache Valley's Centennial. The Play was an outstanding success and has been revived again in recent years. Because of Professor Reynolds fine work as an educator, he was nominated and became a finalist for the "Instructor of the Year" award in 1959.

H. Reuben Reynold's civic work aside probably his most important contributions came as a professional photographer Reynolds did pioneering work in the use of slides as backdrops for theater performances. He was also one of the first to produce quality photomicrographs and was asked to do such work for the U.S. Department of Agriculture. Reynolds work was of such high quality, that he was often invited to display his art at shows throughout the country He was specially invited to show his work at the National Professional Photographers Convention and in 1939 was asked to lecture on the topic "The Why of the Additive and Subtractive Processes in Direct Color Portraitures."

Reynolds in his years at Utah State University brought a lasting quality and reputation to Utah art and to the Utah State University Art and Photography Departments.