Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr.
Endowed Chair in Western American History
Prominent Utah ranchers and philanthropists Charles and Annaley Redd established the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Professor in Western American History Endowed Chair in 1972 to promote and honor research, publication, and teaching in western American history. They named the chair in honor of Charlie Redd’s father, who settled and developed Latter-day Saint communities in southeastern Utah’s red rock desert, forests, and mountains and established a successful livestock empire. Charlie described his father as “a man who lived a big life,” a somewhat lonely and enigmatic character with “many admirers, who regarded him as a giant.”
Current Redd Chair
Ignacio M. Garcia (2006-present)
Ignacio M. Garcia is a Professor of History at Brigham Young University and the current holder of the Lemuel Hardison Redd Jr. Endowed Chair in Western American History. Garcia, a pioneer in Mexican-American studies, is a prolific historian of the American Southwest. His work illuminates the emergence of Latinos as a major political and cultural force in the region. His scholarly monographs have explored political power in the West, from the ways in which internal dynamics of local organizations interact with the external pressures of racialized power and privilege, to the ways in which reclaimed ethnic and racial identities influence grassroots organizations. A tireless advocate of civil rights and liberties, Professor Garcia cares deeply about those who labor under the weight of prejudice and poverty. He seeks to expand our view of the West by exploring the global connections and implications of this much-studied region.
Select Publications of Prof. Garcia:
- Chicano While Mormon: Activism, War, and Keeping the Faith. Madison, NJ: Fairleigh Dickinson University Press Mormon Studies Series. Fairleigh Dickinson University Press, 2015.
- When Mexicans Could Play Ball: Basketball, Race, and Identity in San Antonio, 1928-1945. Austin: University of Texas Press, 2014.
- White But Not Equal: Mexican Americans, Jury Discrimination, and the Supreme Court. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 2009
- Hector P. Garcia: In Relentless Pursuit of Justice. The Hispanic Civil Rights Series. Houston, TX: Arte Publico Press, 2003
- Viva Kennedy: Mexican Americans in Search of Camelot. Texas A&M Southwestern Studies Series, Vol 12. College Station: University of Texas A&M Press, 2000.
- United We Win: The Rise and Fall of La Raza Unida Party. Tucson: University of Arizona Press, 1989.