Folklorist Gets His Comeuppance From The Pioneer Past

Utah Public Radio | By Friend Weller,

Published February 20, 2014 at 6:08 PM MST

Hal Cannon, former state folklorist and founder of The Western Folklife Center, visited the StoryCorps booth with his wife Teresa Jordan. He recalls his experience working with the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers to preserve the material culture of Utah's pioneer past. Cannon talks about an unexpected visit from Kate Carter, former director of the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

Friend Weller

When his dad said, “Don’t play with that old radio, you’re going to get shocked,” 10-year-old Friend Weller was certainly looking out for his own best interests. What was at the time an elementary-school-aged hobby soon turned into a life-long career decision. Friend has worked professionally for nearly three decades as a radio announcer and engineer in both commercial and public radio.

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Shalayne Smith Needham

Shalayne Smith Needham has worked at Utah Public Radio since 2000 as producer of Access Utah. She graduated from Utah State University in 1997 with a BA in Sociology, emphasis on Criminology. A Logan native, she grew up with an appreciation for the great outdoors and spends her free time photographing the Western landscape and its wildlife.

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