70 Years of Informing Utah's Future

A Utah Foundation Anniversary Celebration
Special Guests Dan and Pat Jones

It was the summer of 1945 when leaders of Salt Lake City’s business community decided Utah needed an independent research group to look at tax policy and economic issues. Since then, Utah Foundation has issued more than 700 research reports on topics as varied as public school funding, traffic safety, transportation, political participation and the concerns identified by Utah voters in election years. 

As Utah Foundation marks its 70^th anniversary, we’ve chosen to honor Dan and Pat Jones, two pioneers in the research field who continue to lead and serve the community.

Dan Jones has been a leader in high-quality survey research in Utah for more than 50 years, founding and guiding the polling firm Dan Jones and Associates until it was acquired by The Cicero Group in 2010.  He also taught political science at the University of Utah for decades and mentored hundreds of legislative interns.

Pat Jones guided the qualitative research of Dan Jones and Associates for many years and took her commitment to the community into elected office. She served in the Utah House of Representatives and the Utah State Senate, where she was the first woman to hold the position of minority leader. After leaving politics, she became CEO of the Women’s Leadership Institute at the Salt Lake Chamber.

 Please join us to celebrate seven decades of independent, non-partisan public policy research that continues to inform the public and guide policymakers as we strive to promote a thriving economy, a well-prepared workforce and a high quality of life for Utahns.