On Jan. 31, 2001, the Utah Legislature played host to arguably its funniest visitor ever when comedian Bill Cosby appeared before a rare joint session of the Utah House and Senate.
The occasion was a successful campaign to proclaim Jell-O gelatin the official snack of Utah, and Cosby, who appeared in many television ads promoting Jell-O products, proved to be the right man for the job.
As reported in the caption of a photo in the Jan. 31, 2001, Deseret News: "After the Senate passed SR5, the dessert's national pitchman cracked up House and Senate members and other state officials with 15 minutes of one-liners poking fun at lawmakers and Utahns' obsession with Jell-O."
The event is proof that sometimes the business of the Utah Legislature can be funny business by design. Other times, the hilarity is unintentional.
Often Deseret News photographers were on hand to document the humor.
As Utah's legislators prepare to return to the Capitol on Jan. 25, photo researcher Ron Fox has sorted through the newspaper's archives, uncovering photos where laughter reigned in the halls of the Legislature. These photos can now been seen on the newspaper Web site, deseretnews.com.
In fact, Cosby is not the only famous "person" to make an appearance at the state Capitol.
In 1991, Ronald McDonald delivered bologna sandwiches to the governor's office and the House of Representatives urging them not to pass a restaurant tax. The tactic was unsuccessful, but it generated some smiles.
In 1980, when Keith Haines was serving as sergeant at arms, he appeared on the closing day of the session — the day when the budget is finalized and passed — in his "other" work clothes. Haines, a large man, worked during the Christmas holidays as a department store Santa Claus, work he once described as "pleasant but seasonal."
On Feb. 3 that year, he donned his red suit and came to the Capitol to tease the legislators. One photograph actually shows "Santa" spanking one legislator, whose head cannot be seen and who therefore cannot be identified.
On Feb. 14, 1987, some jokester hung a wanted poster in the House of Representatives with mug shots of three members, Beverly J. White, R. Mont Evans and Janet Rose.
Above the mugs is the word "WANTED" and below is written: "If seen, notify the AG's office immediately." The accompanying telephone number belonged to Hogle Zoo.
At the time, the Utah attorney general was disputing the right of these individuals, who were state employees or contractors, to serve in the legislature.
A photograph from Jan. 30, 1988, shows a group of smiling state legislators being taken for a buggy ride, an attempt by the organizers of the Utah State Fair to generate support for a $12 million general bond to modernize the fairgrounds.
One photo shows the last night of the Legislature on Feb. 22, 1990, with the Capitol rotunda filled with tables and balloons as legislators' family members came to celebrate the end of the session. The family party is an annual tradition. Another photo from the same night shows an exhausted Rep. Larry Lunt, boxes in hand, looking to go home and rest in his own bed.
One photo, while not particularly humorous, is a clear demonstration that legislative issues remain constant. The photo illustration that ran in January of 1957 outlining the challenges facing Gov. George Dewey Clyde list the following issues that needed to be resolved:
"... hike pay of state employees.
"... raise teacher pay, provide more classrooms.
"... solve state building needs.
"... reorganize highway, finance commissions.
"... create separate buildings, lands agencies."
e-mail: mhaddock@desnews.com