Michael L. Strauss, AG is a professional accredited genealogist and a resident of Utah. Strauss holds a BA in History and is a United States Coast Guard veteran and a licensed Private Investigator in Virginia. He is a qualified expert witness in estate matters in court in Pennsylvania, New York, New Jersey, and Virginia. Additionally, he is an approved genealogist with the United States Army to locate DNA qualified persons MIA from Korea, Vietnam, and World War II.

Michael Strauss was the film historian for the recently released 2014 film Finding Vivian Maier nominated for an Academy Award in 2015.

See his website at http://genealogyresearchnetwork.com/

“Secret Societies: Finding Your Ancestors in Fraternal Organizations” (Thurs-141)m 7:30-8:45 A.M.

Many of our ancestors joined fraternal orders or organizations — these associations of people were bound together for philosophical, religious, literary, social, athletic, or philanthropic purposes. Some of these organization of Jewish origin included: B’nai B’rith International, Free Sons of Israel, Independent Orders of the Sons of Benjamin and Abraham among others that have deep roots in the Hebrew culture.

Discover the rich history and genealogical material that await you with membership records, historical research, and photographs of your family who may have belonged to one or more of these secret societies.

Topic: Methodology

“Levi Strauss: It’s All In The ‘Genes'” (Fri-122), 11:30 A.M.-12:45 P.M.

This lecture focuses on the life of one of California”s most well known pioneers. Levi Strauss was a prominent businessman and philanthropist both in the Jewish community and to the general public in the San Francisco bay area. From modest beginnings, born of Jewish ancestry in Europe, Levi Strauss arrived in the United States to find his fortune. He will always be remembered for his charity, as well as for his fashion-world “jeans” and the legacy he left to the American west.

Topic: Jews of the Southwest United States