Joe Quinney’s Office

“Joe Quinney was my grandfather. My earliest memories of his office are when the law firm was located in the Kearns Building on Main Street. That building is still there today. But what I remember is not so much the office, but that we would go to that office and from the window watch the parade that happened at Thanksgiving.

My next memory is when the law firm moved into the annex just north of the Deseret Building. I think that the offices of Ray, Quinney and Nebeker were located on the third floor at that time. As the firm grew and expanded the law firm needed more space and so everything moved up to the 4^th floor. It is there that I have the most vivid memories.

Joe Quinney had an office that was at the end of the corridor and was spacious. It was a corner office, but with windows just facing onto Main Street as the building was attached to the Deseret Building on one side and to another building on the north side. The corner office only had windows looking to the West and onto Main Street.

As you entered the office you turned and saw Joe’s large desk and a console under the window that he could swivel in his chair and use. On the floor was a beautiful oriental rug which had been in the dining room of his mother-in-law, Ellen Eccles’s home both in Salt Lake and Logan. Several lovely pictures were on the wall. One of them was a water colour of a rural landscape with water and flowers along the bank.

There were two chairs that visitors could use in front of the desk, and towards the other end of the office was a small round table and three modern Scandinavian design chairs covered in a maroon leather.

Joe Quinney’s desk was large. It had drawers on either side, and if you were sitting across from Joe at that desk, on the side which faced you there were two hidden doors that when pushed, opened and gave access to shelves for storage. Joe’s office chair was a red/maroon leather swivel chair on legs with casters. It had six buttons on the back of the chair and must have been very comfortable, as Joe had it for many years. I think I can just remember it at the Kearns Building office.

Joe always had on his desk three items I remember. First was an appointment book.. Second was a piece of pottery that his sister-in-lay, Nora Eccles Treadwell, made and gave to him. It held paper clips and rubber bands. The third piece was a pewter vase that held pens and pencils. These items are in the display case. Please also see the picture of Joe Quinney at his desk in the office. You can see the pottery piece and also the pewter vase.

The console behind the desk was where the various papers and items that Joe was working on were to be found. His wonderful secretary of many years, Mrs. Nola Graham always arranged these papers so he would know what was in each pile.

In earlier days, Joe Quinney had his admission to the Bar and his Law Degree from Harvard hanging on the wall.

The last item in the case is a copy of the Utah Law on winter sports what he authored. And, of course, his RQ&N card showing he was a member of the firm.”

-Rick Q. Lawson