Instructor Spotlight
After eleven years teaching genealogy for ICL, John R. Harrison is beginning a new chapter. In spring 2027, he will temporarily leave ICL to pursue postgraduate genealogy studies at Brigham Young University. John first connected with St. George more than 30 years ago on a temporary work assignment. He quickly envisioned retiring there and became acquainted with what was then Dixie State College. In 2015, John, his wife, Judith, and their dog, Buster, moved to St. George from Grand Junction, Colorado. Their four children and nine grandchildren all live in Utah. Seeking opportunities to keep learning in retirement, John discovered ICL while exploring classes at Dixie State. He soon moved from student to instructor, reflecting his commitment to lifelong learning.
John R. Harrison During his career spanning more than three decades as a Special Agent with IRS Criminal Investigation, John learned to follow evidence, probe deeply, and look beyond the obvious. His assignments spanned Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, and South Asia. He investigated complex financial crimes, assisted law enforcement, trained investigators, and lent financial expertise to counterterrorism finance, homicide, and missing-person cases. One of John’s longest investigations has been uncovering his family’s stories. His interest in genealogy began in 1976; he added genetic genealogy in 2014 and forensic investigative genetic genealogy in 2020. He brought the same investigative habits to genealogy: follow the evidence, test assumptions, document conclusions, and change direction when facts require it. Since 2015, he has shared this approach with ICL students. His genealogy courses have evolved alongside the field itself—from traditional family-history research to DNA, artificial intelligence, and emerging investigative tools.
John has developed seven practical research tips for students. Two are particular favorites. His Genesis Theory says that when a problem seems unanswerable, return to the beginning—the original records, location, and events. His second principle holds that the right path produces evidence that grows stronger, more consistent, and increasingly independent; otherwise, the trail grows cold. Together they lead to his favorite question: Instead of asking, “What’s the answer?” ask, “What’s the evidence?” John believes genealogy is about more than records, DNA matches, and conclusions. At its heart, it is about people and their stories. That belief led John to storytelling. He joined the Utah Storytelling Guild in 2015 and later became president of its St. George chapter, the Red Rock Tellers. He especially enjoys true, unscripted stories from family history and life experience. In 2026, John was appointed Seannachie of Clan MacTavish, a traditional historian and storyteller who helps preserve the Clan’s heritage for future generations. His connection comes through his Scottish ancestry, particularly his grandfather George from the Highlands. John views his temporary departure from ICL not as retirement, but as another learning assignment. He plans to return to ICL in 2029 with new knowledge, research methods, and new stories to share.
ICL Lifelong Learning
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