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Brigham Young Academy

 Organization

Dates

  • Existence: 1875 - 1903

Administrative History

Brigham Young Academy (1875-1903) was established by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints under the direction of Brigham Young for the instruction of church members in the area of Provo, Utah.

Brigham Young Academy was the predecessor to Brigham Young University and Brigham Young High School. Brigham Young saw the school as a place where all secular learning should be fused with teachings from the scriptures. Despite steady growth during its early years, the Academy was threatened by a series of financial and physical setbacks. With the help and sacrifice of Abraham O. Smoot, the campus moved in 1891 to new facilities on University Avenue in Provo Utah. The Academy's curriculum strengthened and enrollment grew. In 1903, the name was officially changed to Brigham Young University.

Brigham Young Academy principals included Warren N. Dusenberry (1876), Karl G. Maeser (1876-1892), and Benjamin Cluff (1892-1894). Benjamin Cluff also served as Academy president between 1894 and 1903.

Citation:
The Journal of pedagogy, Feb. 1895: t.p. (Brigham Young Academy)

BYU--national champions, 1985: intro. (Brigham Young University)

History of BYU (within Brigham Young University website), via WWW, 4 November 2010 (Brigham Young Academy established October 16, 1875 in Provo, Utah. Name changed to Brigham Young University in 1903. Sponsored by Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)

Provo City Library website, via WWW, Oct. 2, 2012 (Brigham Young Academy; founded in 1876; essentially a high school until 1896, with the founding of the College Dept.)

YFacts History of BYU, via WWW, viewed May 31, 2013 (Brigham Young Academy (1875-1903), Brigham Young saw the school as a place where all secular learning should be fused with teachings from the scriptures, despite steady growth during its early years, the Academy was threatened by a series of financial and physical setbacks, with the help and sacrifice of Abraham O. Smoot, the campus moved in 1891 to new facilities on University Avenue in Provo Utah, the Academy's curriculum strengthened and enrollment grew, 1903 the name was officially changed to Brigham Young University)

Yfacts BYU Presidents, via WWW, viewed Mar. 19, 2013 (Brigham Young Academy principals included Warren N. Dusenberry (1876), Karl G. Maeser (1876-1892), and Benjamin Cluff (1892-1903))

Brigham Young High School History, via WWW, viewed May 31, 2013 (Brigham Young Academy was the predecessor to Brigham Young University and Brigham Young High School)

Found in 12 Collections and/or Records:

Brigham Young University historical files

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 704
Scope and Contents

Contains manuscripts, biographies, photographs, correspondence, building plans, articles, and filmstrips, all from many different persons and departments on campus.

Dates: 1875-1983

Zina Presendia Young Williams Card papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 1421
Abstract

Correspondence, autobiographical and biographical materials, patriarchal blessings, legal documents, news articles, and miscellaneous items. The materials document the life and career of Card including her affiliation with Brigham Young Academy, the Mormon Church, and various civic organizations. The items also relate to the towns of Cardston, Alberta; Logan, Utah; and Provo, Utah. Also included is correspondence with various Mormon Church leaders and that of her husband, Charles O. Card.

Dates: 1881-1930

Collection on university faculty members, 1875-2009

 Series
Identifier: UA 909 Series 1
Scope and Contents note

Contains biographical information on members of the Brigham Young University faculty, administration, and board of trustees. Various files contain information on the subjects' professional, civic, family, and church activities. Some files include newspaper and magazine articles, and talks.

Dates: 1875-2009

DeWitt family histories

 File — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2983
Scope and Contents

Collection includes three family histories from the DeWitt and Kempe families, which include typescripts of correspondence and journals, reproductions of photographs, and other biographical information. The histories themselves describe the lives of Elijah Reeves DeWitt, Abel Alexander DeWitt Sr., Abel Alexander DeWitt Jr., Christopher Jensen Kempe, and Ruth Leila Kempe. Includes information on their experiences in Utah, Illinois, Indiana, and at Brigham Young Academy.

Dates: 2004-2005

Dr. Maeser

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230325901]
Identifier: MSS SC 2724
Scope and Contents

Handwritten biography of Karl G. Maeser, first president of the Brigham Young Acadmey in Provo, Utah. The author of the item is unknown, and the date of its compositon is uncertain.

Dates: Approximately 1900

Edwin Smith Hinckley : life and family

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197224906161]
Identifier: UA 1160
Scope and Contents

Biography of Edwin Smith Hinckley. Hinckley was a professor at Brigham Young University and served as counselor to President George H. Brimhall. Includes a CD-ROM.

Dates: 1868-1929

Mildred Cluff Harvey papers

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197227625487]
Identifier: MSS 3951
Scope and Contents Contains papers on Mildred Cluff Harvey and her family. Materials date from between 1866 and 1947. Includes the following: 1. The Biography of Mildred Cluff Harvey by her daughter, Lucile H. Ursenbach, 1900-1947. Typed, 17 pages. 2. Newspaper pages about Benjamin Cluff Jr., Mildred's brother, August 1970. 2 leaves. 3. Mildred Cluff autobiography. 1862-1898. Typed, 9 pages. 4. Mildred Cluff autobiography. 1862-1898. Original pencil handwriting, 19 pages. 5. Photocopied articles about the...
Dates: 1866-1947

Joseph B. Keeler family papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2016
Scope and Contents

Includes journals, biographical sketches, correspondence, articles, lesson manuals, published and unpublished manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera. The bulk of the material was created by Joseph B. Keeler's descendants, who used his papers as they compiled their published family history, "Build Thee More Stately" (1989). The collection focuses on family history, religion, education, and professional organizations.

Dates: approximately 1840-1990

Franklin Madsen collection of biographies

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1143
Scope and Contents

Typewritten biographies of musicians, composers, and painters from various places in Europe. Also included are questions and summaries of chapters found in the "Essentials in Music History." The dates of the compositions of these items are uncertain.

Dates: approximately 1950

Redd family papers

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197232491073]
Identifier: MSS 678
Scope and Contents

Photocopies of handwritten and typewritten materials. Most of the items were collected by the descendants of Lemuel Hardison Redd (1856-1923). Included in the collection are minutes of a Redd family meeting, a biography of Eliza M. Partridge Lyman, a list of persons buried in Bluff, Utah, from 1880 to 1951, correspondence of family members, two patriarchal blessings given by Hyrum Smith, and an essay by John Redd, a student at the Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah.

Dates: 1844-1966