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Kirkham, Francis W. (Francis Washington), 1877-1972

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1877 - 1972

Biographical History

Francis W. Kirkham (1877-1972) was an educator and businessman in Utah.

Francis Washington Kirkham was born in 1877 in Lehi, Utah. He is known as a prominent educator as well as the author of "New Witness for the Christ in America: Evidence of Divine Power in the 'Coming Forth' of the Book of Mormon." At the young age of fifteen, Kirkham studied business under James E. Talmage, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Kirkham attended Brigham Young Academy; however, his studies were placed on hold for three years while he served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in New Zealand. His mission inspired him to write a grammar book to help new missionaries learn the Maori language. In 1901, Francis W. Kirkham was married in the Salt Lake City Temple to Martha Alzina Robinson. He also returned to Brigham Young Academy (BYU), graduating in 1904 as valedictorian. After graduating from BYA, Kirkham worked as a businessman in Canada for three years. He later attended the University of Michigan for his bachelors degree, following which he taught at Brigham Young University for two years. Francis W. Kirkham decided to enroll in law school at the University of Utah where he was in the law school's first graduating class. He continued his graduate studies at Stanford and went on to earn his Ph.D. at the University of California, Berkley. For a period of time Francis W. Kirkham served as the president of the LDS Business College, the head of vocational education for the State of Utah and the superintendent of the Granite School District. While serving as the superintendent of the Granite School District he wrote the book "Educating all the Children of all the People." The book gained him national recognition and led to Kirkham being appointed the head of the New York City-based National Child Welfare Association. During his time in New York, Kirkham studeied the Book of Mormon in depth as he had greater access to resources within the area. He published a compilation of these works in 1937 entitled "Source Material on the Book of Mormon" which was the main basis for his book "A New Witness..." Kirkham later also worked as a manager for a Salt Lake City-based insurance company for several years. Francis W. Kirkham died in 1972.

Citation:
A new witness for Christ in America, the Book of Mormon, 1967:t.p. (Francis W. Kirkham)

Francis W. Kirkham papers, 1877-1972 (Francis W. Kirkham; educator and businessman)

FamilySearch, 14 July 2010 (Francis Washington KIRKHAM; b. 8 Jan 1877; d. 14 Sep 1972)

Ancestry.com, Nov. 19, 2010 (Francis W. Kirkham; Francis Kirkham; W. Francis Kirkham; Francis Washington Kirkham; b. Jan. 8, 1877 in Lehi, Utah; d. Sept. 14, 1972 in Salt Lake City, Utah; resident of Provo, Utah; farmer, canal builder, teacher; served as a missionary to New Zealand; taught at Brigham Young University)

Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:

Francis W. Kirkham papers, 1898-1947

 Series
Identifier: MSS 1562 Series 5
Scope and Contents

Contains miscellaneous papers related to Francis W. Kirkham. Included are letters, photographs, notes, newspaper clippings, and various other materials. The series dates 1898-1947.

Dates: 1898-1947

Francis W. Kirkham personal papers, approximately 1877-1972

 Series
Identifier: MSS 1562 Series 1
Scope and Contents

Contains various papers from Francis W. Kirkham regarding his personal life. Among the papers are letters, diaries, personal papers (including biographical information), photographs, and various other materials. The series dates 1877-1972.

Dates: approximately 1877-1972

Francis W. Kirkham scrapbooks, 1902-1944

 Sub-Series
Identifier: MSS 1562 Series 1 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains scrapbooks relating to Francis W. Kirkham either directly or through extension of family. The subseries dates from 1902 to 1944.

Dates: 1902-1944

Francis W. Kirkham papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1562
Scope and Contents

Contains various papers from Kirkham, documenting his work with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Utah education system, the Cooperative Life Insurance Association, and his personal life. Included are correspondence, personal papers (including biographical information), scrapbooks, leaflets, pamphlets, brochures, and various other materials. Materials date from between approximately 1877 and 1972.

Dates: approximately 1877-1972

Filtered By

  • Subject: Business, Industry, Labor, and Commerce X

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 3
Collection 1
 
Subject
Letters 3
Scrapbooks 3
Photographs 2
Brochures 1
Diaries 1
∨ more