Wilkinson, Ernest L., 1899-1978
Dates
- Existence: 1899 - 1978
Biographical History
Ernest L. Wilkinson (1899-1978) was a prominent Mormon lawyer and academic administrator. He served as president of Brigham Young University from 1951-1971.
Ernest Leroy Wilkinson was born in Ogden, Utah, on May 4, 1899. He grew up in the outskirts of the city, one of seven children. Ernest enrolled in Weber Academy, and he was characterized by his hardworking nature. He served in the Student Army Training Corps in 1918. He then attended Brigham Young University, where he was very active in student activities and politics. He married Alice Valera Ludlow on August 15, 1923. He attended George Washington University and graduated summa cum laude in 1926. In 1935, he served as a lawyer for the Ute Indian tribes as they successfully gained compensation for land.
Upon being named president of BYU in 1951, Wilkinson proceeded to aggressively expand the university. Under his presidency, BYU grew to the largest private university in the United States. The intellectual standards of BYU also increased dramatically. Even as he contributed to drastic growth in the university, he never accepted a salary. He was replaced by Dallin H. Oaks in 1971. Wilkinson passed away April 6, 1978.
Citation:
His Earnestly yours, 1971Deem, W.J. Ernest L. Wilkinson, Indian advocate ... 1982: p. 665 (d. 4/6/78)
Wikipedia, Mar. 2, 2011 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; Ernest Leroy Wilkinson; b. May 4, 1899 in Ogden, Utah; American academic administrator; Commission of Church Education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953-1970; president of Brigham Young University, 1951-1971; attorney in Washington, D.C. and N.Y.)
Ancestry.com, Mar. 2, 2011 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; Ernest Wilkinson; Ernest Leroy Wilkinson; d. in Salt Lake City, Utah)
Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years, 1975: p. 506 (born in Ogden, Utah; one of seven children; grew up on outskirts) p. 508 (enrolled in Weber Academy; hardworking) p. 510 (Student Army Training Corps, 1918; attended Brigham Young University) p. 511 (active in BYU activities) p. 515 (married Alice Ludlow; August 15, 1923) p. 517 (graduated from George Washington University; summa cum laude; 1926) p. 520 (attorney for the Ute Tribe) p. 506 (never accepted a salary)
FamilySearch, May 29, 2014 (Ernest Leroy Wilkinson, "BillionGraves Index"; b. May 4, 1899; d. April 6, 1978)
Office of the President, May 29, 2014 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; served as president from 1951-1971; expanded BYU to nation's largest private university; increased intellectual standards)
Found in 10 Collections and/or Records:
Centennial Committee research, 1923-1976
Contains the Centennial Committee's research, with information collected about how other universities had celebrated their centennial years. Dated 1923-1976.
Centennial History Project source material files, 1834-1979
Contains source materials consulted by the project staff. Includes copies of source materials and notes from sources consulted. Much of the material in these files was gathered from library and archival holdings at various institutions, including Brigham Young University, University of Utah, Utah State Historical Society, the Church Historical Department, and Southern Utah University.
Ernest L. Wilkinson speeches, 1921-1978
Contains speeches given by Wilkinson, as well as research materials used in speech preparation. Materials date from between 1921 and 1978.
Office of the President records on data processing, 1963
Contains memos about data processing as well as a brochure on data processing education. Dated 1963.
Office of the President records on research, 1964
Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others on proposed research projects, facilities, and funding. Also contains project proposals and reports. Dated 1964.
Office of the President records on research, 1965
Contains letters and memos between BYU staff about research grants and research project plans. Also contains reports and proposals about upcoming research projects. Dated 1965.
Office of the President records on Research, 1960-1963
Contains letters and memos between BYU faculty as well as proposals and letters for a research institute at BYU. Dated 1960-1963.
Office of the President records on research, 1959-1962
Contains letters, memos and reports written by BYU staff regarding the procurement of grants for research at BYU. Dated 1959 to 1962.
Office of the President records on research, 1966
Contains letters, memos and reports about research projects at BYU. Discusses the topic of BYU laboritories, funding, and topics of projects. Much of the memos are between President Wilkinson and Tracy Hall. Dated 1966.
Office of the President records on Research Division, 1953-1955
Lists of suggested research topics for different departments, like history, political science, sociology, psychology, English, sciences, and education. Dated 1953 to 1955.