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 28 Collections and/or Records:
Office of the President records on complaints and complements, 1951-1956
Contains correspondence and memos, majority from or to Ernest L. Wilkinson, university leaders, church leaders, city/local officials, and others, dated from 1951 to 1956. Letters discuss invitations to events, appreciation for actions taken, as well as suggestions and complaints. These opinions are in regards to the university, students, events, etc.
Office of the President records on contributions, 1950-1956
Contains correspondence regarding contributions and donations to the university from 1950 to 1956. Some letters are requests for donations, expressing thanks for the donations contributed, and regarding scholarships. Included are some newspaper clippings about large contributions given.
Office of the President records on human interest, 1963
Contains written human interest stories about BYU students as well as memos and clippings of articles. Dated 1963.
Office of the President records on Indian Program, 1963
Contains letters, memos, reports, article and clippings about Native Americans at BYU and in the Indian Program. Dated 1963.
Office of the President records on Iran , 1959
Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and Church leaders about the Church and BYU's involvement in Iran. Also contains news clippings. Dated 1959.
Office of the President records on J. Bracken Lee, 1953-1956
Contains news clippings, letters, memorandums and reports from 1953 to 1956 concerning Utah Governor Joseph Bracken Lee.
Office of the President records on Mahonri Young, 1963
Contians memos discussing Mahonri Young as well as new clippings from "Church News." Dated 1963.
Office of the President records on Physical Plant, 1959
Contains memos, reports and news clippings about the security of BYU Physical facilities. Dated 1959.
Office of the President records on politics, 1959
Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others on the topic of politics. Dated 1959.
Office of the President records on prayer in school, 1963
Contains letters, memos and newspaper clippings addressing the Supreme Court's ruling against prayer in public schools. Dated 1963.