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Wilkinson, Ernest L., 1899-1978

 Person

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, 1971

Deem, 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 234 Collections and/or Records:

Public Communications records on student protest and campus disorders, 1968-1971

 Series
Identifier: UA 586 Series 13
Scope and Contents note

Contains information about student protests and campus disorders in the United States from 1968 to 1971.

Dates: Other: 1968-1971

Publications Office records

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 476
Scope and Contents

Collection compiled in honor of David O. McKay on his 90th birthday which contains a pictorial summary showing growth of the Unified Church School System; a dedicatory letter from Ernest L. Wilkinson; cumulative enrollment charts of BYU, institutes, and seminaries; photographs of campuses, buildings, students, and leaders of schools in the Unified Church School System; and photographs of McKay, 1951-1963.

Dates: 1951-1963

Recollections of Ernest L. Wilkinson

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230330109]
Identifier: MSS SC 3075
Scope and Contents

Includes a tribute to Wilkinson; an address to the Provo Ladies Literary Club, 15 March 1978; and a cover letter, 7 December 2000, to University Archivist at BYU. All items focus on her work with Ernest L. Wilkinson and on details of his life.

Dates: approximately 1975-2000

Right to petition at Brigham Young University statement

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231027571]
Identifier: UA 59
Scope and Contents

Collection includes statement issued (printed copy of TDS) in response to queries about petitions circulated on campus relative to U.S. military operations in Cambodia. Discusses policy for circulating petitions on campus, position on student political involvement and expression.

Dates: 1970 May 15

C. Lavar Rockwood letter on riots at Brigham Young University

 Item — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197225551511]
Identifier: UA 1293
Scope and Contents

Letter to BYU Broadcasting from C. LaVar Rockwood describing two riots that took place at Brigham Young University in the 1960s. The first occurred at the old football stadium and was protesting the shortening of the Christmas vacation. The second took place at Helaman Halls shortly after two dorms had been converted to house women and was known as the "panty raid." Ernest L. Wilkinson was involved in resolving the "panty raid."

Dates: 2006

Stephen H. Russell papers on alleged 1966-1967 spy ring at Brigham Young University

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230329473]
Identifier: MSS SC 2939
Scope and Contents Author shares his perspectives on controversy in which he was involved at BYU during administration of President Ernest L. Wilkinson, in which some professors claimed that the administration was using students to spy on them. Includes a chapter from author's personal history; relevant pages from a published history, "Brigham Young University: A House of Faith," with reference marks added by Russell; and his comments on specific points in the published history. Other persons mentioned...
Dates: 1983-1986

Scrapbook on Brigham Young University buildings

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197233647053]
Identifier: UA 5529
Scope and Contents

Scrapbook of Brigham Young University buildings given to David O. McKay by Ernest L. Wilkinson in 1966.

Dates: 1950-1966

Seventeenth Annual Utah Conference on Higher Education papers

 Collection — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231023737]
Identifier: MSS 6809
Abstract

The proceedings of the 17th Annual Utah Conference on Higher Education, as well as a program outlining the events of the weekend, dated September 15, 16, 1960.

Dates: 1960

Smith, Robert memos, 1968

 Series — Box 454: Series 11 [Barcode: 31197239261206], Folder: 5
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 11 Sub-Series 2 Series 16
Scope and Contents From the Sub-Series:

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and other members of BYU administration as well as reports on BYU activity. Also contains sections on administrative councils and budgets for BYU departments. Dated 1968.

Dates: 1968

Summer School dean records

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197231012045]
Identifier: UA 279
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence and payroll reports concerning summer school faculty (14 items). Materials date from between 1950 and 1953.

Dates: 1950-1953