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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 37 Collections and/or Records:

Office of the President records on appreciation, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 7
Scope and Contents

Contains letters of appreciation to President Wilkinson from members of the community for various services. Dated 1963.

Dates: 1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Arab Development Society, 1962-1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 8
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and leaders of the Arab Development Society discussing daily operations and special circumstances of the program. Also contains reports about operations of the program. Dated 1962 to 1963.

Dates: 1962-1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Aspen Grove, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 9
Scope and Contents

Contains letters to and from President Wilkinson concerning the maintenance of Aspen Grove, especially hiring someone to take care of the property year-round. Dated 1963.

Dates: 1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on assemblies, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 10
Scope and Contents From the Series:

Records of the Office of the President under Ernest L. Wilkinson on various administrative topics, including the Church School System, federal aid, finance, enrollment statistics, and general correspondence between administration. Dates of record keeping from 1956 to 1965.

Dates: 1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on associations, 1961-1964

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 11
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others on the subject of various academic associations to which BYU belongs. Also contains reports, conference materials and news from these associations. Dated 1961 to 1964.

Dates: 1961-1964
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Auxiliary Services, 1956-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 3 Sub-Series 6
Scope and Contents

Contains memorandums and correspondence with President Wilkinson concerning daily operations of BYU campus auxiliary services such as food, housing, the bookstore, and more. Dated 1956 to 1958.

Dates: 1956-1958
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Auxiliary Services, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 12
Scope and Contents

Contains memorandums and correspondence with President Wilkinson concerning daily operations of BYU campus auxiliary services such as food, housing, the bookstore, and more. Dated 1963.

Dates: 1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Board of Trustees, 1960-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 10
Scope and Contents

Contains minutes from the meetings of the BYU board of trustees. Also contains memos and letters with President Wilkinson organizing these meetings. Dated 1960 to 1962.

Dates: 1960-1962
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on books, 1960-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 11
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others discussing books and recommended reading. Dated 1960 to 1962.

Dates: 1960-1962
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on books, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 13
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports between President Wilkinson and others on various books. Dated 1963.

Dates: 1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / UA 1086, Office of the President records / Office of the President records

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