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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 699 Collections and/or Records:

Office of the President congratulatory records, 1960-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 25
Scope and Contents

Contains letters from President Wilkinson congratulating people on their accomplishments. Dated 1960 to 1962.

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

Office of the President congratulatory records , 1959

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 5 Sub-Series 14
Scope and Contents

Contains letters from President Wilkinson congratulating people on their accomplishments and achievements as well as new clippings celebrating their achievements. Dated 1959.

Dates: 1959
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President congratulatory records, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 30
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos from President Wilkinson congratulating members of the community. Dated 1863.

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

Office of the President correspondence, 1952-1975

 Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 17
Scope and Contents

Contains bound volumes of correspondence from the Office of the President. Dated 1952 to 1975.

Dates: 1952-1975
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1964

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 7 Sub-Series 12
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos on general topics such as personal correspondence of President Wilkinson and the Utah School Commission. dated 1964.

Dates: 1964
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1964-1965

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 8 Sub-Series 10
Scope and Contents

Letters and memos to President Wilkinson inviting him to attend and speak at events, as well as his responses. Also contains letters of congratulations and travel information. Dated 1964-1965.

Dates: 1964-1965
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1966-1967

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

Letters and memos to President Wilkinson inviting him to attend and speak at events. as well as his responses. Also contains letters of congratulations and travel information. Dated 1966-1967.

Dates: 1966-1967
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1967

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 10 Sub-Series 9
Scope and Contents

Memos and letters to and from President Wilkinson discussing miscellaneous personal and professional matters such as condolences, congratulations, pollitics, and inviations to speaking engagements. Dated 1967.

Dates: 1967
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1968

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 11 Sub-Series 7
Scope and Contents

Memos and letters to and from President Wilkinson discussing miscellaneous personal and professional matters such as condolences, congratulations, pollitics, and inviations to speaking engagements. Dated 1968.

Dates: 1968
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President general records, 1969

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 12 Sub-Series 8
Scope and Contents

Contains general letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others. Also contains reports on trips to Vietnam. Dated 1969.

Dates: 1969
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

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