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 699 Collections and/or Records:
Office of the President general records, 1970
Conatains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson, of Brigham Young University. Includes memos, correspondence, policy and procedures, reports, and newsclippings regarding various, miscellaneous topics at Brigham Young University, such as campus unrest, political orgainizations, personal correspondence, and speeches. Dated 1970.
Office of the President general records, 1970-1971
Contains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University. Includes memos, correspondence, and news clippings on general records of Brigham Young University. Includes material on topics such as invitations, other personal correspondence, speeches, and Brigham Young University in the news. Dated 1971.
Office of the President general records, 1972-1973
Contains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University. Includes memos, correspondence, other materials, notes, publications, and news clippings on general records of Brigham Young University. Includes material such as general correspondence, invitations and speaking correspondence, and foundations memos. Dated 1972-1973.
Office of the President general records, 1973
Contains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University. Includes memos and correspondence on the general records of Brigham Young University. Includes material such as correspondence with individuals, personal memos to self, and congradulatory correspondence. Dated 1973.
Office of the President inter-office memos, 1965
Contains a list of BYU administrative staff as well as a collection of memorandums from President Wilkinson on a variety of BYU policies and individual circumstances. Includes a variety of topics from vacations to news articles. Dated 1965.
Office of the President invitations, 1951-1956
Records of the Office of the President under Ernest L. Wilkinson on various administrative topics, including staff, faculty, students, finance, and higher education in Utah and the United States. Dates of record keeping from 1949 to 1956.
Office of the President invitations, 1957-1958
Contains invitations inviting President Wilkinson to various events, as well as his memos and letters accepting or rejecting the invitations. Dated 1957 to 1958.
Office of the President invitations, 1959
Contains letters and memos inviting President Wilkinson to attend or speak at various events. Dated 1959.
Office of the President invitations, 1963
Contians letters and memos from members of the community inviting President Wilkinson to various events. Also contains his responses either accepting or rejecting invitations. Dated 1963.
Office of the President job applications, 1963
Contains letters to President Wilkinson from prospective employees enquiring about job openings. Also contains memos from President Wilkinson about the applicants. Dated 1963.