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:
Brigham Young University comptroller subject files, 1964-1965
Contains correspondence and related materials about university operations. Dated 1964-1965.
Brigham Young University comptroller subject files, 1965-1966
Contains correspondence and related materials about university operations. Dated 1965-1966.
Brigham Young University comptroller subject files, 1966-1967
Contains correspondence and related materials about university operations. Dated 1966-1967.
Brigham Young University comptroller subject files, 1967-1969
Contains correspondence and related materials about university operations. Dated 1967-1969.
Brigham Young University inaugural speeches and responses
Contains only inaugural speeches and responses by presidents Harris, McDonald, Wilkinson, Oaks, Holland, and Lee.
Brigham Young University presidential portraits
Contains portraits of the presidents of the university from Warren N. Dusenberry to Merrill J. Bateman, excluding Rex E. Lee's portrait. Materials date from between 1875 and 2003.
Centennial Committee centennial guidebook, 1974-1975
Contains materials from the production of the Centennial guidebook, as well as two copies of the guide in its final form. Dated 1974-1975.
Centennial Committee chronological records, 1973-1976
Contains correspondence and memorandums on a variety of subjects organized by date. Dates from 1973-1976.
Centennial Committee clippings, 1974-1976
Contains copies of newspaper articles related to centennial events and programming. Dated 1974-1976.
Centennial Committee collection on Brigham!, 1976
Consists of additional documentation from the production of the musical "Brigham!" Dated 1976.