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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 records on Church School System, 1964

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 7 Sub-Series 10
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports about parts of the Church School System, including colleges, seminaries, and institutes. 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 records on Church School System, 1963-1965

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

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, Church general authorities, and BYU faculty on the topics of Church schools, proposed Church schools, and curriculum within these schools. Dated 1963-1965.

Dates: 1963-1965
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Church School System, 1966

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 9 Sub-Series 7
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, Church general authorities, and BYU faculty on the topics of Church schools, proposed Church schools, and curriculum within these schools. Dated 1966.

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

Office of the President records on Church School System, 1967

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

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, Church general authorities, and BYU faculty on the topics of Church schools, proposed Church schools, and curriculum within these schools. 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 records on Church School System, 1896-1968

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

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, Church general authorities, and BYU faculty on the topics of Church schools, proposed Church schools, and curriculum within these schools. Dated 1896-1968.

Dates: 1896-1968
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Church School System, 1969

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

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, Church general authorities, and BYU faculty on the topics of Church schools, curriculum and issues within these schools. Dated 1969.

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

Office of the President records on Church School System, 1944-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 12
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence and reports pertaining to Ricks College, LDS Business College, Juarez Academy and the Brigham Young University schools in the Pacific. Materials discuss finances, enrollment, and the unification of the church school systems. Dated 1944 to 1958.

Dates: 1944-1958
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on Church stakes, 1959-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 17
Scope and Contents

Letters, memos and other materials on the topics of BYU student involvement in local YSA stakes, sunday school programs and temple worship. Dated 1959 to 1962.

Dates: 1959-1962
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on civil defense, 1959-1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 18
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos, reports and brochures planning to create shelters to protect BYU students against fallout from atomic blasts in the event of war. Dated 1959 to 1963.

Dates: 1959-1963
Found in: L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives / Office of the President records / Office of the President records

Office of the President records on civil defense, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 22
Scope and Contents

Contains memos between President Wilkinson about civil defense. Topics include fall-out shelters and welfare. Dated 1963.

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

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