Skip to main content

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 Extension Division, 1966

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 9 Sub-Series 8
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson, BYU staff and general authorities about the Church Extension Division, including BYU satellite programs, Education Week, study abroad programs, and at-hom emcontinuing education programs. Also contains curriculum for these programs. 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 faculty, 1949-1956

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 21
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence and documents regarding the Brigham Young University faculty between administration and other departments from 1949 to 1956. It largely discusses promotions, salary, faculty ratings/reviews, new faculty, and retirement.

Dates: 1949-1956
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 faculty, 1949-1965

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 32
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between BYU faculty and President Wilkinson discussing personal as well as academic issues. Also contains reports on faculty terminations, work loads, and more. Dated 1949 to 1965.

Dates: 1949-1965
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 faculty, 1956-1959

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 5 Sub-Series 19
Scope and Contents

Contains memos and letters about BYU faculty as well as surveys filled out by BYU faculty about their experiences. Dated 1959.

Dates: 1956-1959
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 faculty, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 37
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between BYU faculty and President Wilkinson discussing personal as well as academic issues. Also contains reports on faculty terminations, salaries, hiring and promotions. Dated 1963.

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 records on faculty, 1954-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 3 Sub-Series 23
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports regarding faculty concerns such as salaries, work loads, vacation time, and standards of conduct. Dated 1954 to 1958.

Dates: 1954-1958
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 faculty workshops, 1953-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 3 Sub-Series 24
Scope and Contents

Contains memorandums organizing BYU faculty workshops, speeches given by President Wilkinson, and programs for faculty workshops. Dated 1953 to 1958.

Dates: 1953-1958
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 federal aid to education, 1955-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 3 Sub-Series 25
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, memorandums, and records of hearings on the subject of federal aid to higher education. Dated 1955 to 1958.

Dates: 1955-1958
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 federal aid to education, 1959-1964

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 33
Scope and Contents

Contains letters between President Wilkinson and government leaders in Salt Lake City and the federal govenment on the topic of federal aid, scholarships and grants to BYU. Also contains reports with statistics and facts about financial aid to education. Dated 1959 to 1964.

Dates: 1959-1964
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 federal aid to education, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 38
Scope and Contents

Contains correspondence, memorandums, reports and bills on the subject of federal aid to higher education. Dated 1963.

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

Staff Interface | Send Feedback or Report a Problem

More information about Special Collections including Hours, Services, Events, and Exhibits can be found at lib.byu.edu/special-collections.

The BYU Library aims to create descriptions of collections that are inclusive and support an “environment of belonging.” If you encounter language in finding aids, catalog records, or collection descriptions that you find offensive or believe to be harmful, we invite your feedback at librarydescription@byu.edu.