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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 students, 1955-1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 71
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports to and from President Wilkinson. Topics included individual students and their needs, student government and student health. Dated 1955 to 1963.

Dates: 1955-1963
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 students, 1958-1959

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 5 Sub-Series 29
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between BYU faculty discussing the circumstances of individual students. Dated 1959.

Dates: 1958-1959
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 students, 1951-1956

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 56
Scope and Contents

Contains memorandums, correspondence, reports and other publications, dated between 1951 and 1956. The materials regard personal problems of individual students such as mission deferments, mortality and counseling. Also contains recruitment materials for high schools and colleges.

Dates: 1951-1956
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 students, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 72
Scope and Contents

Contains reports, letters and memos. The topics included student life and societies, trends of student behavior, and individual student problems. 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 studies, 1957-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 73
Scope and Contents

Contains memos from President Wilkinson as well as statistical reports on church membership and the US Utah census. Dated 1957 to 1962.

Dates: 1957-1962
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 Study Abroad, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 16
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos among BYU faculty about study abroad programs. 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 Summer School, 1959-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 72
Scope and Contents

Contains memos, letters, surveys and reports about BYU summer school. 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 Summer School, 1951-1955

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 61
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memorandums and informational and promotional brochures concerning scheduling and details for BYU Summer School. Dated 1951 to 1955.

Dates: 1951-1955
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 Summer School, 1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 73
Scope and Contents

Contains faculty memos arranging BYU summer school for students as well as a report on the demographics of BYU summer school students. 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 sympathy, 1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 74
Scope and Contents

Contains sympathetic letters and memos written by President Wilkinson. Dated 1962.

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

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