Kirkham, Oscar A.
Dates
- Existence: 1880 - 1958
Biographical History
Oscar A. Kirkham (1880-1958) was a member of the First Council of the Seventy of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and a member of the Boy Scouts of America's U.S. national staff.
Oscar Ammon Kirkham was born on January 22, 1880 in Lehi, Utah Territory, to parents James and Martha Mercer Kirkham. Kirkham married Ida Josephine Murdock on May 25, 1904 in Salt Lake City, Utah, and together had six children.
He graduated from Brigham Young Academy, and went on to teach at Ricks College (later, Brigham Young University, Idaho) in the music department. He was ordained to the Seventy in 1905, and served as a missionary in Germany. He was appointed as the traveling secretary of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and was involved with bringing the Boy Scouts of America program to the Church, including serving as the Church's Deputy Commissioner and as the Salt Lake Council's first Scout Executive. Kirkham was sustained as one of the seven presidents of the Seventy on October 5, 1941. He was also a longtime executive secretary in the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of the Church. The Oscar A. Kirkham building at Brigham Young University--Idaho is named for him and hosts auditorium events such as speakers, theatrical plays, and also houses the ceramics and sculpture studios.
Oscar Kirkham died on March 10, 1958, in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Citation:
FamilySearch, via WWW, February 24, 2014 (Oscar Ammon Kirkham; born on January 22, 1880 in Lehi, Utah Territory; parents James and Martha Mercer Kirkham; married Ida Josephine Murdock on May 25, 1904 in Salt Lake City, Utah; had 6 children).Boyacks.com, via WWW, February 24, 2014 (Kirkham was involved with bringing the Boy Scouts of America program to the Church; Church's Deputy Commissioner; Salt Lake Council's first Scout Executive).
FindAGrave, via WWW, February 24, 2014 (Oscar Kirkham died on March 10, 1958, in Salt Lake City, Utah).
Wikipedia via WWW, August 6, 2013 (graduated from Brigham Young Academy; was ordained to the Seventy in 1905 served as a missionary in Germany; appointed as the traveling secretary of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
Found in 4 Collections and/or Records:
Francis W. Kirkham correspondence
Typewritten and signed correspondence. Eight of the items were sent to Kirkham and one was sent by him. These items were to and from General Authorities and other leaders of the Mormon Church. The collection includes letters from Oscar A. Kirkham, A. Theodore Tuttle, Marvin J. Ashton, LeGrand Richards, S. Dilworth Young, and Reed Smoot. These persons thank Kirkham for sending them copies of his books.
Kirkham, Oscar A., 1956
Oscar A. Kirkham journal
One personal journal book that is hand-written by Oscar A. Kirkham, describing daily events and observations, such as a day with a cold or how children rise with the sun no matter how early it rises. The material is dated in 1909.
J. Walter Low letter
The folder contains a handwritten letter dated 24 March 1915 and addressed O. A. Kirkham. J. Walter Low writes about the Boy Scouts of Canada, the possibility of Italy entering World War I, and that "Hugh Brown looks fine in his new field uniform and has an excellent squadron of well trained mounted rifles."
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- Collection 3
- Archival Object 1
- Subject
- Letters 2
- Biographies 1
- Boy Scouts -- Canada -- History 1
- Correspondence 1
- Diaries 1
- Home and Family 1
- Material Types 1
- Military 1
- Photographs 1
- Politics, Government, and Law 1
- Social Life and Customs 1 + ∧ less