Office of the President records
Collection
Identifier: UA 1087
Scope and Contents
Contains the presidential papers of Howard S. McDonald, including correspondence and personnel files documenting the administration of the university, 1945-1949.
Dates
- 1945-1949
Creator
- Brigham Young University. Office of the President (Creator, Organization)
Conditions Governing Access
Restricted. Closed for 100 years from the date of creation of the records, and thereafter open to the public in accordance with the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Restriction Policy. Requests to access restricted materials in the University Archives should be submitted to the University Archivist.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Office of the President records must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Administrative History
The Brigham Young University President (est. 1903) is the chief executive officer and general manager of the University.
Brigham Young University has had a president since Brigham Young Academy was changed to Brigham Young University in 1903. While the school was still called Brigham Young Academy the head officer was titled principal.
The Board of Trustees delegates to the University President the responsibility to conduct the operations of the institution and administer the policies enacted by the board. Since 1996, the President of the university has also been a General Authority of the Church.
Past and present Brigham Young University presidents include George H. Brimhall (1903-1921), Franklin S. Harris (1921-1945), Howard S. McDonald (1945-1949), (acting president) Christian Jensen (1949-1951), Ernest L. Wilkinson (1951-1971), Dallin H. Oaks (1971-1980), Jeffrey R. Holland (1980-1989), Rex E. Lee (1989-1995), Merrill J. Bateman (1996-2003), and Cecil O. Samuelson (2003- ).
Brigham Young University has had a president since Brigham Young Academy was changed to Brigham Young University in 1903. While the school was still called Brigham Young Academy the head officer was titled principal.
The Board of Trustees delegates to the University President the responsibility to conduct the operations of the institution and administer the policies enacted by the board. Since 1996, the President of the university has also been a General Authority of the Church.
Past and present Brigham Young University presidents include George H. Brimhall (1903-1921), Franklin S. Harris (1921-1945), Howard S. McDonald (1945-1949), (acting president) Christian Jensen (1949-1951), Ernest L. Wilkinson (1951-1971), Dallin H. Oaks (1971-1980), Jeffrey R. Holland (1980-1989), Rex E. Lee (1989-1995), Merrill J. Bateman (1996-2003), and Cecil O. Samuelson (2003- ).
Biographical History
Howard Stevenson McDonald (1894-1986) served as the sixth president of Brigham Young University from 1945-1949.
Howard Stevenson McDonald was born July 18, 1894. On November 14, 1945 Howard S. McDonald was inaugurated as the sixth president of Brigham Young University. A time of great growth for the university, enrollment doubled from 2,700 students in the fall of 1945 to 5,400 students in the 1947-1948 school year. McDonald spent most of his tenure working tirelessly to increase the number of buildings on campus, to solidify the organizational structure of the university and to recruit additional faculty members. He created the Dean of Students Office to oversee non-academic programs on campus and welcomed over eighty new faculty to the campus.
Beginning in 1946 McDonald began lobbying the Board of Trustees for funds to build a science building, a library addition, a student union building, additional dormitories, and a fine arts building. Funds for the science building were appropriated in 1946, but construction did not begin until 1948 and the building was not completed until after the end of McDonald’s administration. McDonald also worked diligently to obtain surplus military housing from the Ogden arsenal. Using funds from the Federal Works Program, he oversaw the conversion of forty-five temporary buildings into a student housing complex called Wymount Village.
Following his tenure as president of BYU, he served as president of Los Angeles City College from 1949-1958 and president of Los Angeles State College from 1958 to 1962.
Howard Stevenson McDonald was born July 18, 1894. On November 14, 1945 Howard S. McDonald was inaugurated as the sixth president of Brigham Young University. A time of great growth for the university, enrollment doubled from 2,700 students in the fall of 1945 to 5,400 students in the 1947-1948 school year. McDonald spent most of his tenure working tirelessly to increase the number of buildings on campus, to solidify the organizational structure of the university and to recruit additional faculty members. He created the Dean of Students Office to oversee non-academic programs on campus and welcomed over eighty new faculty to the campus.
Beginning in 1946 McDonald began lobbying the Board of Trustees for funds to build a science building, a library addition, a student union building, additional dormitories, and a fine arts building. Funds for the science building were appropriated in 1946, but construction did not begin until 1948 and the building was not completed until after the end of McDonald’s administration. McDonald also worked diligently to obtain surplus military housing from the Ogden arsenal. Using funds from the Federal Works Program, he oversaw the conversion of forty-five temporary buildings into a student housing complex called Wymount Village.
Following his tenure as president of BYU, he served as president of Los Angeles City College from 1949-1958 and president of Los Angeles State College from 1958 to 1962.
Extent
19 boxes (9.5 linear ft.)
Language
English
Arrangement
Contains three series: 1. Brigham Young University president's correspondence, 1945-1949. 2. Brigham Young University president's personnel files, 1948-1949. 3. Brigham Young University president's general files, 1945-1949.
Materials are largely arranged alphabetically and chronologically.
Materials are largely arranged alphabetically and chronologically.
Other Finding Aids
Finding aid available in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Reference area.
File-level inventory available online. http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/UA1087.xml
File-level inventory available online. http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/UA1087.xml
Custodial History
Part of the Brigham Young University President's Records Collection.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Found in the University Archives.
Appraisal
Office files (University Archives collecting policy, July 2003).
Processing Information
Processed; Jennifer Kim. Sept. 2011.
Processed; Dani Peterson; Sept. 2012.
Processed; Dani Peterson; Sept. 2012.
Creator
- Brigham Young University. Office of the President (Creator, Organization)
- McDonald, Howard S. (Howard Stevenson), 1894-1986 (Creator, Person)
- Title
- Register of Office of the President records
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Jennifer Kim
- Date
- 2011 September 13
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States