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Office of the President records, 1944-1962

 Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 5

Scope and Contents

Records of the Office of the President under Ernest L. Wilkinson on various administrative topics, including the Church School System, federal aid, finance, enrollment statistics, and general correspondence between administration. Dates of record keeping from 1944 to 1962.

Dates

  • 1944-1962

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Restricted. Closed for 25 years from the end date of the administration, and thereafter open to the public in accordance with the University Archives Policy.

Conditions Governing Use

Photocopying and photographs are not permitted until 2025. Note-taking is allowed.

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.

Biographical Historical

From the Collection:

Ernest L. Wilkinson (1899-1978) was a lawyer, academic administrator, and politician in Utah.

Ernest L. Wilkinson was born in Ogden, Utah, on May 4, 1899. He attended Weber Academy and its successor Weber Junior College. He served in the BYU Student Army Training Corps until the end of World War I and then enrolled in Brigham Young University. He graduated from Brigham Young University in 1921 and taught English and public speaking for two years at Weber College. Wilkinson married Alice Ludlow in 1923 and they became the parents of three sons and two daughters. He attended George Washington University where he graduated summa cum laude with a bachelor of law in 1926. He received his doctor of juridical science from Harvard University in 1927. He taught law at the New Jersey Law School for several years while also practicing law in the firm of Hughes, Schurman, and Dwight in New York City. He established a law firm with Walter G. Moyle in 1935 in Washington, D. C. and they practiced together for five years. In 1940 Wilkinson formed his own law firm of Wilkinson, Cragun and Barker. Wilkinson's greatest achievement as a lawyer was a $32 million judgment against the United States for the Ute Tribe. He was also instrumental in the creation of the Indian Claims Commission. In 1951, Wilkinson was asked to become President of Brigham Young University by the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He presided over the university for a period of twenty years during which it experienced tremendous growth. His tenure was briefly interrupted in 1964 by a failed attempt to run for the United States Senate. Wilkinson served as president-emeritus of Brigham Young University beginning in 1971 and directed the research and writing of a Centennial History of the University. He died of a heart attack in April 1978.

Extent

From the Collection: 600 boxes (300 linear ft.)

From the Collection: 115 volumes (38 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Arranged into 34 subseries: 1. Office of the President records on administration, 1959. 2. Office of the President records on Admission and Records, 1959. 3. Office of the President records on Alumni Association, 1959. 4. Office of the President records on Arab Development Society, 1959. 5. Office of the President records on assemblies, 1959. 6. Office of the President records on associations , 1959. 7. Office of the President records on Auxiliary Services, 1959. 8. Office of the President records on Church organizations, 1958-1960. 9. Office of the President records on Church School System, 1944-1962. 10. Office of the President records on colleges and departments, 1956-1959. 11. Office of the President records on commencement, 1959. 12. Office of the President records on committees, 1959. 13. Office of the President complimentary records, 1959. 14. Office of the President congratulatory records , 1959. 15. Office of the President records on curriculum, 1959. 16. Office of the President records on directories, 1959. 17. Office of the President records on university development, 1957-1959. 18. Office of the President records on Extension Division, 1958-1959. 19. Office of the President records on faculty, 1956-1959. 20. Office of the President records on finances, 1959. 21. Office of the President records on Indian Program, 1959. 22. Office of the President invitations, 1959. 23. Office of the President records on Iran, 1959. 24. Office of the President records on politics, 1959. 25. Office of the President records on Physical Plant, 1959. 26. Office of the President records on placement, 1959. 27. Office of the President records on public relations, 1959. 28. Office of the President speeches, 1959. 29. Office of the President records on students, 1958-1959. 30. Office of the President records on telephones, 1959. 31. Office of the President records on television and radio, 1959. 32. Office of the President records on tickets, 1959. 33. Office of the President records on travel, 1959. 34. Office of the President records on universities, 1959.

Other Finding Aids

Legacy finding aid available in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Reference area.

Other Finding Aids

Previous version of finding aid available online. http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/UA1086.xml

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo UT 84602 US