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Thomas Nicholls Taylor collection

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 1664

Scope and Contents

Contains primarily correspondence and materials related to the professional, personal, and political life of Thomas Nicholls Taylor, including correspondence with Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints leaders like President Heber J. Grant and other prominent Utah businessmen and civic leaders. Dated 1900 to 1949.

Dates

  • 1900-1949

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from the Thomas Nicholls Taylor collection must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Coordinating Committee.

Biographical / Historical

Thomas Nicholls Taylor (1868-1950) was a Utah businessman, politician, civic and religious leader, and mayor of Provo, Utah, from 1900 to 1903.

Thomas Nicholls Taylor was born on July 18, 1868, to George Taylor and Eliza Nicholls. He attended Provo city schools and later Brigham Young Academy. Thomas began his employment with Taylor Brothers, the store founded by his father, at the age of ten, and was continuously connected with the company throughout his life. He was named president and manager in 1890 and continued in the president's position until his death. Taylor married Maud Rogers on September 18, 1889, in the Manti Temple. They had nine children. He served as counselor in the Provo Third Ward bishopric from 1891 to 1900, when he became bishop of the ward, which position he held for nineteen years. In 1919, he became president of the Utah Stake and served in that capacity until 1939, when the stake was renamed Provo Stake. In 1939, he was set apart as stake patriarch, serving until the time of his death. Throughout his adult life, Taylor carried on correspondence with his good friend President Heber J. Grant, and other prominent Church leaders as well as businessmen and politicians. Taylor was a director of the Home Fire Insurance Company and organizer of both the Provo Building and Loan Association and the Farmers and Merchant's Bank in Provo. He served as mayor of Provo from 1900 to 1903 and as vice president of the Utah State Council of Defence from 1917 to 1919. He was president of the Utah State Bankers Association in 1918. In 1920 he was the Democratic candidate for governor of Utah. Taylor served as a member of University of Utah's board of regents from 1920 to 1924. From 1921 to 1939, he also served as a member of the Brigham Young University Board of Trustees and as chairman of the executive committee for many years. He served a year as president of the BYU Alumni Association and received the association's Distinguished Alumni Award in 1947. Thomas Nicholls Taylor passed away in Provo, Utah, on October 24, 1950.

Extent

6 boxes (3 linear ft.)

1 half box (0.25 linear ft.)

Language of Materials

English

Custodial History

Donated by Richard N. Taylor, son of Thomas Nicholls Taylor. Addendum to collection (0.1 linear ft.) including papers, pamphlets, notes and other various items collected during the life of Thomas N. Taylor donated to Manuscripts Division in September 1980 by Mrs. Rex Taylor.

Immediate Source of Acquisition

Donated; Richard N. Taylor.

Donated; Mrs. Rex Taylor; 1980.

Appraisal

Utah political history (19th Century Mormon and Western Manuscripts, November 2013, IV.a.i.5)

Title
Register of Thomas Nicholls Taylor collection
Status
Unprocessed
Author
Rebecca A. Wiederhold, Technical Services Archivist
Date
2019 December 6
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