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Wheelwright, Lorin Farrar, 1909-1987

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1909 - 1987

Biographical History

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright (1909-1987) was an educator, composer, musician, and administrator in Utah.

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright was born on December 20, 1909 in Ogden, Utah to David S. and Valborg Rasmussen Wheelwright. He showed an early talent for music, and studied under Edward P. Kimball and Alexander Schreiner. He later expanded his training attending Columbia University and the Juilliard School of Music in New York. He earned a master's degree at the University of Chicago, and a doctorate from Columbia University. Among the works he composed are many hymns that remain in the Latter-day Saint hymnbook.

Wheelwright worked at a variety of institutions in Utah and New York, including the Oswego State Teacher's College (now State University of New York at Oswego), the Branch Agricultural College (now Southern Utah University), Brigham Young University, and the Salt Lake Public Schools. He later left education to form his own music publishing company, Wheelwright Lithographing Company. He also served in the leadership of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as a member of the Sunday School General Board from 1956 to 1971, and as associate editor of the Church publication The Instructor.

In 1967 he was recruited to serve as dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communications at Brigham Young University. During his tenure the faculty of the college was expanded, and the curriculum modified to focus on professional preparation. He also helped reorganize the Daily Universe as a student laboratory newspaper, produced college-oriented recordings for Church-wide distribution, and established the Mormon Arts Festival. Following his retirement in 1972 he was appointed to the university's Centennial Celebration Committee.

Wheelwright married Ila Eugenia Spilsbury in 1933 in St. George, Utah. Together they had four children. He passed away on November 4, 1987 in Provo, Utah.

Citation:
Author's An experimental study of the perceptibility and spacing of music symbols

FamilySearch, via WWW, May 25, 2010: (Lorin Farrar Wheelwright; b. Dec. 20, 1909; d. Nov. 4, 1987)

Wikipedia, Dec. 2, 2011: Lorin F. Wheelwright page (American Latter-day Saint hymnwriter, composer, musical instructor, and educator; son of David S. and Valborg Rasmussen; studied under Edward P. Kimball and Alexander Schreiner; studied at Columbia University and Juilliard School of Music; master's degree from University of Chicago; Ph.D. from Columbia University; head of music education for Salt Lake Public Schools; taught music at Oswego Teachers College; professor at Branch Agricultural College; owned publishing company; member of the Sunday School General Board, 1956-1971; associate editor of The Instructor; dean of the BYU College of Fine Arts and Communications, 1967-1973; started the Mormon Arts Festival in 1969; wrote hymns appearing in LDS hymnbook)

Brigham Young University, 1975: v. 3 p. 80-81 (Lorin F. Wheelwright; taught briefly at BYU in 1937; successful publisher; professional organist and pianist in New York City, N.Y.; head of Coordinating Counci of Higher Education of the State of Utah; manager of the arts division of the Utah Centennial Commission, 1946-1947; head of Wheelwright Lithographing Company; reorganized the Daily Universe as a laboratory newspaper; production of college-oriented recordings for Church-wide distribution; addition of faculty members; modified curriculum to focus on professional preparation; served on centennial celebration committee)

Ancestry.com, Dec. 2, 2011 (b. in Ogden, Utah; m. Apr. 23, 1933 in St. George, Utah to Ila Eugenia Spilsbury; d. in Provo, Utah; four children)

Found in 6 Collections and/or Records:

Centennial Committee records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 695
Scope and Contents

Contains reports, photographs, and memorabilia from the Centennial Committee dated 1975-1976.

Dates: 1975-1976

Centennial Committee records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 1124
Scope and Contents Contains a wide variety of documentation produced and collected by the Centennial Committee. This includes memorandums, meeting minutes, correspondence, publications, photographs, and other materials. These files contain information on most of the events that happened during the Centennial year, as well as various buttons and banners. A significant portion of the collection relates directly to the production of Brigham!, a musical dramatizing the founding and growth of Brigham Young...
Dates: 1973-1976

College of Fine Arts and Communications dean records

 Collection
Identifier: UA 567
Scope and Contents

Contains files and correspondence of the administration of the College of Fine Arts and Communications. Includes records of the Mormon Arts Festival, Banyan, Daily Universe, and other facets of the College. Materials date from between 1925 and 1975.

Dates: 1925-1975; Majority of material found within 1952-1975

Information concerning Paul Harvey's visit to Brigham Young University

 File — Folder 1: [Barcode: 31197230328699]
Identifier: MSS SC 2941
Scope and Contents

Incudes transcript of Paul Harvey radio broadcast, 8 December 1967; Lorin F. Wheelwright report on "American Week Spectacular," a patriotic program in which Harvey participated on 7 December 1967; and related news clippings.

Dates: 1967; 1967

Sounds of a century

 Item — Box 1: [Barcode: 31197233248613]
Identifier: UA 985
Scope and Contents

These records were compiled by Lorin F. Wheelwright for BYU's Centennial celebration in 1975 and produced by BYU Sound Services. Fifty-five memorable excerpts from BYU forums, assemblies, and devotionals. Also contains memorable music from campus festivities and concerts.

Dates: 1975

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright papers

 Collection
Identifier: MSS 3164
Scope and Contents Collection primarily documents the activities of Lorin Farrar Wheelwright but contains some of the personal papers of his parents David R. and Valborg Rasmussen Wheelwright from 1890 to 1980, including documents pertaining to their lives as children, students, parents, missionaries, and workers through personal autobiographies, pictures, journals, correspondence, and personal writings.The bulk of the collection contains personal documents of Lorin Wheelwright's life in music,...
Dates: 1890-1980

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  • Type: Collection X

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Subject
Colleges and Universities 4
Education 4
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 3
Photographs 3
Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) 2