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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:

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright administrative papers, circa 1957-1976

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3164 Series 7
Scope and Contents Contains primarily papers related to Wheelwright's career as Brigham Young University (BYU) dean of fine arts in Provo, Utah, circa 1957-1976. This includes correspondences, Board of Student publications, professional activities, and the BYU Centennial. The correspondences contained general letters and letters to other Deans of the BYU faculty. The Board of Student Publications mainly consisted of the publications of the Daily Universe, a BYU publication. The professional activities papers...
Dates: circa 1957-1976

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright musical career papers, circa 1936-1963

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3164 Series 3
Scope and Contents Contains Wheelwright's musical career in Oswego, New York, and Utah from circa 1936-1963. General correspondence 1939-1946, school correspondence 1942-1949, and business correspondence 1937-1952 are included. Wheelwright's musical career papers while in Oswego, New York, concern his personal music manual, lesson plans, and course aims. While working in Utah, Wheelwright's papers include class projects, school programs, contracts as supervisor of music 1937-1948, reports to the...
Dates: circa 1936-1963

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright papers on Grove Finance and Beacon Financial, Inc., circa 1978-1985

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3164 Series 8
Scope and Contents

Contains Wheelwright's work as chairman of Grove Finance and Beacon Financial, Inc., circa 1978-1985. Includes court orders, schedules, and hearings, bankruptcy, interim reports, and adversary proceedings. The majority of the material concerns court orders and bankruptcy proceedings against S. Hal Haycock.

Dates: circa 1978-1985

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright personal correspondence and other material, circa 1923-1976

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3164 Series 1
Scope and Contents Contains personal correspondence and other material (early life and fan and pan mail) of Wheelwright between circa 1923-1976. The correspondences that Wheelwright sent and received were between his parents and family, dealing with his career paths and family matters, his wife Ila Eugenia Spilsbury Wheelwright, general correspondences dealing with music and his careers, and church correspondences dealing with refinements, articles, and music. Lorin's early life materials comprise of life...
Dates: circa 1923-1976

Lorin Farrar Wheelwright personal papers, circa 1932-1969

 Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 3164 Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains Wheelwright's personal papers, circa 1932-1969. Includes his original music, writings, and speeches. The original music concerns arrangements, religious music, Christmas choral music, or text (lyrics). His writings contain articles and editorials written for the Instructor as well as poetry concerning religion, music, or family relationships. His speeches concern education, religion, or music.

Dates: circa 1932-1969

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

Filtered By

  • Subject: Music X

Additional filters:

Type
Archival Object 5
Collection 1
 
Subject
Music -- Instruction and study 5
Letters 4
Arts, Humanities, and Social Sciences 3
Fine Arts 3
Photographs 2