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Wilkinson, Ernest L., 1899-1978

 Person

Dates

  • Existence: 1899 - 1978

Biographical History

Ernest L. Wilkinson (1899-1978) was a prominent Mormon lawyer and academic administrator. He served as president of Brigham Young University from 1951-1971.

Ernest Leroy Wilkinson was born in Ogden, Utah, on May 4, 1899. He grew up in the outskirts of the city, one of seven children. Ernest enrolled in Weber Academy, and he was characterized by his hardworking nature. He served in the Student Army Training Corps in 1918. He then attended Brigham Young University, where he was very active in student activities and politics. He married Alice Valera Ludlow on August 15, 1923. He attended George Washington University and graduated summa cum laude in 1926. In 1935, he served as a lawyer for the Ute Indian tribes as they successfully gained compensation for land.

Upon being named president of BYU in 1951, Wilkinson proceeded to aggressively expand the university. Under his presidency, BYU grew to the largest private university in the United States. The intellectual standards of BYU also increased dramatically. Even as he contributed to drastic growth in the university, he never accepted a salary. He was replaced by Dallin H. Oaks in 1971. Wilkinson passed away April 6, 1978.

Citation:
His Earnestly yours, 1971

Deem, W.J. Ernest L. Wilkinson, Indian advocate ... 1982: p. 665 (d. 4/6/78)

Wikipedia, Mar. 2, 2011 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; Ernest Leroy Wilkinson; b. May 4, 1899 in Ogden, Utah; American academic administrator; Commission of Church Education for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1953-1970; president of Brigham Young University, 1951-1971; attorney in Washington, D.C. and N.Y.)

Ancestry.com, Mar. 2, 2011 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; Ernest Wilkinson; Ernest Leroy Wilkinson; d. in Salt Lake City, Utah)

Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years, 1975: p. 506 (born in Ogden, Utah; one of seven children; grew up on outskirts) p. 508 (enrolled in Weber Academy; hardworking) p. 510 (Student Army Training Corps, 1918; attended Brigham Young University) p. 511 (active in BYU activities) p. 515 (married Alice Ludlow; August 15, 1923) p. 517 (graduated from George Washington University; summa cum laude; 1926) p. 520 (attorney for the Ute Tribe) p. 506 (never accepted a salary)

FamilySearch, May 29, 2014 (Ernest Leroy Wilkinson, "BillionGraves Index"; b. May 4, 1899; d. April 6, 1978)

Office of the President, May 29, 2014 (Ernest L. Wilkinson; served as president from 1951-1971; expanded BYU to nation's largest private university; increased intellectual standards)

Found in 5 Collections and/or Records:

Office of the President annual reports, 1951-1953

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 5
Scope and Contents

University reports divided by departments with departmental needs and statistics of students in specific programs. Submitted job applications also included. Dated 1951 to 1953.

Dates: 1951-1953

Office of the President records on assemblies, 1951-1957

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 7
Scope and Contents

Correspondence about devotionals and assemblies discussing attendance, speakers, preparations and results. Agendas and attendance reports included. Dated 1951 to 1957.

Dates: Record Keeping: 1951-1957

Office of the President records on committees, 1951-1956

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 16
Scope and Contents

Contains membership lists, annual reports and correspondence between 1951 to 1956 from various committees at Brigham Young University.

Dates: 1951-1956

Office of the President records on Physical Plant, 1965

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 8 Sub-Series 14
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports concerning physical facilities of BYU. Concerns proposals, construction and upkeep of BYU buildings as well as security, roads, water, and other Provo infrastructure. Dated 1965.

Dates: 1965

Translation Sciences Institute annual reports and committee records, 1975-1992

 Sub-Series — Multiple Containers
Identifier: UA 5592 Series 2 Sub-Series 1
Scope and Contents

Contains general records of the Translation Sciences Institute, including annual reports and policies from the Humanities Research Center, database distribution records, building records, and general files. Also included are two plaques in an oversize folder from the institute honoring Ernest L. Wilkinson and his contributions, 1975-1992.

Dates: 1975-1992