Wilkinson, Ernest L., 1899-1978
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, 1971Deem, 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 7 Collections and/or Records:
Office of the President records on Admission and Records, 1959-1964
Contains letters, memos and reports on from BYU administration on admissions, grading, registration and scholarships at BYU. Dated 1964.
Office of the President records on Admission and records, 1957-1963
Contains letters, memos and reports on from BYU administration on admissions, grading, registration and scholarships at BYU. Dated 1957 to 1963.
Office of the President records on Admissions and Records, 1952-1958
Contains memorandums, letters, and reports on the topic of admissions and records. Admission topics include accreditation, scholarships and academic standards, and admission of individual students. Dates of record keeping 1952 to 1958.
Office of the President records on contributions, 1953-1960
Contains letters, memorandums and reports from various donors and foundations regarding scholarship donations. Dated 1953 to 1960.
Office of the President records on politics, 1957-1958
Contains correspondence between president Wilkinson and U.S. politicians discussing political topics. Topics included Senate bill 250, H.R. 7125, and scholarships. Also includes articles and reports on politics. Materials dated 1957-1958.
Office of the President records on scholarships, 1949-1957
Contains lists of scholarship recipients as well as reports on processes for receiving scholarships. Also contains memorandums and letters concerning scholarships. Dated 1949 to 1957.
Office of the President records on university development, 1966
Contains letters, memos and other materials regarding agencies and donors that made financial contributions to BYU as well as various student scholarships. Much of the correspondence is between President Wilkinson, donors, and heads of agencies organizing donations. Dated 1966.