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 143 Collections and/or Records:
Office of the President records on Institute of Freedom, 1960-1962
Contains memos and letters between President Wilkinson and Church general authorities. The topic was the proposed Institute of Freedom to help free workers. Dated 1960 to 1962.
Office of the President records on Institutes and Seminaries, 1952-1956
Contains correspondence and memos regarding the hiring of seminary and institute teachers, annual reports, and directories of seminary and institute teachers. Dated 1952 to 1956.
Office of the President records on Iran, 1951-1955
Contains correspondence between General Authorities, government officials, and BYU from 1951 to 1955. The correspondence pertains to BYU's involvement in the United States' Four Point program in Iran.
Office of the President records on Iran, 1960-1962
Contains memos and letters between BYU and church leadership evaluating Daneshsaraye Ali, a college in Iran, and other aspects of the Iran Program. Also contains the book: Technical Aid- on Investments in People published by BYU. Dated 1960 to 1962.
Office of the President records on J. Bracken Lee, 1953-1956
Contains news clippings, letters, memorandums and reports from 1953 to 1956 concerning Utah Governor Joseph Bracken Lee.
Office of the President records on junior colleges, 1949-1955
Contains histories, articles, reports and correspondence pertaining to junior colleges in Utah between 1949 to 1955. The majority of the correspondence and articles are opinions about the possibility of several of these colleges being transferred to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Office of the President records on Karl G. Maeser, 1952-1955
Correspondence about a book written by Alma P. Burton about Karl G. Maeser. Also included are lists describing some of the work done by Maeser. The letters discuss the distribution of the books as well as the editing. Dated 1952 to 1955.
Office of the President records on organizations, 1973
Contains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University. Includes correspondence and Legislative Committee materials related to te Chamber of Commerce. Dated 1973.
Office of the President records on Physical Plant, 1968
Contians letters and memos between President Wilkinson and others about the BYU phsycial facilities including campus buildings, safety, and Proo infrastructure. Also contains reports on the construction of new buildings as well as the upkeep of old ones. Dated 1968.
Office of the President records on principals of public school, 1952
Lists of Utah teachers and principals and describing their levels of education. Also contains correspondence and memos concerning the amount of students graduating from Utah teaching programs. Dated 1952.