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 251 Collections and/or Records:
Office of the President records on research, 1966-1967
Contains proposals for a BYU research facilities and research projects, articles of incorporation for the Kow-ina Cultural Research Foundation, a contract between BYU and the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission, and various memos, proposals and reports about research. Dated 1966-1967.
Office of the President records on research, 1966
Contains letters, memos and reports about research projects at BYU. Discusses the topic of BYU laboritories, funding, and topics of projects. Much of the memos are between President Wilkinson and Tracy Hall. Dated 1966.
Office of the President records on retirement, 1963
Contains memos and reports from the BYU Retirement Committee on non-academic employees. Dated 1963.
Office of the President records on retirement, 1959-1960
Records of the Office of the President under Ernest L. Wilkinson on various administrative topics, including the Church School System, federal aid, finance, enrollment statistics, and general correspondence between administration. Dates of record keeping from 1949 to 1963.
Office of the President records on Rocky Mountain Assembly, 1960-1962
Contains letters and memos organizing and discussing the Rocky Mountain Assembly at BYU, as well as a bound report entitled "The Secretary of State" written to help participants at the assembly. Dated 1960 to 1962.
Office of the President records on Roy G. Fugal, 1959-1962
Contains letters between President Wilkinson and Roy G. Fugal of General Electric Co. Also contains letters, memos and reports between BYU faculty concerning donations and speaking engagements by Roy G. Fugal. Dated 1959 to 1962.
Office of the President records on Salt Lake Theatre, 1956-1958
Contains letters and memorandums inquiring about the state of the BYU and University of Utah theater facilities. Also contains photocopies of clippings and reports about theater facilities. Dated 1956 to 1958.
Office of the President records on scheduling, 1951-1956
Contains memorandums and letters scheduling the use of campus buildings for university events as well as non-university events such as receptions, dated between 1951 to 1956.
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 secretaries, 1953-1958
Contains memos hiring secretaries and resolving wage disputes between BYU and secretaries. Also contains reports detailing secretary duties. Dated 1953 to 1958.