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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 251 Collections and/or Records:

Office of the President records on administration, 1973

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

Contains materials pertaining to the office of President Ernest L. Wilkinson of Brigham Young University. Includes memos, correspondence, news clippings, and other materials on the administration of Brigham Young University. Includes material on topics such as faculty, secretaries, correspondence with individuals, admissions, and the Daily Universe. Dated 1973.

Dates: 1973

Office of the President records on administration, 1966

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 9 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and other members of BYU administration as well as reports on BYU activity. Also contains sections on administrative councils and budgets for BYU departments. Dated 1966.

Dates: 1966

Office of the President records on administration, 1966-1967

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 10 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents

Contains letters and memos between President Wilkinson and other members of BYU administration as well as reports on BYU activity. Also contains sections on administrative councils and budgets for BYU departments. Dated 1966-1967.

Dates: 1966-1967

Office of the President records on Admission and Records, 1959-1964

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

Contains letters, memos and reports on from BYU administration on admissions, grading, registration and scholarships at BYU. Dated 1964.

Dates: 1959-1964

Office of the President records on Admission and records, 1957-1963

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 6 Sub-Series 4
Scope and Contents

Contains letters, memos and reports on from BYU administration on admissions, grading, registration and scholarships at BYU. Dated 1957 to 1963.

Dates: 1957-1963

Office of the President records on Admissions and Records, 1951-1956

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 3
Scope and Contents

Correspondence and reports regarding acceptance of students into BYU. Dated 1951 to 1956.

Dates: 1951-1956

Office of the President records on Admissions and Records, 1952-1958

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 3 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

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.

Dates: Record Keeping: 1952-1958

Office of the President records on Admissions and Records, 1958-1962

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 4 Sub-Series 2
Scope and Contents

Contains memos, letters, and reports on the topics of student enrollment patterns, financial aid, and individual students at BYU. Dated 1958 to 1962.

Dates: 1958-1962

Office of the President records on African Americans, 1954-1955

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 37
Scope and Contents

Correspondence and reports regarding the status of black members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Includes experiences that people are reporting regarding the situations and rights of black people.

Dates: 1954-1955

Office of the President records on alcoholism, 1951-1954

 Sub-Series
Identifier: UA 1086 Series 1 Sub-Series 4
Scope and Contents

Correspondence with the State Board of Alcoholism and Alcoholics Anonymous. The State Board of Alcoholism's newsletters. Includes articles about the effects and use of alcohol. Dated 1951 to 1954.

Dates: 1951-1954