Dates

• Existence: 1936-

Biographical History

Merrill J. Bateman (born 1936) is an academic administrator and ecclesiastical leader for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Utah.

Merrill Joseph Bateman was born on June 19, 1936 in Lehi, Utah to Joseph Frederic and Belva Smith Bateman. He was raised in American Fork, Utah, and served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Great Britain. After his return Bateman attended the University of Utah, and on March 23, 1959 he married Marilyn Scholes in the Salt Lake Temple. They had seven children.

In 1960 Bateman completed a bachelor's degree in economics, and then went on to earn a Ph.D. in economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 1965. After finishing his degrees he taught at the United States Air Force Academy from 1964 to 1967, before joining the faculty at Brigham Young University in 1967. He stayed at BYU from 1967 to 1971, when he left to worked as an executive for Mars, Inc. He returned to the university in 1975, serving as dean of the business school until 1979. He left once more for Mars after his term as dean, then opened his own consulting and management firms in 1980.

In 1992 he was called as a General Authority of the Church, and served in the Second Quorum of the Seventy and as an area president. Between 1994 and 1995 he served as the Presiding Bishop of the Church, before being called to be president of Brigham Young University. He served as university president from 1996 to 2003. Following his term as president he returned to Church service as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and president of the General Sunday School. In 2007 he was appointed as president of the Provo Utah Temple.

Citation:

Ghana's cocoa pricing policy, 1990: t.p. (Merrill J. Bateman)

Wikipedia, via WWW, Apr. 18, 2013 (Merrill J. Bateman; Merrill Joseph Bateman; b. June 19, 1936 in Lehi, Utah; served mission in Great Britain in 1950s; m. Marilyn Scholes, seven children; bachelor's degree, University of Utah, 1960; Ph.D., Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965; taught economics at United States Air Force Academy (1964-1967), Brigham Young University (1967-1979); dean of BYU business school, 1975-1979; member of the Seventy, 1992-1994, 1995-2007; Presiding Bishop, 1994-1995; president of Brigham Young University, 1996-2003; Presidency of the Seventy, 2003-2007; president of the Sunday School, 2003-2004; president of the Provo Utah Temple, 2007- )

Office of the President website, via WWW, Apr. 18, 2013 (Merrill J. Bateman; president of Brigham Young University, Jan. 1, 1996-May 1, 2003; b. Lehi and raised in American Fork, Utah; bachelor's degree in economics, University of Utah, 1960; doctorate in economics, Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965; Danforth Fellow (1960-1964); Woodrow Wilson Fellow, 1960-1961; taught at University of Ghana, 1963; assistant professor of economics at the U.S. Air Force Academy, 1964-1967; associate professor of economics at BYU, 1967-1969; professor of economics at BYU, 1969-1971; and dean of the BYU School of Management, 1975-1979; executive with Mars, Inc., in England and the United States (1971-1975); called to Second Quorum of the Seventy, 1992; president of the Asia North Area; missionary, bishop, stake high councilor, stake president, and regional representative; sustained Presiding Bishop, 1994; president of BYU; First Quorum of the Seventy)

BYU Magazine, Mar. 1996 (Merrill J. Bateman; b. June 19, 1936 in Lehi, Utah to Joseph Frederic and Belva Smith Bateman; m. Marilyn Scholes in the Salt Lake Temple, Mar. 23, 1959, seven children; BS in economics, University of Utah, 1960; PhD in economics (minor in political science), Massachusetts Institute of Technology, 1965; served in U.S. Air Force, 1964-67; senior staff officer, Mars, Inc., 1979-1980; owner of two companies, a commodities consulting firm and a management and investment service firm, 1980-1992)

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