Palmer, Spencer J.
Biographical History
Spencer J. Palmer (1927-2000) was a professor of Church history and doctrine at Brigham Young University.
Spencer J. Palmer was born in 1927 in Eden, Arizona. He was raised in Thatcher, Arizona. He attended Eastern Arizona College before transferring to Brigham Young University. He took two years during his time at BYU to serve as a missionary in California. He left Brigham Young with a bachelor's degree. He continued his education at the University of California, Berkeley, obtaining a master's in East Asiatic Studies and a PhD in Oriental history. He married Shirley Ann Hadley in 1956 before he returned to Brigham Young University to teach church history and doctrine as a professor and was a scholar of comparative religion.
Palmer served as a chaplain for the US military in Korea and Japan. He would continue his ventures in Asia in 1993 when the Chinese government asked him to teach comparative religion to Ethnic Minority Groups in China. Palmer's death occurred seven years later, in 2000.
Citation:
Religious Studies Center, via WWW, Oct. 20, 2016 (Palmer, Spencer J.; b. 1927 Eden, Arizona; raised in Thatcher, Arizona; Eastern Arizona College; transferred to BYU, bachelor's; University of California, Berkeley, master's East Asiatic studies, PhD Oriental history; California Mission; m. 1956 Shirley Ann Hadley; US military chaplain, Korea, Japan; professor, Church history and doctrine, BYU, scholar of comparative religion; director of world religions division and Center for International and Area studies at BYU; predecessor to Kennedy Center; 1993 professor comparative religion, China, ethnic minority groups, chinese gov't called him; d. 2000)Found in 25 Collections and/or Records:
Asian Studies Program photographs, approximately 1968-1976
Three photographs with tracing paper over them. Photo B has cropping marks drawn in and shows a group of men including Dean Spencer Palmer, Professor Lee Farnsworth, and Professor David Montgomery. On the back is written "Asian Studies." Photo D shows the Arc de Triomphe and has "courtesy of Pan Am" on the back with "Asian Studies" written in. Photo E shows the Tower of Big Ben and has "International Relations" written on the back.
Asian Studies Program policy statements, 1961-1976
Contains Five Year Instructional Program details, committee files, Interdisciplinary Program files, budget reports, and memos.
Asian Studies Program records
Includes correspondence, reports, policy statements, and other material created by the Department. Also includes records of the World Conference on Records. Most of the collection covers the period when Spencer Palmer was head of Asian Studies, 1968 through 1975. It does however include budget records from 1961-1975.
Asian Studies Program records on campus clubs, 1968-1976
Administrative files for the Society for Asian Studies, Chinese Student Association, and the Korean Club, including material on East-West Week, club registration lists, club approval, memos, correspondence, and regulations.
Asian Studies Program records on conferences, 1971-1974
Files on conferences of the Association for Asian Studies Pacific Coast (AASPC), Language Research Center, Utah Valley Symphony Guild, Western Conference of the Association of Asian Studies, including correspondence, memos, conference information, and minutes.
Asian Studies Program records on International Relations Program, 1967-1975
Administrative files on program revision, the Five Year Instructional Program, and faculty and student records (current, inactive, old); includes proposals, budgets, reports, resumes, correspondence, and GPA summaries and grade reports.
Asian Studies Program records on job opportunities, 1972-1975
General job description files, as well as files on specific organizations such as the Foreign Agriculture Service, North Pacific Lumber, and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Includes pamphlets and form letters.
Asian Studies Program records on lecture series, 1973-1974
Asia Colloquim Lecture Series files, including lists of lectures, dates given, speakers, biographical notes, bulletins, flyers, and memos.
Asian Studies Program records on official organizations, 1968-1974
Administrative files of the Asian Society, Royal Asiatic Society and Social Science Council, including correspondence, chairmen's reports, seminar addresses, newsletters, and grant requests.
Asian Studies Program records on World Conference on Records, 1968-1972
Administrative files, including incoming and outgoing correspondence, manuscripts, and pamphlets.
Additional filters:
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- Archival Object 20
- Collection 5
- Subject
- Education 16
- Colleges and Universities 15
- Letters 10
- Memorandums 9
- Reports 4
- Photographs 3
- Articles 2
- Pamphlets 2
- Publications 2
- Asia 1
- Asianists 1
- Asianists -- Congresses 1
- Asianists -- Societies, etc. 1
- Audiocassettes 1
- Autobiographies 1
- Berkeley (Calif.) -- History 1
- Calendars 1
- China 1
- Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints 1
- Clippings (Books, newspapers, etc.) 1
- Clubs -- Utah -- Provo 1
- Directories 1
- Eden (Ariz.) -- History 1
- Elementary and Secondary Education 1
- Fliers (Ephemera) 1
- Foreign study -- Asia 1
- Interviews 1
- Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Personal narratives, American 1
- Korean War, 1950-1953 -- Religious aspects 1
- Latter Day Saint missionaries -- Korea 1
- Latter Day Saint scholars 1
- Lectures and lecturing -- Utah -- Provo 1
- Lists 1
- Military 1
- Minutes (Records) 1
- Missions and Missionaries 1
- Newsletters 1
- Occupations 1
- Oriental languages -- Study and teaching -- Utah -- Provo 1
- Personnel records 1
- Politics, Government, and Law 1
- Programs 1
- Proposals 1
- Provo (Utah) -- History 1
- Schedules (Time plans) 1
- Statistics 1
- Student records 1
- Thatcher (Ariz.) -- History 1
- Typescripts 1 + ∧ less