Dates

• Existence: 1916 - 2008-03-09

Biography

Edward L. Hart (1916-2008) was an LDS author and poet, and an English professor at Brigham Young University from 1952 to 1982. He served as a U.S. Naval Intelligence officer and Japanese translator during World War II.

Edward LeRoy Hart was born on December 28, 1916, to parents Alfred Augustus Hart and Sarah Cecilia Patterson Hart of Bloomington, Idaho. His early schooling took place in Bloomington and Paris, Idaho; he was a middle-distance runner on the track team, winning the half-mile run at the Idaho State high school championships in 1935. He then attended the University of Utah, where he was the captain of the track team and conference champion on the mile run twice; he graduated in 1939 with a bachelor's degree in economics. He next enrolled at the University of Michigan, receiving a master's degree in English in 1941. He intended to use his scholarship at the University of Oxford at this time, but this was postponed until 1945 due to the outbreak of World War II. Edward joined the U.S. Navy and spent four years as an intelligence officer, participating in a Japanese Language School in order to aid in translating and decoding messages while stationed in Washington, D.C., Pearl Harbor, and later Japan.

Edward married Eleanor May Coleman civilly in Washington, D.C. on December 15, 1944; they were sealed in the Logan LDS Temple on August 8, 1945 and went on to have two sons, Edward Richard and Paul LeRoy (who was born during their time at Oxford), and two daughters, Barbara and Patricia. Following his graduation from Oxford with a D.Phil. degree in 1950, Edward began teaching at the University of Washington, then transferred to BYU as an English professor in 1952. His first poem, "A Lesson In Praise," was written in 1954. He later published a poetry collection, "To Utah" in 1980; the same year, he served as co-editor of "Poems of Praise," a collection of works by local poets including himself, in honor of the sesquicentennial of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contributing "Restoration" and the hymn "The Fullness of Times". This was followed by the hymn "Our Savior's Love," a collaboration with musician Crawford Gates, included in the 1985 LDS hymnbook; it was one of several poems set to music and performed by groups including the Tabernacle Choir.

He served as the editor of "Minor Lives", a collection of 28 biographies originally written by antiquarian John Nichols, published by Harvard University Press in 1971; this work had served earlier as his doctoral thesis. He also published a biography of ancestor James H. Hart, including edited journals, under the title Mormon in Motion," in 1978; as well as "God's Spies: The Scholar's Call," a series of 6 lectures, in 1983; a self-published volume of "War Correspondence: Letters of Edward L. Hart and Eleanor C. Hart, 1945-1946" in 1992; and a self-published autobiography, "The Times of My Life," in 2002.

While at BYU, Edward served as a Rhodes scholarship representative, preparing seven successful candidates for scholarships. He retired in 1982, having also briefly taught as a visiting professor at the University of California at Berkeley (1959-190) and Arizona State University (1968), and as a Senior Fulbright Lecturer in Pakistan (1973-1974). After retirement, he continued to teach one Honors Shakespeare class per year at BYU until 1995. Edward received numerous professional awards during his career, including the BYU Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award, 1968; the Utah Academy Redd Award in the Humanities, 1971; first prize in poetry and biography from the Utah State Institute of Fine Arts, 1973 and 1975; poetry award from the Association of Mormon Letters for his collection "To Utah", 1980; the P.A. Christensen Humanities Lectureship, 1983; and a BYU Presidential Citation in 1998. He was also awarded several fellowships and grants by the American Philosophical Society and the American Council of Learned Societies.

He was a Fellow of the Utah Academy, and past president of the Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association; the Association for Mormon Letters; and the BYU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi. He was a member of Phi Beta Kappa and the Modern Language Association of America, and a charter member of the American Society for 18th Century Studies. He also served on the Board of the Utah Arts Council for eight years, and as Chair of their Literary Committee, instituting several new awards in their annual writing competition (including the publication prize); in addition, he was very influential in the publication of the updated book "Utah: A Guide to the State" (1982), contributing the Foreword and editing the section on literature.

Edward was a lifelong member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and served as bishop of a BYU student ward from 1980-1988. Eleanor died on December 24, 1990; he remarried on April 30, 1993, to Leah Yates Bryson. She passed away on August 11, 2001, after which he married Frances Cannon Lee (daughter of Tracy Young Cannon, Tabernacle organist and director of the McCune School of Music, and Lettie Taylor; stepdaughter of Carol Hinckley Cannon; maternal great-granddaughter of John Taylor, paternal granddaughter of George Q. Cannon) on June 7, 2002. Edward Hart died on March 9, 2008, in Provo, Utah, and was buried in the Provo City Cemetery.

Citation:

Nichols, J. Minor lives, 1971.

More than nature needs, c1982:t.p. (Edward L. Hart)

Wikipedia, November 28, 2022 (Edward LeRoy Hart, born December 28, 1916, Bloomington, Idaho; bachelor's degree from University of Utah, on track team; master's degree from University of Michigan, 1941; Rhodes Scholar at University of Oxford, delayed to 1945 due to World War II; U.S. Navy Intelligence officer; married Eleanor May Coleman in Washington, D.C., December 1944; sealed August 1945; two sons, Richard and Paul, latter born while at Oxford; two daughters, Barbara and Patricia; began as professor at University of Washington, moved to BYU in 1952; first poem "A Lesson In Praise" written 1954; published poetry collection in honor of sesquicentennial of Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1980, included hymn "The Fullness of Times"; wrote hymn "Our Savior's Love," in current LDS hymnbook [1985]; editor of "Minor Lives: A Collection of Biographies", published by Harvard University Press, 1971; published biography of ancestor James H. Hart, including edited journals; retired in 1982, but taught one honors class per year at BYU until 1995; bishop of BYU student ward from 1980-1988; Eleanor died in 1990; married Leah Yates Bryson in 1993; Leah died in 2001; married Frances Cannon Lee in 2002; died March 9, 2008, in Provo, Utah)

Deseret News, November 7, 2022 (Edward LeRoy Hart obituary: parents Alfred Augustus Hart and Sarah Cecilia Patterson Hart; early schooling in Bloomington and Paris, Idaho; middle-distance runner, half-mile Idaho state champion in 1935; captain of track team, University of Utah, won mile-run conference championship; four years in U.S. Navy Intelligence, stationed in Washington, D.C., Pearl Harbor [Hawaii], Japan; married Eleanor Coleman December 15, 1944; sealed in Logan LDS Temple August 8, 1945; many poems set to music, performed by Tabernacle Choir and others; Rhodes scholarship representative at BYU, prepared seven successful candidates; D.Phil. degree from Oxford University, 1950; visiting professor, U. of California at Berkeley (1959-60), Arizona State U. (1968); Senior Fulbright Lecturer, Pakistan, 1973-1974; taught Honors classes in Shakespeare after retirement; BYU Maeser Research and Creative Arts Award, 1968; Utah Academy Redd Award in the Humanities, 1971; BYU P.A. Christensen Humanities Lectureship, 1983; BYU Presidential Citation, 1998; received fellowships and grants from American Philosophical Society, American Council of Learned Societies; Fellow of Utah Academy, past president of Rocky Mountain Modern Language Association, Association for Mormon Letters, BYU Chapter of Phi Kappa Phi; member of Phi Beta Kappa, Modern Language Association of America; charter member of American Society for 18th Century Studies; served eight years on Board of Utah Arts Council, Chair of Literary Committee; instituted new awards in annual writing competition, including publication prize; helped with publication of updated "Utah: A Guide to the State," 1982; wrote Foreword, edited Literature section; lifelong member, Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; Eleanor died December 24, 1990; married Leah Yates Bryson April 30, 1993; she died August 11, 2001; married Frances Cannon June 7, 2002; buried in Provo City Cemetery)

Deseret News, November 29, 2022 (Eleanor C. Hart obituary: sealed to Edward in Logan LDS Temple, August 8, 1945; sons Edward Richard Hart, Paul LeRoy Hart)

Deseret News, November 29, 2022 (Frances Cannon Lee Hart obituary: daughter, Lettie Taylor and Tracy Young Cannon)

Mormon Literature & Creative Arts database, via WWW, November 29, 2022 (poetry and biography award, Utah State Institute of Fine Arts competition, 1973 and 1975; Association of Mormon Letters poetry award for collection "To Utah," 1980; bachelor's degree in economics; master's degree in English; editor, "Poems of Praise," 1980, included many local poets; included his own "The Fulness of Times," "Restoration")

Harvard University Press catalog, via WWW (https://www.hup.harvard.edu/catalog.php?isbn=9780674863422), November 29, 2022 (Minor Lives: A Collection of Biographies written by John Nichols, edited by Edward L. Hart; Nichols an antiquarian; Hart collected and edited 28 of Nichols' biographies)

Wikipedia, November 29, 2022 (Tracy Y. Cannon, son of George Q. Cannon and Caroline Young; assistant organist for the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. 1909-1930; director of the McCune School of Music and Art, 1925-1950)

Find-a-Grave, November 29, 2022 (Letticia "Lettie" Taylor Cannon, daughter of Richard James Taylor and Sarah Mariah Farr Taylor; Richard James Taylor, son of John Taylor and Jane Ballantyne Taylor)

Edward L. Hart papers, 1825-2008 (participated in Japanese Language School, helped with decoding and translating messages; content of "Minor Lives" used earlier as doctoral thesis [appears in earlier forms]; published biography and edited journals of James H. Hart in book "Mormon in Motion", 1978; published 6-lecture series, "God's Spies: The Scholar's Call," 1983; self-published "War Correspondence: Letters of Edward L. Hart and Eleanor C. Hart, 1945-1946" in 1992; self-published autobiography, "The Times of My Life," in 2002)

Found in 3 Collections and/or Records: