Skip to main content

Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History records, 1977-2008

 Series
Identifier: MSS 8009 Series 2

Scope and Contents

Contains records of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute collected by Derr, including administrative records and faculty files. Also includes records on symposia, funding, and grants, and materials for various special projects carried out by the institute. Also contains correspondence, records on BYU Studies and Women's History Inititative Team. Includes four DVDs from a lecture series in 2004, 1977-2008.

Dates

  • 1977-2008

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Restricted. Closed for 25 years (until 2037) and thereafter open to the public after consultation with the University Archivist and in accordance with the General Restriction Statement of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Jill Mulvay Derr papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Administrative History

The Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History was a research institute at Brigham Young University established to encourage the study and publishing of Mormon historical material.

The Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History (JFSI) was created in 1980 upon the closure of the Historical Division of the Historical Department of the Church and subsequent transfer of its director and staff to Brigham Young University. In 1982 the institute was physically relocated from Salt Lake City, Utah to the Brigham Young University campus, and was under the direction of the College of Family, Home, and Social Sciences. The staff of the institute worked to write and publish for a professional and church audience, teach courses in history, and facilitate research networks. Directors included Leonard J. Arrington (1980-1986) and Ronald K. Esplin (1986-1999). In 1999 the institute was reorganized as the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History.

Administrative History

The Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History was a research institute at Brigham Young University responsible for facilitating the scholarly study of Mormon history campus-wide.

In 1999 the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Church History was renamed the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History. The purpose of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History was to pursue the scholarly study of the history, people, institutions, and culture of the Latter-day Saints. Faculty members taught courses in history, church history, and other disciplines related to their fields of expertise. The institute also provided limited support for research and publication to faculty. The Joseph Smith Papers Project was among the many research ventures undertaken by this institute. Institute directors included Ronald K. Esplin (2000-2003) and Jill Mulvay Derr (2003-2005). In 2005 most of the scholars employed by the institute were transferred to the Historical Department of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Salt Lake City, Utah to continue work on the Joseph Smith Papers Project Project. With their departure, the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History was abolished.

Biographical History

Jill Mulvay Derr (born 1948) is a Mormon historian in Utah.

Jill Mulvay Derr was born in 1948 and raised in Salt Lake City, Utah. Derr is married to C. Brooklyn Derr, and they are the parents of four children. She earned a bachelors degree from the University of Utah and an MA in teaching from Harvard University. Derr was as an American history professor at Brigham Young University, the director of the Joseph Fielding Smith Institute for Latter-day Saint History, and the president of the Mormon History Association. She has written several articles that have been published in various journals and anthologies. In addition, Derr has published several works including Women's Voices: An Untold History of the Latter-day Saints, Women of the Covenant: The Story of Relief Society, and Eliza R. Snow: The Complete Poetry. She has also served in various capacities within the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Extent

1 carton

115 folders

Language of Materials

English

Arrangement

Contains eight subseries: 1. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute administrative records, 1989-2007. 2. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute faculty files, 1987-2005. 3. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute symposia records, 1987-2005. 4. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute special project records, 1995-2005. 5. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute BYU Studies records, 1992-2005. 6. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute correspondence, 1992-1995. 7. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute files on women history, 1977-2008. 8. Joseph Fielding Smith Institute digital media, 2004.

Original order was maintained.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States