Parley Alma Christensen papers
Scope and Contents note
This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Parley Alma Christensen, 1911-1977. It contains items such as his research materials, personal correspondence, papers from his travels around Europe, newspaper articles about Christensen and his work, and a Xerox copy of his father’s, Mads Christensen, autobiography. This collection is important because it shows the professional and personal life of Parley Alma Christensen, a man who was an important educator in Utah.
Dates
- 1911-1977
Creator
Conditions Governing Access note
Open for public research.
Conditions Governing Use note
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Parley Alma Christensen papers must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.
Biographical History
Parley Alma Christensen (1888-1968) was a professor at Brigham Young University and was also the English Department Chairman for twenty-five years.
Parley Alma Christensen was born 15 May 1888 in Kanesville, Weber County, Utah, to Mads Christensen and Hannah Margretta Christensen. He married Ruth Jones 2 June 1915 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had four children together. He received his bachelor’s from Utah State University and then taught in Box Elder County elementary schools and Box Elder High School. He received his masters and PhD from Stanford University and then began teaching at BYU in 1927. In 1948 he received Professor of the Year
award from the students at BYU, and then in 1959 got the Distinguished Service Award of the Utah Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. He was the English Department Chairman for 25 years. He retired in 1965 and then died three years later on 26 September of cancer.
Christensen wrote many books, some of which are on the Harold B. Lee Library bookshelves. Some of his more famous works are, All In A Teacher’s Day
, and Of A Number of Things
.
Extent
7 boxes (3.5 linear ft.)
1 half box (0.25 linear ft.)
Language of Materials
English
Abstract
This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Parley Alma Christensen, 1911-1977.
Custodial History note
Donated in 2007.
Immediate Source of Acquisition note
Donated; 2007.
Appraisal note
LDS scholarship (Collection development policy for 20th Century Western and Mormon Manuscripts, August 2007).
Processing Information note
Processed; Melissa Cowles; 14 December 2007.
- Title
- Register of Parley Alma Christensen papers
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Karen Glenn and Melissa Cowles, student processors and John Murphy, curator
- Date
- 2009
- Description rules
- Describing Archives: A Content Standard
- Language of description
- English
- Script of description
- Latin
- Language of description note
- Finding aid written in English in Latin script.
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States