William E. Berrett papers
Scope and Contents
Contains minutes, correspondence, reports, course outlines, newsletters, speeches, pamphlets, lists, recommendations, and Division of Religion faculty applications collected by William Berrett in his role as the Vice President of Religion and CES administrator. Correspondence concerns the Student Military Relations Committee, faculty, LDS Institute assistant administrators Alma P. Burton, Boyd K. Packer, and Dale T. Tingey, and other Church Educational System matters. Materials dated 1938 to 1968.
Dates
- 1938-1968
Creator
- Berrett, William E. (William Edwin) (1902-1993) (contributor, Person)
Conditions Governing Access
Restricted. Closed for 70 years from the end date of the administration, and thereafter open to the public in accordance with the University Archives Policy.
Conditions Governing Use
It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to use material from this collection must be obtained from Reference Services at specialcollections@byu.edu.
Biographical History
William Edwin Berrett was born to Heber H. Berrett and Ellen E. Walker in Midvale, Utah on June 2, 1902. Having graduated from Jordan High School, he received his Bachelor's degree from the University of Utah in 1924 which he used to work as a principal of the LDS Seminary in Roosevelt, Utah. In 1926, while working on his law degree at the University of Utah, he married Eleanore Louise Callister in the Salt Lake Temple.
After graduating with a law degree, Berrett worked in a variety of positions between 1935 to 1947. This included being an editor for the Church Education System's curriculum development department, an author of two books ("The Restored Church" and "Readings in LDS Church History"), a special prosecutor for Utah's Office of Price Administration, an assistent U.S. Attorney in Alaska, opening a private practice in Salt Lake City, and serving as a member of the Deseret Sunday School Union's General Board. In 1947, he was hired by Brigham Young University to serve as a faculty member in two departments (Church History and the ROTC) and was shortly after appointed to serve as the Vice President of BYU and the CES in 1953. He continued to serve in the Seminary and Institute programs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints until they were separated from BYU in 1965, and after serving as the head of Seminaries, Institutes, and all the non-BYU Church-run colleges, he finally retired in 1972 to work on a three-volume history of the Church Educational System which was later published in 1988 as the one-volume history "A Miracle in Week-day Education." This all happened while he and his wife raised their four children.
After retirement, Berrett finished his life serving as a patriarch in the the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. December 2, 1993, he passed away in Utah.
Extent
6 boxes (27 volumes)
Language of Materials
English
Custodial History
Donated then transferred to the University Archives in August 2022.
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Transferred from previous donation; August 2022.
Appraisal
Office files (University Archives collecting policy, July 2003).
Processing Information
Processed; Karen Glenn; 2022.
- Berrett, William E. (William Edwin) (1902-1993)
- Brigham Young University -- Administration
- Brigham Young University -- Faculty
- Burton, Alma P., 1913-1998
- Church Educational System (Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints)
- Colleges and Universities
- Education
- Letters
- Minutes (Records)
- Packer, Boyd K.
- Reports
- Tingey, Dale Thomas
- Universities and colleges -- Faculty
- Title
- Register of William E. Berrett papers
- Author
- Rose Frank
- Date
- 2011 September 7
- 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.
Revision Statements
- 2022 August 12: Integrated 1 folder (MSS SC 2785) to Box 6; Karen Glenn.
- Volume: 1 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 2 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 3 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 4 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 6 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 7 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 8 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 9 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 10 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 11 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 12 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 13 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 14 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 15 (Mixed Materials)
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- Volume: 18 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 19 (Mixed Materials)
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- Volume: 23 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 24 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 25 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 26 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 27 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 1 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 2 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 3 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 4 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 4a (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 5 (Mixed Materials)
- Volume: 5 (Mixed Materials)
- Box: 6 (Mixed Materials)
Repository Details
Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections. University Archives Repository
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo UT 84602 US