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Ernest L. Wilkinson
Ernest Leroy Wilkinson (May 4, 1899 – April 6, 1978) was an American academic administrator, lawyer, and prominent figure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1951 to 1971, simultaneously overseeing the entire LDS Church Educational System (CES). He is credited with the expansion of BYU. Under his presidency, the student body increased six times to over 25,000 students due to the university's physical growth and his aggressive recruiting policies; the number of colleges at the university increased from five to thirteen, and the number of faculty members increased four-fold. Wilkinson focused on recruiting more faculty and convincing current faculty to receive education outside the university. As a result, the number of teachers with doctorate degrees increased from 50 to 500. Associate and doctoral programs were created for BYU.
The J. Reuben Clark Library (now the Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL)) was built, and library resources were expanded by 500%. The number of buildings on the BYU campus increased from 6 to over 300, an increase in floor space of about 4.2 million square feet. Wilkinson initiated the construction of various student housing options to accommodate over 6,000 students, and increased the number of student religious congregations. During his 20-year presidency, the number of congregations increased from 1 student branch to 98 wards and 10 stakes for LDS students. The BYU Honor Code was also more clearly established, and a strict dress code was added.
Wilkinson was a strongly conservative Republican. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1964, while he was president of BYU. Prior to his career in education, he was a lawyer in Washington, D.C. and New York City, his most well-known and lucrative case being a $32 million settlement from the U.S. government for the Ute Indian Tribes.
Wilkinson was born in Ogden, Utah, one of seven children of Robert Brown Wilkinson and Annie Cecilia Anderson. Robert Wilkinson was a Scottish immigrant who arrived in the United States as a young boy, later married Annie Anderson, and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad for 25 years, where he supported the union; according to family, he once ran for mayor of Ogden as a Socialist candidate.
Growing up, Ernest Wilkinson associated mostly with older boys and men, as there were few boys his age. He became involved in cockfighting, buying a few cocks with the money he made from delivering the Deseret News, but stopped after police started arresting offenders.
To cultivate his faith as a member of the LDS Church, Wilkinson's mother suggested he attend Weber Academy in Ogden, which was then owned by the church. Before his graduation, he won the Dr. Edward S. Rich oratorical contest with his speech "American Ideals". He graduated from Weber Academy in 1917, and continued his studies at the expanded Weber Academy, then known as Weber College, where he organized the Public Service Bureau (a service organization), was editor of the yearbook, and was president of the student body for two years. He competed in forensics meets and won the state championship with his team. He received the Lewis Efficacy Medal for students excelling in scholarship and public service, and was class valedictorian. After a year at Weber College, he became a member of the Student Army Training Corps unit located at BYU. He attributed his success to what he learned at Weber Academy and became interested in the idea of offering a religiously affiliated education to more LDS youth. After the war, he became a regular student at BYU and, among other things, edited the weekly newspaper White and Blue, and was president of his senior class. He and a few colleagues received special recognition when they beat the Princeton debate team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at BYU in 1921.
He married Alice Valera Ludlow, a native of Spanish Fork, whom he had met while they were both students at BYU. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 16, 1923. The ceremony was performed by James E. Talmage. Alice was elected vice president of the student body with Wilkinson as her campaign manager and had studied drama at BYU. The Wilkinsons had five children.
After graduation, Wilkinson began teaching English and speech at Weber College. During this time, Wilkinson began to take an active interest in politics. He ran as a Democrat for county auditor and lost.
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Ernest L. Wilkinson
Ernest Leroy Wilkinson (May 4, 1899 – April 6, 1978) was an American academic administrator, lawyer, and prominent figure in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1951 to 1971, simultaneously overseeing the entire LDS Church Educational System (CES). He is credited with the expansion of BYU. Under his presidency, the student body increased six times to over 25,000 students due to the university's physical growth and his aggressive recruiting policies; the number of colleges at the university increased from five to thirteen, and the number of faculty members increased four-fold. Wilkinson focused on recruiting more faculty and convincing current faculty to receive education outside the university. As a result, the number of teachers with doctorate degrees increased from 50 to 500. Associate and doctoral programs were created for BYU.
The J. Reuben Clark Library (now the Harold B. Lee Library (HBLL)) was built, and library resources were expanded by 500%. The number of buildings on the BYU campus increased from 6 to over 300, an increase in floor space of about 4.2 million square feet. Wilkinson initiated the construction of various student housing options to accommodate over 6,000 students, and increased the number of student religious congregations. During his 20-year presidency, the number of congregations increased from 1 student branch to 98 wards and 10 stakes for LDS students. The BYU Honor Code was also more clearly established, and a strict dress code was added.
Wilkinson was a strongly conservative Republican. He unsuccessfully ran for the U.S. Senate in 1964, while he was president of BYU. Prior to his career in education, he was a lawyer in Washington, D.C. and New York City, his most well-known and lucrative case being a $32 million settlement from the U.S. government for the Ute Indian Tribes.
Wilkinson was born in Ogden, Utah, one of seven children of Robert Brown Wilkinson and Annie Cecilia Anderson. Robert Wilkinson was a Scottish immigrant who arrived in the United States as a young boy, later married Annie Anderson, and worked for the Southern Pacific Railroad for 25 years, where he supported the union; according to family, he once ran for mayor of Ogden as a Socialist candidate.
Growing up, Ernest Wilkinson associated mostly with older boys and men, as there were few boys his age. He became involved in cockfighting, buying a few cocks with the money he made from delivering the Deseret News, but stopped after police started arresting offenders.
To cultivate his faith as a member of the LDS Church, Wilkinson's mother suggested he attend Weber Academy in Ogden, which was then owned by the church. Before his graduation, he won the Dr. Edward S. Rich oratorical contest with his speech "American Ideals". He graduated from Weber Academy in 1917, and continued his studies at the expanded Weber Academy, then known as Weber College, where he organized the Public Service Bureau (a service organization), was editor of the yearbook, and was president of the student body for two years. He competed in forensics meets and won the state championship with his team. He received the Lewis Efficacy Medal for students excelling in scholarship and public service, and was class valedictorian. After a year at Weber College, he became a member of the Student Army Training Corps unit located at BYU. He attributed his success to what he learned at Weber Academy and became interested in the idea of offering a religiously affiliated education to more LDS youth. After the war, he became a regular student at BYU and, among other things, edited the weekly newspaper White and Blue, and was president of his senior class. He and a few colleagues received special recognition when they beat the Princeton debate team. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree at BYU in 1921.
He married Alice Valera Ludlow, a native of Spanish Fork, whom he had met while they were both students at BYU. They were married in the Salt Lake Temple on August 16, 1923. The ceremony was performed by James E. Talmage. Alice was elected vice president of the student body with Wilkinson as her campaign manager and had studied drama at BYU. The Wilkinsons had five children.
After graduation, Wilkinson began teaching English and speech at Weber College. During this time, Wilkinson began to take an active interest in politics. He ran as a Democrat for county auditor and lost.
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