Aerial view of the Brigham Young University campus in the 1970s.
Brigham Young University has grown from a small academy into one of the largest private universities in the United States. Ephraim Hatch, a university employee who worked for Physical Facilities, compiled a series of pictorial histories documenting that growth photographically. These histories are contained in UA 923 Ephraim Hatch views of Brigham Young University campus development. The collection includes pictorial histories of building construction at the university from 1875 to 1975 and is arranged chronologically. Images are grouped by university presidential administration. The collection also includes pictorial histories of individual campus structures built and remodeled during 1970s and early 1980s as well as photographs, slides, and negatives of campus buildings and personnel, and other schools operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Also included are images of the construction of the Provo and Jordan River temples, and images of the Brigham Young University-Hawaii campus, the Ricks College campus, the Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies, and the Missionary Training Center adjacent to Brigham Young University.
For more information about this collection, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
In the early 1880s science studies blossomed at Brigham Young Academy under the instruction of James E. Talmage. Talmage had been educated at Lehigh University in Pennsylvania and John Hopkins University in Maryland where he had acquired a substantial scientific knowledge and honed his natural curiosity. Talmage taught courses in chemistry, physics, biology, physical geography, and geology to the bright young students of the Academy. His physiology classes were especially popular. Talmage believed that students should have the opportunity to experience science and took them on many geological field trips throughout the Wasatch Mountains. He left Brigham Young Academy in 1884 to head the Salt Lake Stake Academy. He would later serve on the Board of Trustees for Brigham Young Academy and in 1911 became a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.
The University Archives is home to the following collections documenting Talmage’s life as well as his impact on the Academy:
MSS SC 3246 Life and educational contributions of James Edward Talmage, 1958
UA 912 Natural History Museum catalog, [ca. 1912]-1917
UA 84 Brigham Young Academy. Polysophical Society records
MSS 229 James E. Talmage papers, 1876-1933
If you have any questions about James E. Talmage and Brigham Young Academy, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
Brigham Young University is an amazing place. There are very few places where students can study the secular intermingled with the sacred and this is one. The university impacts more than just its students and employees. All of us have been touched by the university in one way or the other. At this Thanksgiving season we should all pause and think about the impact that this marvelous university has on each of our lives. The following video was produced by University Communications and tells the remarkable early history of Brigham Young University.
If you would like to learn more about the history of Brigham Young University, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
President Harry S. Truman visited Brigham Young University in 1952. He is pictured here with university president Ernest L. Wilkinson and Church president David O. McKay.
It has been over 60 years since President Harry S. Truman made a campaign stop at Brigham Young University on October 6, 1952. Truman was campaigning on behalf of Adlai Stevenson. Truman spoke about the rigors of life as president of the United States and lauded the virtues of Adlai Stevenson. The text of his remarks can be accessed here.
To learn more about the history of Brigham Young University, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
Brigham Young University got its start in 1875 as the Brigham Young Academy. The University Archives has several items that document the history of the Brigham Young Academy. UA 596 is such an item. It is a small information card providing the names of faculty and instructors, and listing the various grades, classes, and degrees offered by the Academy.
If you would like to know more about the history of the Brigham Young Academy, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
Homecoming activities are in full swing on campus. Yesterday members of the campus community had the opportunity to attend the Homecoming Opening Ceremonies at the Marriott Center. The theme of Homecoming this year is “Of Pillars and Cornerstones” and our celebrations center on the stately Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building on the south end of campus. This silent sentinel has watched thousands of students enter Brigham Young University to study secular topics bathed in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ. It honors the spiritual architect of Brigham Young University, Karl G. Maeser. Enjoy these historic images of the Karl G. Maeser Building.
Karl G. Maeser Building
The columns of the Karl G. Maeser Building as seen at night.
Laying the cornerstone of the Karl G. Maeser Building
The Karl G. Maeser Building under construction.
The Karl G. Maeser Building soon after completion in 1911.
Looking at the Karl G. Maeser Building from the Grant Library, ca. 1926.
If you have any questions about these images, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
On the south side of the Brigham Young University campus a magnificent new life sciences building is under construction. It will replace the John A. Widtsoe Building on its completion.
John A. Widtsoe Building, ca. 1969
The Widtsoe Building was completed in 1968 and has served students for over forty years. The Wilford M. Hess photographs of the construction of the John A. Widtsoe Building (UA 5582) document the rise of this important campus building.
This collection is available for research in the L. Tom Perry Special Collections on the first floor of the Harold B. Lee Library. Contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu with any questions about this collection.
During the 1890s and early 1900s architects and city planners developed a philosophy aimed at improving American cities through the use of grandeur and beautification. The City Beautiful Movement renewed appreciation for neo-classical and beaux-art asthetics and their emphasis on the necessity of order, dignity, and harmony in architecture. It also called for the elimination of urban slums and the beautification of cities in order to create moral and civic virtue among urban populations. This movement greatly influenced city planning and architecture across the country.
Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building, ca. 1911
The Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building’s neoclassical architecture and beautiful location on the brow of the hill overlooking Provo are clear indications of the impact that the City Beautiful Movement had on the architectural firm responsible for its construction–Ware and Treganza. Brad Westwood, an expert on the history of the Maeser Building, has argued that Ware and Treganza’s design captured the symbolic and rhetorical character that the BYU administration and alumni were looking for. The stately Maeser Building hearkens back to the architecture of Rome and boldly proclaims the nascent university’s aspirations to greatness.
At the time of its completion, the survival of Brigham Young University was still very much in question. The Maeser Building staked the university’s claim to the land on Temple Hill and its neoclassical architecture impressed visitors with its sense of solidity and presence. Nearly a 100 years later, the Maeser Building serves a similar purpose.
Information about the history of the Maeser Building can be found here. If you have any questions about the sources available for studying the history of the Maeser Building, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center is one of the most heavily used buildings on the campus of Brigham Young University. It was the last major academic structure completed during the 1957-1964 building boom. It was originally proposed in the fall of 1954 as part of the 1955 budget request but other projects were given priority over it. It would eventually be proposed four times before it was approved. The major obstacle to overcome was its large price tag of $5,000,000. Construction on the building began in 1962 and the building was completed in 1964. It was named after former Brigham Young University president Franklin S. Harris because of his love of and support for the arts. Since opening the Harris Fine Arts Center has played host to thousands of performances and thousands of students have honed their artistic talents there.
The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center under construction, 1963.
The Franklin S. Harris Fine Arts Center at dedication, 1965.
The de Jong Concert Hall in the newly completed Harris Fine Arts Center, 1965.
The central gallery of the Harris Fine Arts Center, 1965.
The 2012 Summer Olympics are in full swing in London. Ninety years ago Brigham Young University student Alma Richards participated in the Summer Olympics in Stockholm, Sweden. He won the gold medal in the high jump by clearing the bar at 6 ft. 4 inches. He received his gold medal from Swedish king Gustavus V.
Alma Richards in his Olympic uniform, 1912.
Victory parade for Alma Richards upon his return from the 1912 Summer Olympics.
The University Archives holds a collection of Alma Richards’ papers in UA 310. The papers include original photographs and negatives as well as photocopies of correspondence, newspaper clippings, scrapbooks, and certificates documenting Richards’ athletic career.
These materials can be accessed through the L. Tom Perry Special Collections in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University.
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