July 5, 2012 by Gordon Daines
The newly completed residence building, Allen Hall, in 1938.
In 1937 President Franklin S. Harris proposed plans to build a residence hall for students attending Brigham Young University. The goal of the residence hall was to provide young men with a place to live near campus. The young men would be expected to participate in the cost of room and board and the university would be able to better control costs for the students. In July 1937 Commissioner Franklin L. West reminded the General Church Board of Education that the Jesse Knight Endowment Fund was available and that it could be used to finance the construction of the new residence hall. The General Board unanimously approved the use of the Knight Endowment for this purpose.
Allen was built on the corner of 100 East and 700 North. The cost of the building was $75,000, in addition to labor supplied by students. The architect for the building was Joseph Nelson and the landscaping was done by LaVal S. Morris. The newly completed building was named in honor of R. E. and Inez Knight Allen, son-in-law and daughter of Jesse Knight. Dr. and Mrs. H. V. Hoyt were asked to supervise the dormitory. Students began to occupy the building in 1938.
Allen Hall was an immediate success. In fact, it was so successful that plans were quickly drawn up to construct a residence hall for women. Approval for the construction of Amanda Knight Hall was received in July 1938 and it was occupied in 1939.
If you would like to learn more about the resources available for studying student housing at Brigham Young University, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
June 20, 2012 by Gordon Daines
B. T. Higgs poses with old Y Bell when it hung in the Education Building belfry.
One of the most recognizable symbols of Brigham Young University is the Y Bell. The bell can be heard ringing after each home basketball victory. Tradition has it that the first bell associated with the university came to Utah with the pioneers. It was donated to Brigham Young Academy shortly after they began classes in the Lewis Building in downtown Provo. The bell was used to begin and dismiss classes. The fire that destroyed the Lewis Building in 1884 destroyed that bell. A steel triangle bell was used while classes were held in the ZCMI warehouse until it was replaced by a student purchased bell. This bell was used from 1912 until 1919 when the current Y bell was obtained.
The current Y bell has a colorful history. Originally purchased for the Old Provo Tabernacle, the bell was given to BYU in 1919 when the Old Provo Tabernacle was razed. Cast in 1887 by the McShane Bell Foundry of Baltimore, this bell was installed in the Education Building. The bell was used to signal class changes and to celebrate athletic victories. In 1949 the bell was cracked during celebration of a victory over the University of Utah. The bell was recast with funds raised by the student body and placed on a trolley so that it could be taken to athletic events. Unfortunately, the bell was stolen and feared lost until discovered in a swamp near Springville. It was then placed on a permanent bell tower on upper campus. The bell was eventually moved to its current location in front of the Marriott Center.
The University Archives has one collection that documents the history of the Y Bell. This collection is UA 123 Collected history of the Old Y Bell, 1884-1968. This collection includes documented histories, poems and articles (photocopies) concerning the “Y” Bell and other bells at Brigham Young University.
If you would like to know more about the sources for learning about the Y bell, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
June 6, 2012 by Gordon Daines
Ernest L. Wilkinson served as president of Brigham Young University from 1951 to 1971.
One of the most colorful individuals associated with the Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building and Brigham Young University was Ernest L. Wilkinson. Wilkinson’s association with Brigham Young University began in 1918 when he became a member of the Student Army Training Corps stationed at Brigham Young University. Wilkinson was billeted in the Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building–in the same room where he would later serve as president of the university thirty-three years later.
Wilkinson enrolled at Brigham Young University in 1919 and graduated in 1921. While at the university Wilkinson edited the White and Blue and editorialized on the potential of the university. He would go on to become a very successful lawyer. His law career was interrupted in 1950 when he was invited to become president of Brigham Young University. He accepted and became Brigham Young University’s seventh president in 1951. He would hold that position for twenty years. Information about the sources available for studying Wilkinson’s affiliation with Brigham Young University are available here.
If you have any questions about Ernest L. Wilkinson’s impact on Brigham Young University, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
May 16, 2012 by Gordon Daines
Last Saturday ground was broken for the Provo City Center Temple. The Provo City Center Temple will be built from the ruins of the Provo Tabernacle. Brigham Young University had a long association with the Provo Tabernacle. The following images from the early twentieth century are illustrative of the important role that the Provo Tabernacle played for many Brigham Young University community members.
The first BYU graduation after Brigham Young Academy became Brigham Young University was held May 26, 1904, at the Provo Tabernacle.
Inauguration ceremonies for President Franklin S. Harris were held in the Provo Tabernacle.
Provo Tabernacle, ca. 1930
Commencement exercises at the Provo Tabernacle, 1934
BYU Orchestra performs at the Provo Tabernacle, 1938
If you have any questions about these images, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
May 2, 2012 by Gordon Daines
Soon after the death of Karl G. Maeser in 1901, students and alumni began considering ways that they could memorialize their beloved teacher. They eventually decided that a memorial building dedicated to classroom instruction would be appropriate. The original proposal called for the building to be constructed on the southeast corner of lower campus, but this idea was abandoned when the university acquired land on nearby Temple Hill. It was decided that the memorial building should be placed on Temple Hill and in 1907 construction began. The building opened to class work in the fall of 1911 and was formally dedicated in May 1912. This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building.
The Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building shortly after its completion in 1911
Originally designed as a classroom building, it has served thousands of students. The Maeser Memorial Building has also served the university as an administration building, housed devotionals and faculty meetings in its assembly hall, was the home of the College of Commerce and Business Administration, and housed several academic departments. It also briefly served as the home of the Student Army Training Corps in 1918. Today it is the home of Brigham Young University’ Honors Program.
The Maeser Memorial Building is one of the statelier buildings on campus. The interior is finished in oak with marble on the main stairways and the exterior is constructed of oolitic limestone. The building cost over $130,000 to build and nearly half of that was donated by the Jesse Knight Family. The rest of funds were raised by the Alumni Association. Over 1600 students, faculty, and alumni contributed to making the building a reality.
The University Archives recently opened a small exhibit containing materials that help to tell the story of the construction of the Karl G. Maeser Memorial Building. Come on down to Special Collections (1130 HBLL) and enjoy the exhibit.
April 19, 2012 by Gordon Daines
Spring is a busy time on campus. Students and faculty are preparing for finals and graduation. Baseball, softball, soccer, and other sports are beginning to ramp up. Performing Arts groups are wrapping up Winter semester performances and beginning to think about Fall semester performances. The following images demonstrate that things haven’t changed much over the years.
The 1908 BYU baseball team.
Project LIFE (Living in a Free Environment), a project aimed at encouraging personal fitness through jogging and other physical activty, was launched in the spring of 1972 when President and Mrs. Dallin H. Oaks led the way for the students and faculty by jogging around the Smith Fieldhouse track.
An exciting development in the 1970s has been the presentation of the "World of Dance" program each spring, combining four dance groups in a staging of the full range of the world's dances.
The commencement processional headed to the Marriott Center in the 1970s.
If you have any questions about these images or the materials held in the University Archives, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
April 5, 2012 by Gordon Daines
The beginning of Spring marks the start of the annual baseball season. Brigham Young University has fielded baseball teams since 1891. The early baseball games were held on Temple Hill (site of the present campus) and are now played at the beautiful Larry H. Miller park.
Brigham Young University's 1908 baseball team.
The Brigham Young University Archives is home to materials that tell the story of baseball at Brigham Young University. They include:
- MSS OH 42 Oscar Whiting oral history interview : Tape and transcript, 1973. Interview discusses Charles Redd as manager of the Brigham Young University baseball team.
- UA 699 Media guides and related items, 1930-2005. Primarily media guides for men’s and women’s sports programs at BYU, including baseball, basketball (women’s), cross country, golf, gymnastics, soccer, swimming, tennis, track, volleyball, and wrestling. The collection is not comprehensive prior to 2001. Finding aid available at http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/2294/UPB_UA669.
- UA 1327 Brigham Young University Department of Athletics records, 1929-1982. The Department of Athletics has its roots in the early history of Brigham Young Academy. Early athletic activities included track and field, baseball, football, and basketball. From its humble beginnings, the athletic program at Brigham Young University has become one of the best in the United States. BYU’s intercollegiate program of 10 men’s teams and 11 women’s teams has become one of the top athletic programs in the country, repeatedly achieving national rankings and recognition. Finding aid available at http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/2294/UPB_UA1327.
- UA 1029 Brigham Young University athletic photographs, 1893-1989. This collection documents photographically the variety of athletic activities that took place at Brigham Young University from 1893 until the end of the 1980s. Finding aid available at http://hdl.lib.byu.edu/2294/UPB_UA1029.
If you would like to know more about the resources for studying baseball at Brigham Young University, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu
March 29, 2012 by Gordon Daines
The Brigham Young University is pleased to announce the availability of use copies of films of various Brigham Young University athletic programs. The use copy DVDs are part of Series 2 and Series 3 of UA 5426 Intercollegiate Athletics films. The materials date from 1930 to 2009. The original films used to create the use copies are available in Series 1. A finding aid for the collection is available here.
Series 2 contains DVD recordings of sporting activities at Brigham Young University provided by Intercollegiate Athletics from 1930 to 2009. The recordings were made from the original film reels which are contained in Series 1. Information about the contents of Series 2 can be accessed here.
Series 3 contains DVD recordings of original films which do not include any sport related material. Information about the contents of Series 3 can be accessed here.
The use copy DVDs may be accessed and used through the L. Tom Perry Special Collections reading room (1130 HBLL) of the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. If you have any questions about UA 5426 Intercollegiate Athletic films, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
March 15, 2012 by Gordon Daines
The Brigham Young University Archives recently acquired the personal papers of Daniel H. Ludlow. The Daniel H. Ludlow papers include correspondence, research notes, bibliographies, and other materials. Subjects include studying the scriptures, the Encyclopedia of Mormonism, the Book of Mormon Critical Text project, and statements by the prophets of the Restoration. Also included is information on the Dead Sea Scrolls and Brigham Young University’s Jerusalem Center for Near Eastern Studies. A finding aid describing the collection is available here.
Daniel H. Ludlow was born on March 17, 1924 and died February 14, 2009. Ludlow was the former director of the Correlation Department of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a faculty member at Brigham Young University, and the editor of the Encyclopedia of Mormonism.
Dr. Ludlow attended Utah State University, Indiana University and Columbia University. He taught at Utah State University from 1947-52 and Brigham Young University from 1955-72, where he served as dean of religious instruction and director of the Institute of Mormon Studies. Dr. Ludlow worked for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in several capacities including as director of teacher support services for the Church Educational System and director of the Correlation department.
The collection is available through the L. Tom Perry Special Collections reading room (1130 HBLL) in the Harold B. Lee Library at Brigham Young University. If you have any questions about the Daniel H. Ludlow papers, please contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
February 22, 2012 by Gordon Daines
Nearly ten years ago the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center was razed to make room for the new Joseph F. Smith Building. The Smith Family Living Center was finished in 1957 and was the largest academic building on campus at the time. It was designed to enable Brigham Young University to become a leader in the field of family relations and featured an indoor-outdoor nursery school, kitchens, sewing rooms, and child observation facilities. It housed all six departments of the College of Family Living, the School of Nursing, and the departments of Sociology and Psychology.
Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center, ca. 1957.
There are several collections in the University Archives that help illuminate the important role that the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center played on campus. They include:
- UA 419 Physical Plant Papers, 1955. Collection includes building specifications for the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center.
- UA 107 Program of the dedication of the John C. Swensen Lecture Hall in the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center, 1961.
- UA 108 John C. Swensen papers. Includes information on the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center
- BX 8647 .B76 1955-56 no.1-32 Welcome address and groundbreaking ceremony [for the] Joseph F. Smith family living center, by Ernest L. Wilkinson and Willard R. Smith, Tuesday, September 29, 1955
If you would like to learn more about the sources available for studying the Joseph F. Smith Family Living Center, contact the University Archivist at (801) 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu.
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