Harold B. Lee Library

Brigham Young University and the College of Nursing

Introduction

Brigham Young University is a private university that seeks to develop students of faith, intellect and character who have the skills and the desire to continuing learning and to serve others throughout their lives. Tracing its roots to Utah’s rich pioneer heritage and to Brigham Young Academy, the original school established in 1875, the university continues to provide an outstanding education in an atmosphere consistent with the ideals and principles of its sponsor, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The Brigham Young College of Nursing was established in 1952. It shares a common history with the School of Nursing at the University of Utah, both programs deriving from the Dr. W. H. Groves Latter-day Saints Hospital School of Nursing. Within four years of the college’s inception, the first graduate class, which consisted of 25 students, received its baccalaureate degree. The following fifty years saw the attainment of state and national accreditation, the implementation of graduate degree programs, and the beginning of a legacy of international service. Brigham Young University’s remarkable history can be uncovered through many of the collections held in the University Archives. The following source materials can get you started on your exploration of Brigham Young University’s College of Nursing.

Secondary Sources and General information

Collections held by the University Archives will be more useful to your specific research topic after you understand more about the general history of the university. The following resources are available to help you develop that understanding.

• Histories of Brigham Young University
  • Wilkinson, Ernest L. Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years (4 volumes). Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.
  • Wilkinson, Ernest L. and W. Cleon Skousen. Brigham Young University: A School of Destiny.  Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1976.
  • Butterworth, Edwin Jr. Brigham Young University: 1,000 Views of 100 Years. Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.

Primary Sources

• Sample materials dealing with the Brigham Young University College of Nursing: A sample of the materials that contain information about BYU’s College of Nursing. To map out a research strategy, please schedule an appointment with the University Archivist at 422-5821 or gordon_daines@byu.edu for additional help in discovering what other collections we may have that pertain to your research topic.
  • UA 524 Records, 1950-1964 Includes general files of the College, policy statements, statistics and reports.
  • UA 653 Printed matter files, 1963-1987 1966-1977 Contains college and committee minutes, and a few course syllabi for historical interest.
  • UA 767 A Descriptive, Analytical, and Evaluative Self-Study Report on the Baccalaureate, Master, and Continuing Education Programs, 1990 Report detailing the organization, administration, students, faculty, curriculum, continuing education program, resources, facilities, and services of the nursing program. Includes twenty-one appendices. The report was submitted to the National League for Nursing.
  • UA 1028 50th Anniversary Celebration records, 2002 Collection includes materials from the Brigham Young University College of Nursing’s 50th Anniversary Celebration in October 2002. Materials include greeting cards with College of Nursing images, a program for the 50th Anniversary Celebration, a video entitled “The Healer’s Art” and a print entitled “I would learn the healer’s art.”
• The following items are restricted.  Please contact the University Archivist for more information regarding access to these collections.
  • UA 1144 Records, 1957-1993 This collection is divided into four series, namely College of Nursing Scholarship Material, College of Nursing Grade Rolls, College of Nursing Advisement Center Material, and College of Nursing Yearbooks. The first series includes information about the scholarships awarded to Nursing students from the 1980s to the 1990s. This includes scholarship applications, scholarship recipients, the amount of each scholarship, from where the scholarship money came and by whom it was donated, and thank-you letters written by scholarship recipients. Series two includes information about the Nursing grade rolls, grades of each student for the years 1970 to 1991. It also includes average GPA’s for each nursing class. In the third series there is information pertaining to the Nursing Advisement Center. This includes a history of the two-year nursing program, information about an associate degree in Nursing, Correspondence from 1988 to 1993, eligibility lists from 1989 to 1993, summaries from 1989 to 1993, stipulations from 1989 to 1993, and also a department list and graduate list. Lastly, series six is solely yearbooks from the years 1957 to 1973. Restricted for 25 years after the creation of the records and thereafter open to the public after consultation with the University Archivist and in accordance with the General Restriction Statement of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections.
  • UA 1207 Records, 1978-1991 This collection contains budget information for the years 1984-1989, and meeting minutes for the years 1978-1991. Restricted for 25 years after the creation of the records and thereafter open to the public after consultation with the University Archivist and in accordance with the General Restriction Statement of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections.

This Popular Search Topics page offers only samplings of materials included in the University Archives that document the history of the Brigham Young University College of Nursing. Be sure to visit Special Collections to discover other material.