Harold B. Lee Library

Harvey Fletcher and Brigham Young University

Harvey Fletcher and three of Brigham Young University's most prominent physicists in the early 1950s (Fletcher is second from the left).

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. Harvey Fletcher joined the faculty of Brigham Young University in 1911. He served as chair of the department of physics and dean of the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences. His remarkable impact on the study of physics at Brigham Young University 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 Harvey Fletcher’s legacy.

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 with Information on Harvey Fletcher
  • Wilkinson, Ernest L. Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years (4 volumes) Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1975 (see the index for Fletcher, Harvey)
  • Wilkinson, Ernest L. and W. Cleon Skousen Brigham Young University: A School of Destiny Provo, UT: Brigham Young University Press, 1976 (see the index for Fletcher, Harvey)
• Sample collections and books held by the L. Tom Perry Special Collections that deal with Harvey Fletcher A sample of the materials that contain information about Harvey Fletcher follows. 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.
  • MSS 1233 Harvey Fletcher papers. This collection includes correspondence, reports, publications, and other materials documenting Fletcher’s life. Access the finding aid for this collection by clicking here.
  • UA 909 Faculty Biographical File. This collection contains information on Fletcher’s career at Brigham Young University.
  • UA OH 6 Oral history interview with Harvey Fletcher, Sept. 19, 1968. Interview by Hollis Scott with Harvey Fletcher, scientist and teacher, concerning his experiences in Provo, Utah, as a graduate student at the University of Chicago, as a teacher at BYU, and as a bishop and stake president in the New York Stake.
  • UA 129 Addresses in honor of Harvey Fletcher. This collection includes typewritten, edited and final drafts of speeches about Fletcher written and given by William L. Woolf and George H. Hansen, a memorandum concerning a speech from Ernest L. Wilkinson to George H. Hansen, a record of Fletcher’s professional experience, and biographical information submitted to Who’s Who in America.
  • D 1.023 .P477 2006 Good and Great: A Biography of Harvey Fletcher by Michael Fletcher Perry.
  • BX 8670.1 .F634a 1967 Autobiography of Harvey Fletcher by Harvey Fletcher.
  • PN 1619.021. F62 1996 The Caroling of Atoms: The Life’s Work of Dr. Harvey Fletcher by Maureen Meyer Fletcher.
  • BX 8647 .B76m 1960 Science and religion by Harvey Fletcher.

This Popular Search Topics page offers only samplings of materials included in the University Archives that document the life of Harvey Fletcher. Be sure to visit Special Collections to discover other material.