George Washington BRIMHALL

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      Historical detail in notes


George Henry Brimhall 1910 - Brigham Young University High School - byhigh.orgBIOGRAPHY: The Brimhall family experienced dire financial conditions. George's mother, Rachel Ann Mayer Brimhall, was determined that he get an education. She arranged for him to attend school in Ogden, Salt Lake City, Cedar Fort, southern Utah, and Spanish Fork. When a high school was started in Provo -- the Dusenberry school on Second East, then known as Timpanogos University -- George worked odd jobs to pay for his board. When George couldn't find work, the family sacrificed, despite hard financial times, so he could attend. He had completed his education at the Dusenberry school before it became Brigham Young Academy in January of 1976.At a certain point, a group of forty-two young Utah County men decided it would be a good idea to have a high school in Spanish Fork, and each one contributed $15 in work and funds. Working together, they brought logs down from Santaquin Canyon. Within forty days they held a big house-raising, with the whole community present. They called their new school the Young Men's Academy, but women came too. George's first wife, Alsina Elizabeth Wilkins, was a student there. Tom Beesley taught first year students, and George taught the next two or three years, incuding Algebra, Bookkeeping, Grammar, History, and Elocution. George H. Brimhall became Spanish Fork's Superintendent of Schools for two terms, then Utah County School Superintendent for two years. He was authorized to be ordained a patriarch by LDS Church apostles in 1887. Brigham Young Academy moved to its new campus on Academy Avenue and Fifth North in January of 1892. George H. Brimhall served as Fourth Principal of Brigham Young Academy high school from 1895 to 1900. When Brigham Young Academy President Benjamin Cluff led an expedition to find Zarahemla in South America in 1900, George Brimhall was named acting president. Cluff returned and convinced Church leaders tothen succeeded Cluff in 1904. In 1903 the Academy had become Brigham Young University, and George Brimhall was its second president. He introduced the B.S. program in 1904 and the B.A. in 1907. The Maeser Memorial building was completed on Temple Hill (on the Upper Campus) in 1911. That was also the year that a conflict arose between those who taught orthodox church teachings, and those who taught evolution and higher criticism. The controversy led to the dismissal or resignation of Joseph and Henry Peterson, and Ralph Chamberlain. Brimhall had hired the three and was sympathetic toward the professors, but Superintendent of Church Schools Horace Cummings was determined to rid BYU of "modernists". Despite severe chest and abdominal pain, from which he suffered throughout his life, George Brimhall served for seventeen years as President of BYU - until 1921. In that year, at age eighty, the pain became so severe that he took his own life with a hunting rifle.

BIOGRAPHY: Occupying a position of distinctive precedence in educational circles in the west, George Henry Brimhall is now president of the Brigham Young University, of Provo. He was born in Salt Lake City, December 9, 1852, and is a son of George Washington Brimhall and Rachel Ann Mayer. His father was born November 14, 1814. He became a resident of the state during the era of pioneer development in Utah, and was identified with its industrial interests as a master mechanic. He was prominent in religious and political circles and was called by his fellow townsmen to represent them in the territorial legislature. The mother, Rachel Ann Mayer, a daughter of George Mayer and Ann Yost, was born in Indiana, February 9, 1829. The daughter of pioneers, she herself was a pioneer and did the work incident to those days. Her family, consisting of ten children, four sons and six daughters, as a rule, bear the impress of her strong will and sturdy character, particularly is this true in relation to her eldest son George H., who greatly resembles his mother in physical features and mental endowments. He first attended a private school in Ogden, for in those pioneer days public schools were unknown. Later he attended the public schools in Salt Lake City, Cedar Fort in the Dixie country and in Spanish Fork. Afterward he became a student at Provo, attending the first high school of that city. At a still later date he was a student in the Brigham Young Academy, the institution that became the successor of the Timpanogos Academy. President Brimhall has often said in public that it was due mainly to his mother's determination, in the face of the greatest possible financial odds that he was enabled to attend school in Provo. In his school days he was eager to advance, eager to obtain knowledge. Many lessons were prepared while he was teaming and herding. He was one of a group of forty-two young men who established a high school in Spanish Fork, known as the Young Men's Academy. A student of the institution, at first, he soon became one of its teachers. While thus engaged he worked out a system of school grading. In educational circles his progress has been continuous. From being a superintendent of the Spanish Fork schools, he soon became county superintendent of Utah county and later city superintendent of Provo City. It was this latter position he was filling when he was called to the faculty of the Brigham Young Academy. During his period of service on the faculty, he held the chair of psychology and pedagogy for the greater part of the time. At all times during his connection with the institution he has held some executive position. By an action of the board of trustees he became its chief executive January 3, 1903. Prior to this time he had served as president of the Utah State Teachers Association. President Brimhall's professional career falls naturally under three heads: his work as a teacher, as an executive and as an educational lecturer. He has always been recognized in the profession as one of Utah's foremost teachers; with him it is a gift as well as a profession. In all the years of teachers coming and going at the Brigham Young University, no other teacher ever attracted so many students to his classes as did Professor Brimhall. Prior to Professor Brimhall's coming to the presidency of the school, two degrees had been conferred upon him, the first the degree of Bachelor of Pedagogy, the second the degree of Doctor of Science. It is self evident that he has succeeded as an executive, because of his having been called to one executive position after another successively. The greatest period of expansion in the Brigham Young University as to buildings, equipment, faculty and students has occurred under his administration. As seen from the student's point of view, he has been the subject of many tributes in all of the college periodicals for many years. Perhaps no better epitome of them all can he found than in the dedication of the 1915 year book, known to the students as the "Banyan." "To the man who thinks of the needs of hi
s institution; "To the man whose acts inspire patrons, teachers and students to do their best for the good of the school; "To the man who appreciates responsibility and the confidence that others place in him; "To President George H. Brimhall whose greatness comes partly from the life which he has given our B. Y. U., we cheerfully dedicate the 1915 `Banyan.' "B. Y. U. Student Body." In all probability President Brimhall is most gifted as a public speaker. His ability to lay hold of an apt illustration on the instant and drive it home, has been one of the elements of his good teaching. He is one of the best known educational lecturers in this intermountain country, having lectured at institutes and in educational meetings and throughout this entire region. But the scope of President Brimhall's public addresses reaches far beyond that of an educational lecturer. Rarely has any man been as generally sought for on platform and in pulpit as has President Brimhall. It is safe to say that there is no public movement of any general interest that he has not been asked to champion by word of mouth. Suffrage, prohibition, civic betterment, public welfare movements of many phases have all sought and received such support as his talent affords. An idea of his popularity as a speaker may be had when we take into consideration the fact that on one 4th of July he received twenty-four invitations from twenty-four committees of twenty-four different cities and towns to deliver the 4th of July oration, and that from thirteen communities came requests for similar service on the 24th of July. There is one variety of discourse in which President Brimhall is past master; it is in the short address and short sermon. These addresses have made the chapel exercises of the Brigham Young University noted and their author famous. They are always short, racy and to the point, filled with apt illustration and telling epigram. Dr. Brimhall has served for many years on the general church board of education, the church board of examiners, the general board of religion classes and on to general board of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association. He is one of the oldest members of the Y. M. M. I. A. board. In connection with Dr. Milton H. Hardy he wrote the first manual, a series of lessons for the young people all over the church. In a period covering thirty-three years there have been comparatively few summers when Professor Brimhall has not been engaged in writing lessons for the M. I. manuals, the present summer being no exception to the rule. But his literary achievements have not been confined to writing lessons; he has been a constant contributor to local magazines and has given out many interviews for the public press. His composition is not confined to prose. He has written a measurable quantity of creditable verse. His "Old Glory" written on the entry of the United States into war set to music by Prof. Clair W. Reid, was sung all over Utah and in many of the adjoining states. In addition to being connected with the various church boards, before mentioned, President Brimhall has served his church in the capacity of a stake superintendent of the Y. M. M. I. Associations of Utah stake, and as a member of the high council of that stake. He has always taken great interest in civic affairs. He was a member of the city council of Spanish Fork during the period of his residence in that city. He is affiliated with the republican party. In 1896 he was a candidate on the republican ticket for the state senate, but a democratic landslide resulted in the defeat of all republicans. He has been a speaker in practically every political campaign since the days of statehood. President Brimhall was married in 1874 to Alsena E. Wilkins. To them were born these children: Lucy J., Alsena E., George W., Mark H., Wells L. and Milton H. President Brimhall's second marriage, to Flora Robertson occurred in 1885. The children born to them are: Dean R., Fay R., Fawn R., Ruth Afton, Paul R., Alta R., Golden H., Ario R. He is fond of fishing and hunting. His leisure hours
find him haunting canyons and streams with his boys and other members of his family who delight in manly outdoor sports. George H. Brimhall is a man of rich spiritual and rich intellectual endowments, whose gifts have been supported by a life of strenuous work. Whatever his limitations may be he never fails to scintillate. Brilliancy is in the essence of all his power. His style whether in oral or written discourse is full of originality, and presents many surprises in analysis thought and sentence structure. President Brimhall possesses personality, a personality that has impressed itself upon thousands of students; a personality that has attracted the attention of many persons from both east and west because of its force and originality; a personality that compels and commands, and rarely fails to grip those with whom he comes in contact.


Obituary:
Provo, July 29, Dr. George H. Brimhall, 79, presidentemeritus of Brigham Young University, was founddead Friday afternoon at his residence, 143North Third East street. Death was caused bya bullet from a hunting rifle which had been in the familyfor years. The body was found a 5 p.m. by his widow,Mrs. Flora Robertson Brimhall, when she returned froma shopping trip. Dr. Brimhall was born in Salt Lake,December 9, 1852, son of George Washingtonand Rachel Ann Mayer Brimhall Latter-day SaintBiographical Encyclopedia - Vol 1 George H. Brimhall,a member of the general hoard of Y.M.M.I.A., isthe son of Patriarch George W. Brimhall and RachelAnn Mayer and was born Dec. 9, 1852, at Salt LakeCity, Utah. He is the eldest of ten children born underthe eternal covenant of marriage: George H.,Rachel E., Elmer M., Orilla M., Omer M., RuthR., Prudence M., Ether R., Tryphena M., andGrace M. When twenty-two years of age he wasunited in marriage for time and eternity to Alsina E.Wilkins, who became the mother of six childrenLucy Jane, Alsina E., George W., Mark H., Wells R.,and Milton H. At thirty-one he received in marriage fortime and eternity Flora Robinson. The children from thisunion are, Dean R., Fay R., Fawn R., Burns R., andPaul R. Bro. Brimhall has been ordained a Teacher,an Elder and a High Priest. He has filled the appointments of \president of an Elders' quorum at Spanish Fork, clerk ofthe High Priests' quorum, at Provo, home missionary andmember of the High Council of the Utah Stake of Zion, andmissionary to the State of Colorado. For thirty-one yearshe has labored as a teacher, an assistand in a mixed school,as a regular teacher, as principal of the schools in SpanishFork, as superintendent of Utah county schools, assuperintendent of Provo city schools, teacher in theintermediate department of the Brigham Young Academy,assistant teacher of pedagogy, professor of pedagogy,director of the Normal Training School, principal of the HighSchool department, and acting president of the BrighamYoung Academy.