G. Homer Durham
Encyclopedia
George Homer Durham was an American academic administrator and was a general authority
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1977 until his death.
, Utah
and was raised in Salt Lake City. As a boy in grade school, he met and became lifelong friends with future LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley
. As a young man, he served as a missionary
for the LDS Church in the British
Mission
of the church, where he served as president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association in the mission. Durham's mission president
, Joseph F. Merrill
, encouraged him to pursue graduate education when he returned to the United States
. At the start of his mission, Durham's mission president was John A. Widtsoe
. During this time Durham met Widtsoe's daughter Leah Eudora Widtsoe, whom he would later marry in the Salt Lake Temple
.
Durham earned a Ph.D.
in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles
. He became a professor at the University of Utah. Durham would serve as the first head of the Political Science Department at the University. He later served as the academic vice-president of the University of Utah
. From 1960 to 1969, he was the president of Arizona State University
. Under his presidency the university increased both in size and academic standing. From 1969 to 1976 he was the first commissioner and executive officer of the Utah System of Higher Education
.
authority of the LDS Church. He had previously served in the church as a stake president, as a member of the general board of the Sunday School
, and as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles. Durham became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1977. Shortly afterward, he was made managing director of the LDS Church Historical Department over Church Historian Leonard J. Arrington
. In October 1981, Durham became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and would remain in that position until his death. From 1982 to his death Durham was the church's seventeenth Church Historian and Recorder
. He was succeeded in this position by Dean L. Larson.
Durham was a frequent contributor to the magazine Improvement Era
and was the author or editor of a number of books, including compilations of the religious teachings of LDS church presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff
, Heber J. Grant
, and David O. McKay
.
Durham came from a musical family and he wrote the music to Gordon B. Hinckley's
poem "My Redeemer Lives", which is now included as hymn #135 in the current hymnal
of the LDS Church.
Durham and his wife were the parents of three children.
In 1994, Arizona State University renamed their Languages & Literatures Building the G. Homer Durham Languages & Literatures Building in Durham's honor.
Durham died in Salt Lake City. His personal and professional papers were donated to the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library
.
General authority
In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority over the church...
of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1977 until his death.
Early Life
Durham was born in ParowanParowan, Utah
Parowan is a city in and the county seat of Iron County, Utah, United States. The population was 2,790 at the 2010 census.Parowan became the first incorporated city in Iron County in 1851. A fort that had been constructed on the east side of Center Creek the previous year was an initial in the...
, Utah
Utah
Utah is a state in the Western United States. It was the 45th state to join the Union, on January 4, 1896. Approximately 80% of Utah's 2,763,885 people live along the Wasatch Front, centering on Salt Lake City. This leaves vast expanses of the state nearly uninhabited, making the population the...
and was raised in Salt Lake City. As a boy in grade school, he met and became lifelong friends with future LDS Church president Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
. As a young man, he served as a missionary
Mormon missionary
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is one of the most active modern practitioners of missionary work, with over 52,000 full-time missionaries worldwide, as of the end of 2010...
for the LDS Church in the British
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
Mission
Mission (LDS Church)
A mission of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a geographical administrative area to which church missionaries are assigned. Almost all areas of the world are within the boundaries of an LDS Church mission, whether or not Mormon missionaries live or proselytize in the area...
of the church, where he served as president of the Young Men's Mutual Improvement Association in the mission. Durham's mission president
Mission president
Mission president is a priesthood leadership position in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . A mission president presides over a mission and the missionaries serving in the mission...
, Joseph F. Merrill
Joseph F. Merrill
Joseph Francis Merrill was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from October 8, 1931 until his death....
, encouraged him to pursue graduate education when he returned to the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. At the start of his mission, Durham's mission president was John A. Widtsoe
John A. Widtsoe
John Andreas Widtsoe was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1921 until his death. Widtsoe was also a noted author, scientist, and academician.-Early life:...
. During this time Durham met Widtsoe's daughter Leah Eudora Widtsoe, whom he would later marry in the Salt Lake Temple
Salt Lake Temple
The Salt Lake Temple is the largest and best-known of more than 130 temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It is the sixth temple built by the church, requiring 40 years to complete, and the fourth operating temple built since the Mormon exodus from Nauvoo,...
.
Education and Academia
Durham earned a B.A. in political science and history from the University of Utah.Durham earned a Ph.D.
Ph.D.
A Ph.D. is a Doctor of Philosophy, an academic degree.Ph.D. may also refer to:* Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*Piled Higher and Deeper, a web comic strip*PhD: Phantasy Degree, a Korean comic series* PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
in political science from the University of California, Los Angeles
University of California, Los Angeles
The University of California, Los Angeles is a public research university located in the Westwood neighborhood of Los Angeles, California, USA. It was founded in 1919 as the "Southern Branch" of the University of California and is the second oldest of the ten campuses...
. He became a professor at the University of Utah. Durham would serve as the first head of the Political Science Department at the University. He later served as the academic vice-president of the University of Utah
University of Utah
The University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
. From 1960 to 1969, he was the president of Arizona State University
Arizona State University
Arizona State University is a public research university located in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area of the State of Arizona...
. Under his presidency the university increased both in size and academic standing. From 1969 to 1976 he was the first commissioner and executive officer of the Utah System of Higher Education
Utah System of Higher Education
The Utah State Board of Regents was formed in 1969 as a governing body for the Utah System of Higher Education. It is made up of the College of Eastern Utah, Dixie State College of Utah, Salt Lake Community College, Snow College, Southern Utah University, the University of Utah, Utah College of...
.
General Authority
After he retired, Durham was asked to become a generalGeneral
A general officer is an officer of high military rank, usually in the army, and in some nations, the air force. The term is widely used by many nations of the world, and when a country uses a different term, there is an equivalent title given....
authority of the LDS Church. He had previously served in the church as a stake president, as a member of the general board of the Sunday School
Sunday School (LDS Church)
Sunday School is an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . All members of the church and any interested nonmembers, age 12 and older, are encouraged to participate in Sunday School.-Purpose:...
, and as a Regional Representative of the Twelve Apostles. Durham became a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy in April 1977. Shortly afterward, he was made managing director of the LDS Church Historical Department over Church Historian Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard J. Arrington
Leonard James Arrington was an author, academic and the founder of the Mormon History Association. He is known as the "Dean of Mormon History" and "the Father of Mormon History" because of his many influential contributions to the field.-Biographical background:Arrington was born in Twin Falls,...
. In October 1981, Durham became a member of the Presidency of the Seventy and would remain in that position until his death. From 1982 to his death Durham was the church's seventeenth Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder
Church Historian and Recorder is a priesthood calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The role of the Church Historian and Recorder is to keep an accurate and comprehensive record of the church and its activities...
. He was succeeded in this position by Dean L. Larson.
Durham was a frequent contributor to the magazine Improvement Era
Improvement Era
The Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
and was the author or editor of a number of books, including compilations of the religious teachings of LDS church presidents John Taylor, Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff
Wilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
, Heber J. Grant
Heber J. Grant
Heber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
, and David O. McKay
David O. McKay
David Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
.
Durham came from a musical family and he wrote the music to Gordon B. Hinckley's
Gordon B. Hinckley
Gordon Bitner Hinckley was an American religious leader and author who served as the 15th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from March 12, 1995 until his death...
poem "My Redeemer Lives", which is now included as hymn #135 in the current hymnal
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (1985 book)
Hymns of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the official hymn book of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints ....
of the LDS Church.
Durham and his wife were the parents of three children.
In 1994, Arizona State University renamed their Languages & Literatures Building the G. Homer Durham Languages & Literatures Building in Durham's honor.
Durham died in Salt Lake City. His personal and professional papers were donated to the University of Utah's J. Willard Marriott Library
J. Willard Marriott Library
J. Willard Marriott Library is the library of the University of Utah in Salt Lake City, Utah. It was named for J. Willard Marriott, the founder of Marriott International. The library building is over and houses over 3 million volumes. The University of Utah Press is a division of the Marriott...
.
Publications
- G. Homer Durham (1944). "Joseph Smith Prophet-Statesman" The Bookcraft Company
- G. Homer Durham (1944). A Political Interpretation of Mormon History (University of California PressUniversity of California PressUniversity of California Press, also known as UC Press, is a publishing house associated with the University of California that engages in academic publishing. It was founded in 1893 to publish books and papers for the faculty of the University of California, established 25 years earlier in 1868...
) - —— (1983). Arizona State University, 1960-1969: A Personal History
- —— (1958). Man as a Political Animal (Salt Lake City: University of UtahUniversity of UtahThe University of Utah, also known as the U or the U of U, is a public, coeducational research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. The university was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret by the General Assembly of the provisional State of Deseret, making it Utah's oldest...
) - —— (1982). N. Eldon Tanner, His Life and Service (Salt Lake City: Deseret BookDeseret BookDeseret Book is the largest Latter-day Saint book publisher and also owns a chain of LDS bookstores in the western United States. Over 150 people work in its Salt Lake City headquarters...
) - Heber J. GrantHeber J. GrantHeber Jeddy Grant was the seventh president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was ordained an apostle on October 16, 1882, on the same day as George Teasdale...
(G. Homer Durham ed.) (1941). Gospel Standards: Selections from the Sermons and Writings of Heber J. Grant (Salt Lake City: Improvement EraImprovement EraThe Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
) - David O. McKayDavid O. McKayDavid Oman McKay was the ninth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , serving from 1951 until his death. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was a general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church...
(G. Homer Durham ed.) (1953). Gospel Ideals: Selections from the Discourses of David O. McKay (Salt Lake City: Improvement EraImprovement EraThe Improvement Era was an official magazine of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints between 1897 and 1970....
) - John Taylor (G. Homer Durham ed.) (1943). The Gospel Kingdom: Selections from the Writings and Discourses of John Taylor, Third President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: BookcraftBookcraftBookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
) ISBN 1570089418 - John A. WidtsoeJohn A. WidtsoeJohn Andreas Widtsoe was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1921 until his death. Widtsoe was also a noted author, scientist, and academician.-Early life:...
(G. Homer Durham ed.) (1960). Evidences and Reconciliations - Wilford WoodruffWilford WoodruffWilford Woodruff, Sr. was the fourth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1889 until his death...
(G. Homer Durham ed.) (1946). The Discourses of Wilford Woodruff, Fourth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Salt Lake City: BookcraftBookcraftBookcraft was a major publisher of books and products for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .-History:In 1940, LDS Church President Heber J. Grant asked the church's Improvement Era magazine to compile his sermons into a book called Gospel Standards. Compiler G...
)
External links
- The G. Homer Durham Papers : complete inventory at the University of Utah
- Grampa Bill's G.A. Pages: G. Homer Durham
- "My Redeemer Lives" : free MP3 download of hymn written by Durham and Gordon B. Hinckley