George H. Brimhall
Encyclopedia
George Henry Brimhall was President of Brigham Young University
. After graduating from Brigham Young Academy, Brimhall served as principal of Spanish Fork
schools and then as district superintendent of Utah County schools, finally returning to Brigham Young Academy. He became president of the school, now a university, in 1903.
Brimhall was born to George W. Brimhall
and his wife the former Rachel Ann Meyer in Salt Lake City. When Brimhall was about one year old the family moved to Ogden
and they later moved to Spanish Fork
.
As a boy, Brimhall was taught to love learning by his mother, his first teacher. He studied under Wilson Dusenberry at the Provo
Timpanogos Academy, where, as valedictorian
, "for the first time I was applauded although my pants were patched." "My ruling passion has been to move men's minds", said Brimhall, and his administration was marked by an emphasis on teacher training.
In 1911, Brimhall dismissed three faculty members who advocated belief in evolution
and higher criticism. Brimhall had hired all three and was sympathetic to their views, but felt that their open opposition to the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—which owns BYU—was not reconcilable with the mission of the school.
Suffering from chest and abdominal pain, Brimhall resigned the presidency of BYU in 1921, although he remained head of the Department of Theology and Religion. He died in 1932.
, a general authority
in the LDS Church.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
. After graduating from Brigham Young Academy, Brimhall served as principal of Spanish Fork
Spanish Fork, Utah
Spanish Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 31,497 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:Spanish Fork was settled by LDS pioneers in 1851...
schools and then as district superintendent of Utah County schools, finally returning to Brigham Young Academy. He became president of the school, now a university, in 1903.
Brimhall was born to George W. Brimhall
George W. Brimhall
George Washington Brimhall was a politician in territorial Utah. He was the father of George H. Brimhall.Brimhall was the son of Sylvanus Brimhall and his wife the former Lydia Ann Guiteau. He was born along Canada Creek in the state of New York. In 1827 the family moved to Olean Point, New...
and his wife the former Rachel Ann Meyer in Salt Lake City. When Brimhall was about one year old the family moved to Ogden
Ogden, Utah
Ogden is a city in Weber County, Utah, United States. Ogden serves as the county seat of Weber County. The population was 82,825 according to the 2010 Census. The city served as a major railway hub through much of its history, and still handles a great deal of freight rail traffic which makes it a...
and they later moved to Spanish Fork
Spanish Fork, Utah
Spanish Fork is a city in Utah County, Utah, United States. It is part of the Provo–Orem, Utah Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 31,497 as of the 2008 census estimate.-History:Spanish Fork was settled by LDS pioneers in 1851...
.
As a boy, Brimhall was taught to love learning by his mother, his first teacher. He studied under Wilson Dusenberry at the Provo
Provo, Utah
Provo is the third largest city in the U.S. state of Utah, located about south of Salt Lake City along the Wasatch Front. Provo is the county seat of Utah County and lies between the cities of Orem to the north and Springville to the south...
Timpanogos Academy, where, as valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
, "for the first time I was applauded although my pants were patched." "My ruling passion has been to move men's minds", said Brimhall, and his administration was marked by an emphasis on teacher training.
In 1911, Brimhall dismissed three faculty members who advocated belief in evolution
Evolution
Evolution is any change across successive generations in the heritable characteristics of biological populations. Evolutionary processes give rise to diversity at every level of biological organisation, including species, individual organisms and molecules such as DNA and proteins.Life on Earth...
and higher criticism. Brimhall had hired all three and was sympathetic to their views, but felt that their open opposition to the leadership of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—which owns BYU—was not reconcilable with the mission of the school.
Suffering from chest and abdominal pain, Brimhall resigned the presidency of BYU in 1921, although he remained head of the Department of Theology and Religion. He died in 1932.
Descendants
Among Brimhall's descendants are John H. GrobergJohn H. Groberg
John Holbrook Groberg has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1976.- Biography :Groberg was born in Idaho Falls, Idaho in 1934 and was reared there after the Great Depression...
, a general authority
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...
in the LDS Church.