Brigham Young University. Board of Trustees

When the University was created in 1903, it inherited the earlier structure for the Board of Trustees of the Brigham Young Academy. In this form, the Board consisted of the President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, a few General Authorities of the Church, prominent local individuals, and descendants of Brigham Young. In 1939 the Board of Trustees was restructured by Heber J. Grant as part of a movement to streamline the LDS Church's educational programs and all members of the General Church Board of Education became members of the Board of Trustees. In this form, the Board exists today as the highest authoritative body of the Brigham Young University. The Board of Trustees is presided over by the sitting President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and the following have served as its presidents: Joseph F. Smith (1903-1918), Heber J. Grant (1918-1945), George Albert Smith (1945-1951), David O. McKay (1951-1970), Joseph Fielding Smith (1970-1972), Harold B. Lee (1972-1973), Spencer W. Kimball (1973-1985), Ezra Taft Benson (1985-1994), Howard W. Hunter (1994-1995), Gordon B. Hinckley (1995-2008), Thomas S. Monson (2008-2018), and Russel M Nelson (2018- ).

Description

Established: 1903

Location: Provo, Utah (1903-1939)

Location: Salt Lake City, Utah (1939- )

Functions

The Board of Trustees is the highest administrative authority for Brigham Young University and acts as the final policy-making body of the University, holding the power to make all rules and regulations necessary for the government, continuance, and maintenance of the University as well as do whatever they feel necessary and proper for the welfare and government of the institution, so long as their actions do not violate the law, the Articles of Incorporation or the Bylaws of the University. As such, the Board of Trustees has power to fill all vacancies in the University and final say in the hiring, promoting and dismissing of University faculty, setting and determining the curriculum to be pursued at the University, selling or mortgaging property, and locating, changing or modifying buildings as they see fit.

Assets and Administrative Structure

According to the 1896 Articles of Incorporation, the Board of Trustees was to be an organization of twelve individuals selected every three years by the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. While several General Authorities of the Church served on the Board, according to the Articles of Incorporation at least three of these individuals had to be descendants of Brigham Young. Furthermore, representatives from the Presidencies of the Alpine and Provo Stakes (a Mormon organization similar to a diocese) as well as other prominent Utah Valley individuals, were typically included. The Board was to elect a President (traditionally the President of the Church, and later called the Chairman) and Vice President as well as a Secretary and Treasurer, though the last two offices could be held by the same individual and didn't necessarily have to be filled by a member of the Board. As part of the 1939 restructuring, the local Brigham Young University Board of Trustees was replaced by the General Church Board of Education, an organization of General Authorities or General Officers of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. After 1939, the Board began electing two Vice Presidents (traditionally the counselors in the First Presidency), and frequently the Board consisted of more than twelve members. These changes were formalized in the 1949 incorporation of the University, which allows the Board to have between ten and seventeen members, though the latter number has also been exceeded occasionally. Likewise the term of office for the members of the Board were changed from three years to one. The make-up of the Board was slightly amended in 2002, and currently the Board of Trustees can be made up of between five and fifteen members. Since its organization, it has been stipulated that all members of the Board of Trustees must be members in good standing in the Church. Though the exact make up of the Board has changed over time, it currently consists of the entire First Presidency, three members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the member of the Presidency of the Seventy who oversees the Church in Utah, the Relief Society general president, the Young Women general president, and the Assistant Commissioner of the Church Educational System as Secretary and Treasurer. Between Board meetings, an Executive Committee of Board members handles the duties of the Board of Trustees, subject to the ratification of the Committee's decisions by the Board.

Associated Units

Superior unit: Brigham Young University (1903- )

Subordinate unit: Brigham Young University. Executive Committee (1903- )

Subordinate unit: Brigham Young University. Visiting Committee (1903-1919)

Associated Archival Materials

Board of Trustees Records, 1875-1985, (UA 6)

Office of the President records, (UA 1073, Box 80 Fol 27 – Box 85)

Board of Trustees records, 1907-1922, (UA 148)

Indices to the Board of Trustees minutes (UA 5635)

Sources

Amended and Restated Bylaws of Brigham Young University, December 20, 2002: (actions of the Board must be consistent with the law, the Articles of Incorporation and the Bylaws of the University; between 5 and 15 members of the Board; title of the presiding officers of the Board changed to Chairman, and Vice Chairman)

Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years, 1975: v. 1 Appendix 4 p. 535-543 (1896 Articles of Incorporation printed in full; administrative structure till 1939; function (except setting curriculum; members of the Board must be in good standing with the Church; three members of Brigham Young's family had to serve on the Board); v. 2 p. 363 (Board of Trustees same as the General Church Board of Education after 1939 reconstruction)

Brigham Young University Annual Catalog, 1904-1905: p. 5-6 (Joseph F. Smith, President; David John and Stephen L. Chipman, members of the Board of Trustees and Presidents of the Utah and Alpine Stakes)

Brigham Young University Annual Catalog, 1919-1920: p. 4 (Heber J. Grant, President)

Brigham Young University Annual Catalog, 1945-1946: p. 6 (George Albert Smith, President)

Brigham Young University Annual Catalog, 1951-1952: p. 8 (David O. McKay, President)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1970-1972: p. 526 (Joseph Fielding Smith, President)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1973-1974: p. 531 (Harold B. Lee, President)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1974-1975: p. 528 (Spencer W. Kimball, President)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1986-1987: p. 305 (Ezra Taft Benson, Chairman)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1995-1996: p. 418 (Howard W. Hunter, Chairman)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 1996-1997: p. 423 (Gordon B. Hinckley, Chairman)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 2008-2009 WWW site, July 22, 2010: BYU Administration (Thomas S. Monson, Chairman)

Brigham Young University General Catalog, 2010-2011 WWW site, July 22, 2010: BYU Administration (current members of the Board of Trustees)

Brigham Young University Board of Trustees Records, 1875-1985, (UA 6) (met in Provo as often as they could, until 1939 when they met in Salt Lake City; Executive Committee's relationship to the Board of Trustees)

Incorporation of BYU, 1949 (UA 89) (setting curriculum added to the function; formalization of the changes made in 1939 (meetings in Salt Lake City, number of Board Members until 2002, two Vice Presidents, etc.); terms of office changed to one year)

LDS Newsroom WWW site, July 22, 2010: Leaders Biographies page (ecclesiastical offices held by the current members of the Board of Trustees)

Maintenance Information

Record ID: EAC-2010-00159

Creator: JDM