Brigham Young University (often referred to as BYU, or sometimes just the Y) is a private
universityA university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
located in
Provo, UtahProvo 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...
. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.
Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students are members of the LDS Church, and one-third of its American students come from within the state of
UtahUtah 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...
. BYU students are required to follow an
honor codeThe Brigham Young University Honor Code is a set of standards by which students and faculty at Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church,...
, which mandates behavior in line with LDS teachings (e.g., academic honesty, adherence to dress and grooming standards, and abstinence from
extramarital sexThe law of chastity is a moral code defined by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . According to the church, chastity means abstinence from sexual relations before marriage, and complete fidelity to one's husband or wife during marriage...
and from
the consumption of drugs and alcoholThe "Word of Wisdom" is the common name of a section of the Doctrine and Covenants, a book considered by many churches within the Latter Day Saint movement to consist of revelations from God...
). Many students (78% of men, 10% of women) take a two-year hiatus from their studies at some point to serve as
Mormon missionariesThe 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...
. Many BYU students speak foreign languages during their Mormon missions, and approximately 31% of the student body enroll in foreign language courses, making it one of the most multilingual student bodies in the United States. A BYU education is also less expensive than at similar private universities since approximately 70% of tuition is funded by LDS Church
tithingA tithe is a one-tenth part of something, paid as a contribution to a religious organization or compulsory tax to government. Today, tithes are normally voluntary and paid in cash, cheques, or stocks, whereas historically tithes were required and paid in kind, such as agricultural products...
funds.
BYU offers programs in
liberal artsThe term liberal arts refers to those subjects which in classical antiquity were considered essential for a free citizen to study. Grammar, Rhetoric and Logic were the core liberal arts. In medieval times these subjects were extended to include mathematics, geometry, music and astronomy...
,
engineeringEngineering is the discipline, art, skill and profession of acquiring and applying scientific, mathematical, economic, social, and practical knowledge, in order to design and build structures, machines, devices, systems, materials and processes that safely realize improvements to the lives of...
,
agricultureAgriculture is the cultivation of animals, plants, fungi and other life forms for food, fiber, and other products used to sustain life. Agriculture was the key implement in the rise of sedentary human civilization, whereby farming of domesticated species created food surpluses that nurtured the...
,
managementManagement in all business and organizational activities is the act of getting people together to accomplish desired goals and objectives using available resources efficiently and effectively...
, and
lawLaw is a system of rules and guidelines which are enforced through social institutions to govern behavior, wherever possible. It shapes politics, economics and society in numerous ways and serves as a social mediator of relations between people. Contract law regulates everything from buying a bus...
. The university is broadly organized into 11 colleges or schools at its main Provo campus, with certain colleges and divisions defining their own admission standards. The university also administers two satellite campuses, one in Jerusalem and one in Salt Lake City, while its parent organization, the
Church Educational SystemThe Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
, sponsors sister schools in Hawaii and
IdahoBrigham Young University–Idaho is a private university located in Rexburg, Idaho. Founded in 1888, the university is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and transitioned from a junior college to a four-year institution in 2001, known for the greater part of its...
. The university's primary focus is on
undergraduate educationUndergraduate education is an education level taken prior to gaining a first degree . Hence, in many subjects in many educational systems, undergraduate education is post-secondary education up to the level of a bachelor's degree, such as in the United States, where a university entry level is...
, but it also has 68
master'sA master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
and 25 doctoral degree programs.
BYU's athletic teams compete in Division I of the
NCAAThe National Collegiate Athletic Association is a semi-voluntary association of 1,281 institutions, conferences, organizations and individuals that organizes the athletic programs of many colleges and universities in the United States...
and are collectively known as the
BYU CougarsBYU Cougars is an American soccer team based in Provo, Utah, United States. The team plays in the USL Premier Development League , the fourth tier of the American Soccer Pyramid, in the Southwest Division of the Western Conference....
. They are independent in football, with other sports in the
West Coast ConferenceThe West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
and
MPSFThe Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
, and have won ten national championships.
History
Early days
Brigham Young University's origin can be traced back to 1862 when a man named Warren Dusenberry started a Provo school in a prominent adobe building called Cluff Hall, which was located in the northeast corner of 200 East and 200 North. On October 16, 1875,
Brigham YoungBrigham Young was an American leader in the Latter Day Saint movement and a settler of the Western United States. He was the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1847 until his death in 1877, he founded Salt Lake City, and he served as the first governor of the Utah...
, then President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, personally purchased the Lewis Building after previously hinting that a school would be built in Draper, Utah in 1867. Hence, October 16, 1875 is commonly held as BYU's founding date. Said Young about his vision: "I hope to see an Academy established in Provo... at which the children of the Latter-day Saints can receive a good education unmixed with the pernicious atheistic influences that are found in so many of the higher schools of the country."
The school broke off from the University of Deseret and became Brigham Young Academy, with classes commencing on January 3, 1876. Warren Dusenberry served as interim principal of the school for several months until April 1876 when Brigham Young's choice for principal arrived—a German immigrant named
Karl Maeser-Brigham Young Academy:When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876 it was dying. Enrollment had declined since Warren N. Dusenberry had started the school a few months before. There were only 29 students at the time of Maeser's arrival....
. The school did not become a university, however, until the end of
Benjamin Cluff, Jr'sBenjamin Cluff, Jr. was the first President of Brigham Young University, and the school's third principal. Under his administration, the students and faculty more than doubled in size, and the school went from an academy to a university and was officially incorporated by The Church of Jesus...
term at the helm of the institution. At that time, the school was also still privately supported by members of the community and was not absorbed and sponsored officially by the LDS Church until July 18, 1896. A series of odd managerial decisions by Cluff led to his demotion; however, in his last official act, he proposed to the Board that the Academy be named "Brigham Young University". The suggestion received a large amount of opposition, many members of the Board saying that the school wasn't large enough to be a university, but the decision ultimately passed. One opponent to the decision, Anthon H. Lund, later said, "I hope their head will grow big enough for their hat."
In 1903, Brigham Young Academy was dissolved, and was replaced by two institutions:
Brigham Young High SchoolBrigham Young High School was a private high school in Provo, Utah, first known as Brigham Young Academy, later attached to Brigham Young University and operated under the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .- History :When Brigham Young Academy was...
, and Brigham Young University. (The BY High School class of 1907 was ultimately responsible for the famous giant "Y" that is to this day
embedded on a mountainY Mountain is located directly east of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The Slide Canyon/Y Mountain Trail leads to a large block Y located 1.2 miles from a parking area at the mountain's base. This hillside letter was built over a hundred years ago as the insignia for BYU...
near campus.) The Board elected
George H. BrimhallGeorge 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...
as the new President of BYU. He had not received a high school education until he was forty. Nevertheless, he was an excellent orator and organizer. Under his tenure in 1904 the new Brigham Young University bought 17 acres (68,796.6 m²) of land from Provo called "Temple Hill". After some controversy among locals over BYU's purchase of this property, construction began in 1909 on the first building on the current campus, the Karl G. Maeser Memorial. Brimhall also presided over the University during a brief crisis involving the theory of evolution. The religious nature of the school seemed at the time to collide with this scientific theory.
Joseph F. SmithJoseph Fielding Smith, Sr. was the sixth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
, President of the Church, settled the question for a time by asking that evolution not be taught at the school. A few have described the school at this time as nothing more than a "religious seminary". However, many of its graduates at this time would go on to great success and renown in their fields.
Expansion
Franklin S. HarrisFranklin Stewart Harris was president of Brigham Young University from 1921 until 1945, and president of Utah State University from 1945 to 1950....
was appointed President of the University in 1921. He was the first President of BYU to have a doctoral degree. Harris made several important changes to the school, reorganizing it into a true University, whereas before, its organization had remnants of the Academy days. At the beginning of his tenure, the school was not officially recognized as a university by any accreditation organization. By the end of his term, the school was accredited under all major accrediting organizations at the time. He was eventually replaced by President
Howard S. McDonald, who received his doctorate from the
University of CaliforniaThe University of California, Berkeley , is a teaching and research university established in 1868 and located in Berkeley, California, USA...
. When he first received the position, the Second World War had just ended, and thousands of students were flooding into BYU. By the end of his stay, the school had grown nearly five times to an enrollment of 5,440 students. The University did not have the facilities to handle such a large influx, so he bought part of an Air Force Base in
Ogden, UtahOgden 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 rebuilt it to house some of the students. The next President,
Ernest L. WilkinsonErnest Leroy Wilkinson was an American academic administrator and prominent figure in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was president of Brigham Young University from 1951 to 1971 and also oversaw the entire LDS Church Educational System. Prior to this, Wilkinson was a lawyer...
, also oversaw a period of intense growth, as the school adopted an accelerated building program. Wilkinson was responsible for the building of over eighty structures on the campus, many of which still stand to this day. During his tenure, the student body increased six times, making BYU the largest private school at the time. The quality of the students also increased, leading to higher educational standards at the school. Finally, President Wilkinson reorganized the LDS church units on campus, with ten stakes and over 100 wards being added during his administration.
Dallin H. OaksDallin Harris Oaks is an American attorney, jurist, author, professor, public speaker, and religious leader. Since 1984, he has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
replaced Wilkinson as President in 1971. Oaks continued the expansion of his predecessor, adding a law school and proposing plans for a new School of Management. During his administration, a new library was also added, doubling the library space on campus.
Jeffrey R. HollandJeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
followed as President in 1980, encouraging a combination of educational excellence and religious faith at the university. He believed that one of the school's greatest strengths was its religious nature and that this should be taken advantage of rather than hidden. During his administration, the university added a campus in Jerusalem, now called the BYU Jerusalem Center. In 1989, Holland was replaced by
Rex E. LeeRex Edwin Lee from St. Johns, Arizona was a Constitutional lawyer, a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White, and the United States Solicitor General under the Reagan administration. He argued 59 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court...
. Lee was responsible for the Benson Science Building and the Museum of Art on campus. A cancer victim, Lee is memorialized annually at BYU during a cancer fundraiser called the Rex Lee Run. Lee was replaced shortly before his death in 1996 by
Merrill J. BatemanMerrill Joseph Bateman is an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . From 2003 to 2007, Bateman was a member of the Presidency of the Quorums of the Seventy of the church...
. Bateman was responsible for the building of 36 new buildings for the University both on and off campus, including the expansion of the Harold B. Lee Library from 1996-1999. He was also one of several key college leaders who brought about the creation of the
Mountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
, which BYU's athletics program joined—BYU previously participating in the
Western Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. A BYU satellite TV network also opened in 2000 under his leadership. Bateman was also president during the September 11th attacks in 2001. The planes crashed on a Tuesday, mere hours before the weekly devotional normally held at BYU. Previous plans for the devotional were altered, as Bateman led the student body in a prayer for peace. Bateman was followed by
Cecil O. SamuelsonCecil Osborn Samuelson, Jr. is the 12th and current president of Brigham Young University and has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1994...
in 2003, who is the current president.
Admissions and demographics
BYU accepted 68% of the 10,409 people who applied for admission in the summer term and fall semester of 2009. The average ACT score and GPA for these admitted students was 28.2 and 3.8, respectively. U.S. News and World Report describes BYU's selectivity as being "more selective" and compares it with such universities as the University of Texas and The Ohio State University. In addition, BYU is ranked 26th in colleges with the most freshman
Merit ScholarsThe National Merit Scholarship Program is a United States academic scholarship competition for recognition and college scholarships administered by National Merit Scholarship Corporation , a privately funded, not-for-profit organization. The program began in 1955...
, with 88 in 2006. For the past two years, BYU outranked every university in the country including
Harvard UniversityHarvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
for the percentage of accepted applicants that go on to enroll (78% vs. 76% for Harvard).
Students from every state in the U.S. and from many foreign countries attend BYU. (In the 2005-6 academic year, there were 2,396 foreign students, or 8% of enrollment.) Slightly more than 98% of these students are active members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In 2006, 12.6% of the student body reported themselves as ethnic minorities, mostly Asians, Pacific islanders and Hispanics.
Graduation honors
Undergraduate students may qualify for graduation honors. University Honors is the highest distinction BYU awards its graduates. Administered by the
Honors ProgramThe BYU Honors Program is a department within the College of Undergraduate Education at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah. The program complements the university's educational agenda by providing the benefits of a small liberal arts learning community to interested students...
, the distinction requires students to complete an honors curriculum requirement, a Great Works requirement, an Advanced Languages requirement, a service requirement, an honors thesis requirement, a graduation portfolio that summarizes the student's honors experiences—all while maintaining at least a 3.5 GPA.
The university also awards
Latin scholastic distinctionsLatin honors are Latin phrases used to indicate the level of academic distinction with which an academic degree was earned. This system is primarily used in the United States, Canada, and in many countries of continental Europe, though some institutions also use the English translation of these...
separately from the Honors Program: summa cum laude (top 1 percent), magna cum laude (top 5 percent), and cum laude (top 10 percent). The university additionally recognizes
Phi Kappa PhiThe Honor Society of Phi Kappa Phi is an honor society established 1897 to recognize and encourage superior scholarship without restriction as to area of study and to promote the "unity and democracy of education"...
graduation honors.
Rankings
For 2012,
U.S. News & World ReportU.S. News & World Report is an American news magazine published from Washington, D.C. Along with Time and Newsweek it was for many years a leading news weekly, focusing more than its counterparts on political, economic, health and education stories...
ranked BYU as #71 for national universities in the United States. The Princeton Review has ranked BYU the best value for college in 2007, and its
libraryThe Harold B. Lee Library , located in Provo, Utah, is the main academic library of Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States. The library has approximately of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections, as...
is consistently ranked in the nation's top ten—#1 in 2004 and #4 in 2007. BYU is also ranked #19 in the U.S. News and World Report's "Great Schools, Great Prices" lineup, and #12 in lowest student-incurred debt. Due in part to the school's emphasis on undergraduate research, BYU is ranked #10 nationally for the number of students who go on to earn PhDs, #1 nationally for students who go on to dental school, #6 nationally for students who go on to law school, and #10 nationally for students who go on to medical school. BYU is designated as a research university with high research activity by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching.
In 2009, the university's
Marriott School of ManagementThe Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
received a #5 ranking by
BusinessWeekBloomberg Businessweek, commonly and formerly known as BusinessWeek, is a weekly business magazine published by Bloomberg L.P. It is currently headquartered in New York City.- History :...
for its undergraduate programs, and its MBA program was ranked by several sources: #22 ranking by BusinessWeek, #16 by
ForbesForbes is an American publishing and media company. Its flagship publication, the Forbes magazine, is published biweekly. Its primary competitors in the national business magazine category are Fortune, which is also published biweekly, and Business Week...
, and #29 by U.S. News & World Report. Among regional schools the MBA program was ranked #1 by
The Wall Street Journal'sThe Wall Street Journal is an American English-language international daily newspaper. It is published in New York City by Dow Jones & Company, a division of News Corporation, along with the Asian and European editions of the Journal....
most recent ranking (2007), and it was ranked #92 among business schools worldwide in 2009 by
Financial TimesThe Financial Times is an international business newspaper. It is a morning daily newspaper published in London and printed in 24 cities around the world. Its primary rival is the Wall Street Journal, published in New York City....
. For 2009, the university's
School of AccountancyThe School of Accountancy at Brigham Young University is a department within the Marriott School of Management. The school offers one bachelor's degree and one master's degree.-History:...
, which is housed within the Marriott School, received two #3 rankings for its undergraduate program—one by
Public Accounting Report' is a semi-monthly eight-page newsletter that covers competitive intelligence and the business side of the public accounting profession. Among its proprietary features are the PAR Top 100, an annual ranking of the 100 largest accounting firms in the United States; and the PAR Professors Survey,...
and the other by U.S. News & World Report. The same two reporting agencies also ranked the school's
MAccMACC is an acronym that can stand for the following items:*Master of Accountancy, a graduate professional degree designed to prepare students for public accounting....
program #3 and #8 in the nation, respectively.
Notable research and awards
Scientists associated with BYU have created some notable inventions. Philo T. Farnsworth, inventor of the electronic television, received his education at BYU, and later returned to do fusion research, receiving an honorary degree from the university.
Harvey FletcherHarvey Fletcher was an American physicist. Known as the "father of stereophonic sound" he is credited with the invention of the audiometer and hearing aid...
, also an alumnus of BYU, inventor of stereophonic sound, went on to carry out the now famous
oil-drop experimentThe oil drop experiment was an experiment performed by Robert Millikan and Harvey Fletcher in 1909 to measure the elementary electric charge ....
with
Robert MillikanRobert A. Millikan was an American experimental physicist, and Nobel laureate in physics for his measurement of the charge on the electron and for his work on the photoelectric effect. He served as president of Caltech from 1921 to 1945...
, and was later Founding Dean of the
BYU College of EngineeringThe Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology represents Brigham Young University's engineering discipline and includes the following engineering departments: chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical, and the school of technology...
. H. Tracy Hall, inventor of the man-made diamond, left
General ElectricGeneral Electric Company , or GE, is an American multinational conglomerate corporation incorporated in Schenectady, New York and headquartered in Fairfield, Connecticut, United States...
in 1955 and became a full professor of chemistry and Director of Research at BYU. While there, he invented a new type of diamond press, the tetrahedral press. The Department of
Computer ScienceComputer science or computing science is the study of the theoretical foundations of information and computation and of practical techniques for their implementation and application in computer systems...
developed and currently maintains
phpLDAPadminphpLDAPadmin is a Lightweight Directory Access Protocol administration web application written in PHP. It is licensed under the GNU General Public License.-History:...
, an award-winning
open sourceOpen-source software is computer software that is available in source code form: the source code and certain other rights normally reserved for copyright holders are provided under a software license that permits users to study, change, improve and at times also to distribute the software.Open...
project. In May 2008, research by economics professor Joseph Price regarding the effects of child birth order was featured on Today. In student achievements, BYU Ad Lab teams won both the 2007 and 2008
L'OréalThe L'Oréal Group is the world's largest cosmetics and beauty company. With its registered office in Paris and head office in the Paris suburb of Clichy, Hauts-de-Seine, France, it has developed activities in the field of cosmetics...
National Brandstorm Competition, and students developed the Magnetic Lasso algorithm found in
Adobe PhotoshopAdobe Photoshop is a graphics editing program developed and published by Adobe Systems Incorporated.Adobe's 2003 "Creative Suite" rebranding led to Adobe Photoshop 8's renaming to Adobe Photoshop CS. Thus, Adobe Photoshop CS5 is the 12th major release of Adobe Photoshop...
. In prestigious scholarships, BYU has produced 10
Rhodes ScholarsThe Rhodes Scholarship, named after Cecil Rhodes, is an international postgraduate award for study at the University of Oxford. It was the first large-scale programme of international scholarships, and is widely considered the "world's most prestigious scholarship" by many public sources such as...
, four Gates Scholars in the last six years, and in the last decade has claimed 41
Fulbright scholarsThe Fulbright Program, including the Fulbright-Hays Program, is a program of competitive, merit-based grants for international educational exchange for students, scholars, teachers, professionals, scientists and artists, founded by United States Senator J. William Fulbright in 1946. Under the...
and 3
Jack Kent CookeJack Kent Cooke was a Canadian entrepreneur and former owner of the Washington Redskins , the Los Angeles Lakers , and the Los Angeles Kings , and built The Forum in Inglewood, California and FedEx Field in Landover, Maryland.-Early career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Cooke moved with his family to...
scholars.
International focus
Over three quarters of the student body have some proficiency in a second language (numbering 107 languages in total). This is partially due to the fact that 45% of the student body at BYU have been
missionariesThe 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 Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and many of them learned a foreign language as part of their mission assignment. During any given semester, about one-third of the student body is enrolled in foreign language classes, a rate nearly four times the national average. BYU offers courses in over 60 different languages, many with advanced courses that are seldom offered elsewhere. Several of its language programs are the largest of their kind in the nation, the Russian program being one example. The university was selected by the
United States Department of EducationThe United States Department of Education, also referred to as ED or the ED for Education Department, is a Cabinet-level department of the United States government...
as the location of the national Middle East Language Resource Center, making the school a hub for experts on that region. It was also selected as a Center for International Business Education Research, a function of which is to train business employees in international languages and relations.
Beyond this, BYU also runs a very large study abroad program, with satellite centers in London, Jerusalem, and Paris, as well as more than 20 other sites. Nearly 2,000 students take advantage of these programs yearly. In 2001, the
Institute of International EducationInstitute of International Education - is a non-profit organization promoting international exchange of education and training. It was established in 1919 and is based in the USA....
ranked BYU as the number one university in the U.S. to offer students study abroad opportunities. The BYU Jerusalem Center, which was closed in 2000 due to student security concerns related to the Second Intifada and, more recently, the
2006 Israel-Lebanon conflictThe 2006 Lebanon War, also called the 2006 Israel-Hezbollah War and known in Lebanon as the July War #Other uses|Tammūz]]) and in Israel as the Second Lebanon War , was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, northern Israel and the Israeli-occupied territories. The principal parties were Hezbollah...
, was reopened to students in the Winter 2007 semester.
A few special additions enhance the language-learning experience. For example, BYU's
International Cinema, featuring films in several languages, is the largest and longest-running university-run foreign film program in the country. As already noted, BYU also offers an intensive foreign language living experience, the Foreign Language Student Residence. This is an on-campus apartment complex where students commit to only speak their foreign language of choice while in their apartments. Each apartment has at least one native speaker to ensure correct language usage.
Academic freedom issues
In 1992, the university drafted a new Statement on Academic Freedom, specifying that limitations may be placed upon "expression with students or in public that: (1) contradicts or opposes, rather than analyzes or discusses, fundamental Church doctrine or policy; (2) deliberately attacks or derides the Church or its general leaders; or (3) violates the
Honor CodeThe Brigham Young University Honor Code is a set of standards by which students and faculty at Brigham Young University, a school owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, are required to live. The standards derive in many ways from codes of conduct of the LDS Church,...
because the expression is dishonest, illegal, unchaste, profane, or unduly disrespectful of others." These restrictions have caused some controversy as several professors have been disciplined according to the new rule. The
American Association of University ProfessorsThe American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
has claimed that "infringements on academic freedom are distressingly common and that the climate for academic freedom is distressingly poor."
The new rules have not affected BYU's accreditation, as the university's chosen accrediting body allows "religious colleges and universities to place limitations on academic freedom so long as they publish those limitations candidly", according to associate academic vice president Jim Gordon. The
AAUPThe American Association of University Professors is an organization of professors and other academics in the United States. AAUP membership is about 47,000, with over 500 local campus chapters and 39 state organizations...
's concern was not with restrictions on the faculty member's religious expression but with a failure, as alleged by the faculty member and AAUP, that the restrictions had not been adequately specified in advance by BYU: "The AAUP requires that any doctrinal limitations on academic freedom be laid out clearly in writing. We [AAUP] concluded that BYU had failed to do so adequately."
Organization and administration
| College/school founding |
| College/school |
Year founded |
|
| David O. McKay School of Education The David O. McKay School of Education operates one of the largest teacher preparation programs in the nation. The school specializes in improving learning and teaching in the school as well as in the home, church and community worldwide. The McKay School is located on the southwest end of Brigham...
|
1913 |
| Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology The Ira A. Fulton College of Engineering and Technology represents Brigham Young University's engineering discipline and includes the following engineering departments: chemical, civil, electrical and computer, mechanical, and the school of technology...
|
1953 |
| Family, Home, and Social Sciences |
1969 |
| College of Fine Arts and Communications BYU College of Fine Arts and CommunicationsThe College of Fine Arts and Communications is one of nine colleges at Brigham Young University, a private university operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and located in Provo, Utah...
|
1925 |
| College of Health and Human Performance (disbanded in 2009) The BYU College of Health and Human Performance began as the College of Recreation, Physical Education, Health and Athletics in 1955. This college drew the Health, Physical Education and Recreation Department from the College of Education, the Intercollegiate Athletics and Intramural Sports...
|
1955 |
| College of Humanities The BYU College of Humanities was formed in 1965 by the Division of the College of Humanities and Social Sciences into the College of Humanities and the College of Social Sciences. The College of Social Sciences was later merged into the College of Family, Home and Social Sciences although some of...
|
1965 |
J. Reuben Clark Law SchoolThe J. Reuben Clark Law School is a professional graduate school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University. Founded in 1973, the school is named after J. Reuben Clark, Jr.—former U.S. Ambassador, Undersecretary of State, and LDS Church General Authority—and its charter dean was former...
|
1973 |
| College of Life Sciences The BYU College of Life Sciences was originally named the College of Biology and Agriculture. It was formed in 1954 from the division of the College of Applied Science into this college and the College of Family Living, which was a partial predecessor of the College of Family, Home and Social...
|
1954 |
Marriott School of ManagementThe Marriott School of Management is a business school located in Provo, Utah at Brigham Young University , a private university in the United States owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
|
1891 |
| College of Nursing The BYU College of Nursing is one of the 16 colleges that make up Brigham Young University. It currently has over 400 students.It began as a the BYU School of Nursing in the fall of 1952 offering a bachelors degree in nursing with Vivian Hansen as the first dean...
|
1953 |
| College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences The BYU College of Physical and Mathematical Sciences was first organized in 1949 the College of Physical and Engineering Sciences. Engineering was later separated off and merged with the College of Industrial and Technical Education to form the College of Engineering and Technology...
|
1949 |
| College of Religious Education The BYU College of Religious Education runs the various programs related to teaching Mormonism at Brigham Young University . In the past it has granted various masters degrees and Doctor of Religious Education degrees...
|
1959 |
Brigham Young University is a part of the
Church Educational SystemThe Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints consists of several institutions that provide religious and secular education for both Latter-day Saint and non-Latter-day Saint elementary, secondary, and post-secondary students and adult learners...
of LDS Church. It is organized under a Board of Trustees, with the President of the Church (
Thomas S. MonsonThomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
as of 2011) as chairman. This board consists of the same people as Church Board of Education which oversees the entire Church Educational System, a pattern that has been in place since 1939. Before that BYU had a separate board of trustees that was subordinate to the Church Board of Education. The President of BYU, currently
Cecil O. SamuelsonCecil Osborn Samuelson, Jr. is the 12th and current president of Brigham Young University and has been a general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 1994...
, works in cooperation with the board.
The university operates under 11 colleges or schools, which collectively offer 194 bachelor's degree programs, 68 master's degree programs, 25 Ph.D. programs, and a
Juris DoctorJuris Doctor is a professional doctorate and first professional graduate degree in law.The degree was first awarded by Harvard University in the United States in the late 19th century and was created as a modern version of the old European doctor of law degree Juris Doctor (see etymology and...
program. BYU also manages some courses and majors through the
David M. Kennedy Center for International StudiesThe David M. Kennedy Center for International Studies provides international study and service opportunities for students at Brigham Young University ....
and "miscellaneous" college departments, including Undergraduate Education, Graduate Studies, Independent Study, Continuing Education, and the Honors Program. BYU's Winter semester ends earlier than most universities in April since there is no
Spring breakSpring break – also known as March break, Study week or Reading week in the United Kingdom and some parts of Canada – is a recess in early spring at universities and schools in the United States, Canada, mainland China, Korea, Japan, Taiwan, Mexico, the Dominican Republic, the United...
, thus allowing students to pursue internships and other summer activities earlier. A typical academic year is broken up into two semesters: Fall (September–December) and Winter (January–April), as well as two shorter terms during the summer months: Spring (May–June) and Summer (July–August).
Campus
The main campus in
Provo, UtahProvo 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...
,
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
sits on approximately 560 acres (2.3 km²) nestled at the base of the Wasatch Mountains and includes 295 buildings. The buildings feature a wide variety of architectural styles, each building being built in the style of its time. The grass, trees, and flower beds on BYU's campus are impeccably maintained. Furthermore, views of the Wasatch Mountains, (including
Mount TimpanogosMount Timpanogos, sometimes informally referred to as Timp, is the second highest mountain in Utah's Wasatch Range. Timpanogos rises to an elevation of 11,749 feet above sea level in the Uinta National Forest...
) can be seen from the campus. BYU's
Harold B. Lee LibraryThe Harold B. Lee Library , located in Provo, Utah, is the main academic library of Brigham Young University, the largest religious and second-largest private university in the United States. The library has approximately of shelving for the more than 6 million items in its various collections, as...
(also known as "HBLL" or "The Hubble"), which
The Princeton ReviewThe Princeton Review is an American-based standardized test preparation and admissions consulting company. The Princeton Review operates in 41 states and 22 countries across the globe. It offers test preparation for standardized aptitude tests such as the SAT and advice regarding college...
ranked as the #1 "Great College Library" in 2004, has approximately 8½ million items in its collections, contains 98 miles (157.7 km) of shelving, and can seat 4,600 people. The
Spencer W. Kimball TowerThe Spencer W. Kimball Tower, also known as the SWKT or Kimball Tower, is a 12-story building that houses classrooms and administrative offices on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.-Honorary name:...
, shortened to SWKT and pronounced Swicket by many students, is home to several of the university's departments and programs and is the tallest building in Provo, Utah. Furthermore, BYU's
Marriott CenterMarriott Center is a 22,700-seat multi-purpose arena at 1497 N 450 E on the campus of Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah, and is home to the BYU Cougars men's and women's basketball teams. It is also used for weekly devotionals and forums...
, used as a basketball arena, can seat over 22,000 and is one of the largest on-campus arenas in the nation. Interestingly absent on the campus of this church owned university is a campus chapel. Notwithstanding, each Sunday LDS Church services for students are conducted on campus, but due to the large number of students atteding these services, nearly all of the buildings and possible meeting space on campus is utilized (in addition many students attend services off campus in LDS chapels in the surrounding communities).
Museums
The campus is home to several museums containing exhibits from many different fields of study. BYU's
Museum of ArtThe Brigham Young University Museum of Art, located in Provo, Utah, is the university's primary art museum and is one of the best attended university-campus art museums in the United States. The museum, which had been discussed for more than fifty years, opened in a space in October 1993 with a...
, for example, is one of the largest and most attended art museums in the Mountain West. This Museum aids in academic pursuits of students at BYU via research and study of the artworks in its collection. The Museum is also open to the general public and provides educational programming.
The Museum of Peoples and CulturesThe Brigham Young University Museum of Peoples and Cultures, located in Provo, Utah, is the university's museum of archaeology and ethnology. The Museum of Peoples and Cultures has a wide variety of collections containing over a million objects...
is a museum of archaeology and ethnology. It focuses on native cultures and artifacts of the Great Basin, American Southwest, Mesoamerica, Peru, and Polynesia. Home to more than 40,000 artifacts and 50,000 photographs, it documents BYU's archaeological research. The Museum of Paleontology was built in 1976 to display the many fossils found by BYU's Dr. James A. Jensen. It holds many artifacts from the Jurassic Period (210-140 million years ago), and is one the top five collections in the world of fossils from that time period. It has been featured in magazines, newspapers, and on television internationally. The museum receives about 25,000 visitors every year. The
Monte L. Bean Life Science MuseumThe Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum is a natural history museum housed at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah.The museum is named for Monte Lafayette Bean, a self-made Seattle-based magnate who entirely funded and paid for the museum building's construction. The Bean Museum opened in 1978,...
was formed in 1978. It features several forms of plant and animal life on display and available for research by students and scholars.
The campus also houses several performing arts facilities. The de Jong Concert Hall seats 1282 people and is named for
Gerrit de Jong Jr.Gerrit de Jong Jr. was the first dean of the College of Fine Arts at Brigham Young University...
The Pardoe Theatre is named for T. Earl and Kathryn Pardoe. Students use its stage in a variety of theatre experiments, as well as for Pardoe Series performances. It seats 500 people, and has quite a large stage with a
prosceniumA proscenium theatre is a theatre space whose primary feature is a large frame or arch , which is located at or near the front of the stage...
opening of 19 by 55 feet (16.8 m). The Margetts Theatre was named for Philip N. Margetts, a prominent Utah theatre figure. A smaller,
black box theaterThe black box theater is a relatively recent innovation, consisting of a simple, somewhat unadorned performance space, usually a large square room with black walls and a flat floor.-History:...
, it allows a variety of seating and staging formats. It seats 125, and measures 30 by 50 feet (15.2 m). The Nelke Theatre, named for one of BYU's first drama teachers, is used largely for instruction in experimental theater. It seats 280.
Student housing
Single students have four options for on-campus housing: Heritage Halls, Helaman Halls, Wyview Park, and the FLSR. Married students can live in Wymount Terrace.
Heritage Halls is a twenty-four building housing complex on campus which offers apartment-style living. The halls house both male and female students, divided by gender into separate buildings. Each building has ten to fourteen units capable of housing six people each.
Helaman Halls is a slightly newer complex which has recently undergone a 12 year renovation spanning 1991 and through 2004. Helaman Halls is a seven building (seventh added in the summer of 2010), dormitory style living area. Residents share a room (larger than Heritage Halls) with one other resident, but do not have their own kitchen and use shared bathrooms. Residents are required to have a meal plan, and eat at the newly remodeled Commons at the Cannon Center.
Wyview Park was originally built for families in 1996, but this changed in 2006 when the complex began housing single students in order to counteract loss of singles' housing in other areas. Wyview Park has 30 buildings that offer apartment-style living for students, along with the option for shared or single rooms.
The Foreign Language Student Residence complex has twenty-five apartments where students speak exclusively in a selected foreign language. The immersion experience is available in nine languages, and students are accompanied by a native resident throughout the year to enhance the experience.
Married students can house in Wymount Terrace, which contains a total of 462 apartments in 24 buildings.
Branches of the
BYU CreameryThe Brigham Young University Creamery is a grocery store for Brigham Young University students living in residence halls on campus. Students may purchase food and other items using their Signature Card accounts or traditional payment methods...
provide basic food and general grocery products for students living in Heritage Halls, Helaman, Wymount, Wyview, and the FLSR. Helaman Halls is also served by a central cafeteria called the Cannon Center. The creamery, begun in 1949, has become a BYU tradition and is also frequented by visitors to the university and members of the community. It was the first on-campus full-service grocery store in the country.
Sustainability
BYU has designated energy conservation, products and materials, recycling, site planning and building design, student involvement, transportation, water conservation, and zero waste events as top priority categories in which to further its efforts to be an environmentally sustainable campus. The university has stated that "we have a responsibility to be wise stewards of the earth and its resources." BYU is working to increase the energy efficiency of its buildings by installing various speed drives on all pumps and fans, replacing incandescent lighting with fluorescent lighting, retrofitting campus buildings with low-E reflective glass, and upgraded roof insulation to prevent heat loss. The student groups BYU Recycles, Eco-Response, and BYU Earth educate students, faculty, staff, and administrators about how the campus can decrease its environmental impact. BYU Recycles spearheaded the recent campaign to begin recycling plastics, which the university did after a year of student campaigning.
Performing arts
Dance
The
BYU Ballroom Dance CompanyThe BYU Ballroom Dance Company originates in the Department of Dance of the College of Health and Human Performance at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah...
is known as one of the best formation ballroom dance teams in the world, having won the U.S. National Formation Dance Championship every year since 1982. BYU's Ballroom dance team has won first place in Latin or Standard (or both) many times when they have competed at the
Blackpool Dance FestivalThe 8-day Blackpool Dance Festival is the world's first and most famous annual ballroom dance competition of international significance, held in the Empress Ballroom at the Winter Gardens, Blackpool, England since 1920. It is also the largest ballroom competition: in 2003, 1539 couples from 54...
, they were the first U.S. team to win the formation championships at the famed British Championships in Blackpool England in 1972 . The NDCA National
DanceSportDancesport denotes competitive ballroom dancing, as contrasted to social or exhibition dancing. It is wheelchair dancesport where at least one of the dancers is in a wheelchair....
championships have been held at BYU for several years, and BYU holds dozens of ballroom dance classes each semester and is consequently the largest collegiate ballroom dance program in the world. In addition, BYU has a number of other notable dance teams and programs. These teams range from Theater Ballet to the International Folk Dance Ensemble. BYU boasts one of the largest dance departments in the nation. Many students from all different majors across campus participate in various dance classes each semester.
Music
The
Young AmbassadorsThe Young Ambassadors are a song and dance performing group from Brigham Young University. Since their first international performance at world exposition 1970 in Osaka, Japan, they have performed throughout the United States and over 56 other nations. Their audiences have included the prime...
is a song and dance performing group with a 50-year history at BYU. Prior to 1970 the group was known as Curtain Time USA. In the 1960s their world tour stops included
LebanonLebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
,
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, and
IraqIraq ; officially the Republic of Iraq is a country in Western Asia spanning most of the northwestern end of the Zagros mountain range, the eastern part of the Syrian Desert and the northern part of the Arabian Desert....
. The group first performed as the Young Ambasadors at
Expo '70was a World's Fair held in Suita, Osaka, Japan between March 15 and September 13, 1970. The theme of the Expo was "Progress and Harmony for Mankind." In Japanese Expo '70 is often referred to as Ōsaka Banpaku...
in
JapanJapan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
, and has since performed in over 56 nations. The royalty of
ThailandThailand , officially the Kingdom of Thailand , formerly known as Siam , is a country located at the centre of the Indochina peninsula and Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Burma and Laos, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the...
and
JordanJordan , officially the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan , Al-Mamlaka al-Urduniyya al-Hashemiyya) is a kingdom on the East Bank of the River Jordan. The country borders Saudi Arabia to the east and south-east, Iraq to the north-east, Syria to the north and the West Bank and Israel to the west, sharing...
, along with persons of high office in countries such as
IndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world...
, have been among their audiences.
BYU also has a strong emphasis on
jazzJazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
music with the premiere performing group Synthesis leading the way. Synthesis has toured in over 30 countries and performed at some of the biggest jazz festivals in the world, namely
MontreuxMontreux is a municipality in the district of Riviera-Pays-d'Enhaut in the canton of Vaud in Switzerland.It is located on Lake Geneva at the foot of the Alps and has a population, , of and nearly 90,000 in the agglomeration.- History :...
(Switzerland),
PoriPori is a city and municipality on the west coast of Finland. The city is located some from the Gulf of Bothnia, on the estuary of the Kokemäenjoki river, which is the largest in Finland. Pori is the most important town in the Satakunta region....
(Finland),
CopenhagenCopenhagen is the capital and largest city of Denmark, with an urban population of 1,199,224 and a metropolitan population of 1,930,260 . With the completion of the transnational Øresund Bridge in 2000, Copenhagen has become the centre of the increasingly integrating Øresund Region...
(Denmark),
UmbriaUmbria is a region of modern central Italy. It is one of the smallest Italian regions and the only peninsular region that is landlocked.Its capital is Perugia.Assisi and Norcia are historical towns associated with St. Francis of Assisi, and St...
(Italy), IAJE (International Association of Jazz Educators) and many others. Synthesis also performed at the
2000 World ExpoExpo 2000 was a World's Fair held in Hanover, Germany from Thursday, June 1 to Tuesday, October 31, 2000. It was located on the Hanover fairground , which is famous for hosting CeBIT...
in Hannover, Germany. Many of Synthesis alumni have gone on to perform and record nationally and internationally as well as teach at prestigious universities nationwide. BYU offers degree programs in
MusicMusic theory is the study of how music works. It examines the language and notation of music. It seeks to identify patterns and structures in composers' techniques across or within genres, styles, or historical periods...
,
Music EducationMusic education is a field of study associated with the teaching and learning of music. It touches on all domains of learning, including the psychomotor domain , the cognitive domain , and, in particular and significant ways,the affective domain, including music appreciation and sensitivity...
, Music Performance, Jazz Studies and many more.
BYU's Wind Symphony and Chamber Orchestra have toured many countries including
DenmarkDenmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
,
Hong KongHong Kong is one of two Special Administrative Regions of the People's Republic of China , the other being Macau. A city-state situated on China's south coast and enclosed by the Pearl River Delta and South China Sea, it is renowned for its expansive skyline and deep natural harbour...
,
RussiaRussia or , officially known as both Russia and the Russian Federation , is a country in northern Eurasia. It is a federal semi-presidential republic, comprising 83 federal subjects...
, the
British IslesThe British Isles are a group of islands off the northwest coast of continental Europe that include the islands of Great Britain and Ireland and over six thousand smaller isles. There are two sovereign states located on the islands: the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland and...
, and
Central EuropeCentral Europe or alternatively Middle Europe is a region of the European continent lying between the variously defined areas of Eastern and Western Europe...
. The Symphonic Band is also an
ensembleA musical ensemble is a group of people who perform instrumental or vocal music. In classical music, trios or quartets either blend the sounds of musical instrument families or group together instruments from the same instrument family, such as string ensembles or wind ensembles...
dedicated to developing the musician, but with a less strenuous focus on
performanceA performance, in performing arts, generally comprises an event in which a performer or group of performers behave in a particular way for another group of people, the audience. Choral music and ballet are examples. Usually the performers participate in rehearsals beforehand. Afterwards audience...
. Additionally, BYU has a
marching bandMarching band is a physical activity in which a group of instrumental musicians generally perform outdoors and incorporate some type of marching with their musical performance. Instrumentation typically includes brass, woodwinds, and percussion instruments...
program called the Cougar Marching Band.
BYU has a choral program with over 500 members. The four BYU auditioned
choirsThe choirs at Brigham Young University consist of four auditioned choirs: the Concert Choir, the Men's Chorus, the Women's Chorus, and the Brigham Young University Singers. Each choir is highly accomplished and performs from an extensive repertoire. Together, the choirs have recorded and released a...
include the 40-member
BYU SingersThe choirs at Brigham Young University consist of four auditioned choirs: the Concert Choir, the Men's Chorus, the Women's Chorus, and the Brigham Young University Singers. Each choir is highly accomplished and performs from an extensive repertoire. Together, the choirs have recorded and released a...
, the 90-member
BYU Concert ChoirThe choirs at Brigham Young University consist of four auditioned choirs: the Concert Choir, the Men's Chorus, the Women's Chorus, and the Brigham Young University Singers. Each choir is highly accomplished and performs from an extensive repertoire. Together, the choirs have recorded and released a...
, the 200-member
BYU Men's ChorusThe choirs at Brigham Young University consist of four auditioned choirs: the Concert Choir, the Men's Chorus, the Women's Chorus, and the Brigham Young University Singers. Each choir is highly accomplished and performs from an extensive repertoire. Together, the choirs have recorded and released a...
(the largest male collegiate choir in the U.S.), and the 190-member
BYU Women's ChorusThe choirs at Brigham Young University consist of four auditioned choirs: the Concert Choir, the Men's Chorus, the Women's Chorus, and the Brigham Young University Singers. Each choir is highly accomplished and performs from an extensive repertoire. Together, the choirs have recorded and released a...
. Both the BYU Men's Chorus and BYU Singers have toured across the
United StatesThe United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and around the globe. Each of the four groups has recorded several times under BYU's label
Tantara RecordsTantara Records is a recording label owned by Brigham Young University and operated by the BYU School of Music. The mission of Tantara is to promote the musical works of BYU, both by its various vocal and instrumental ensembles and also the works of its faculty who are musical composers, artists...
.
Athletics
BYU has 21 NCAA varsity teams. Nineteen of these teams have played mainly in the
Mountain West ConferenceThe Mountain West Conference , popularly known as the Mountain West, is the youngest of the college athletic conferences affiliated with the NCAA’s Division I FBS . The MWC officially began operations in July 1999...
since its inception in 1999. Prior to that time BYU teams competed in the
Western Athletic ConferenceThe Western Athletic Conference is an American collegiate athletic conference, which was formed on July 27, 1962, making it the sixth oldest of the 11 college athletic conferences currently participating in the NCAA's Division I FBS...
. All teams are named the "Cougars", and
Cosmo the CougarCosmo the Cougar is the official mascot of Brigham Young University's athletic teams. He can be seen at many sporting events, wearing the uniform of the team that is playing. In the past, Cosmo's job was a volunteer position, and no scholarship or academic assistance was given...
has been the school's mascot since 1953. The school's fight song is the Cougar Fight Song. Because many of its players serve on full time missions for two years, BYU's athletes are often older on average than other school's players. The NCAA allows students to serve missions for two years without subtracting that time from their eligibility period. This has caused minor controversy, but is largely recognized as not lending the school any significant advantage, since players receive no athletic and little physical training during their missions. BYU has also received attention from sports networks for refusal to play games on Sunday, as well as expelling players due to honor code violations. BYU football will start the 2011 college football season as an independent. Other sports will leave the MWC and compete in the
West Coast ConferenceThe West Coast Conference is an NCAA collegiate athletics conference consisting of nine member schools across the states of California, Oregon, Utah and Washington....
. Swimming and diving will join the Men's Volleyball Program in the
Mountain Pacific Sports FederationThe Mountain Pacific Sports Federation is a college athletic conference whose member teams are located in the western United States. The conference participates at the NCAA Division I level.-History:...
. The Cougars will also compete in the MPSF for indoor track and field on both the men's and women's side. For outdoor track and field, the Cougars will become an Independent. Softball will return to the Western Athletic Conference.
LDS atmosphere
"The mission of [BYU] is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life. That assistance should provide a period of intensive learning in a stimulating setting where a commitment to excellence is expected and the full realization of human potential is pursued...." |
| — BYU Mission Statement |
BYU's stated mission "is to assist individuals in their quest for perfection and eternal life." BYU is thus considered by its leaders to be at heart a religious institution, wherein, ideally, religious and secular education are interwoven in a way that encourages the highest standards in both areas. This weaving of the secular and the religious aspects of a religious university goes back as far as Brigham Young himself, who told Karl G. Maeser when the Church purchased the school: "I want you to remember that you ought not to teach even the alphabet or the
multiplication tables without the Spirit of God."
BYU has been considered by some Latter-day Saints, as well as some university and Church leaders, to be "The Lord's university". This phrase is used in reference to the school's mission as an "ambassador" to the world for the LDS Church and thus, for Jesus Christ. In the past, some students and faculty have expressed dissatisfaction with this nickname, stating that it gives students the idea that university authorities are always divinely inspired and never to be contradicted. Leaders of the school, however, acknowledge that the nickname represents more a goal that the university strives for, and not its current state of being. Leaders encourage students and faculty to help fulfill the goal by following the teachings of their religion, adhering to the school's honor code, and serving others with the knowledge they gain while attending.
BYU mandates that its students who are members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints be religiously active. Both LDS and Non-LDS students are required to provide an endorsement from an ecclesiastic leader with their application for admittance. Over 900 rooms on BYU campus are used for the purposes of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints congregations. More than 150 congregations meet on BYU campus each Sunday. "BYU's campus becomes one of the busiest and largest centers of worship in the world" with about 24,000 persons attending church services on campus.
Some 97% of male BYU graduates and 32% of female graduates took a hiatus from their undergraduate studies at one point to serve as
LDS missionariesThe 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...
. Male students typically go on their missions shortly after turning 19 years old. This often occurs during or at the end of their freshman year. Female students may begin their missionary service anytime after turning 21. For males, a full-time mission is two years in length, and for females it lasts 18 months.
Honor code
"As a matter of personal commitment, faculty, administration, staff, and students of Brigham Young University, Brigham Young University—Hawaii, Brigham Young University—Idaho, and LDS Business College seek to demonstrate in daily living on and off campus those moral virtues encompassed in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and will
- Be honest
- Live a chaste and virtuous life
- Obey the law and all campus policies
- Use clean language
- Respect others
- Abstain from alcoholic beverages, tobacco, tea, coffee, and substance abuse
- Participate regularly in church services
- Observe the Dress and Grooming Standards
- Encourage others in their commitment to comply with the Honor Code"
|
| — BYU Honor Code Statement |
All students and faculty, regardless of religion, are required to agree to adhere to an
honor codeAn honour code or honour system is a set of rules or principles governing a community based on a set of rules or ideals that define what constitutes honorable behavior within that community. The use of an honor code depends on the idea that people can be trusted to act honorably...
. Early forms of the BYU Honor Code are found as far back as the days of the Brigham Young Academy and early school President Karl G. Maeser. Maeser created the "Domestic Organization", which was a group of teachers who would visit students at their homes to see that they were following the schools moral rules prohibiting obscenity, profanity, smoking, and alcohol consumption. The Honor Code itself was not created until about 1940, and was used mainly for cases of cheating and
academic dishonestyAcademic dishonesty or academic misconduct is any type of cheating that occurs in relation to a formal academic exercise. It can include* Plagiarism: The adoption or reproduction of original creations of another author without due acknowledgment.* Fabrication: The...
. President Wilkinson expanded the Honor Code in 1957 to include other school standards. This led to what the Honor Code represents today: rules regarding chastity, dress, grooming, drugs, and alcohol. A signed commitment to live the honor code is part of the application process, and must be adhered by all students, faculty, and staff. Students and faculty found in violation of standards are either warned or called to meet with representatives of the Honor Council. In rare cases, students and faculty can be expelled from the school or lose tenure. Both LDS and non-LDS students are required to meet annually with a Church leader to receive an ecclesiastical endorsement for both acceptance and continuance. Various
LGBTLGBT is an initialism that collectively refers to "lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender" people. In use since the 1990s, the term "LGBT" is an adaptation of the initialism "LGB", which itself started replacing the phrase "gay community" beginning in the mid-to-late 1980s, which many within the...
advocacy groups have protested the honor code and criticized it as being anti-gay.
Culture and activities
BYU's social and cultural atmosphere is unique. The high rate of enrollment at the university by members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints results in an amplification of LDS cultural norms; BYU was ranked by The Princeton Review in 2008 as 14th in the nation for having the happiest students and highest quality of life. However, the quirkiness and sometimes "too nice" culture is often caricatured, for example, in terms of marrying early and being very conservative.
One of the characteristics of BYU most often pointed out is its reputation for emphasizing a "marriage culture." Members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints highly value marriage and family, especially marriage within the faith. Approximately 51% of the graduates in BYU's class of 2005 were married. This is compared to a national marriage average among college graduates of 11%. BYU students on average marry at the age of 22, according to a 2005 study, while the national average age is 25 years for men and 27 years for women.
Many visitors to BYU, and Utah Valley as a whole, report being surprised by the culturally conservative environment. Brigham Young University's Honor Code, which all BYU students agree to follow as a condition of studying at BYU, prohibits the consumption of alcoholic beverages, tobacco, etc. As mentioned earlier, The Princeton Review has rated BYU the "#1 stone cold sober school" in the nation for several years running, an honor which the late LDS Church president
Gordon B. HinckleyGordon 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...
had commented on with pride. BYU's 2010 "#1 stone cold" sober rating marked the 12th year in a row that the school had earned that rating. BYU has used this and other honors awarded to the school to advertise itself to prospective students, showing that BYU is proud of the rating. According to the
Uniform Crime ReportsThe Uniform Crime Reports are published by the United States Department of Justice Federal Bureau of Investigation Uniform Crime Reporting Program...
, incidents of crime in Provo are lower than the national average. Murder is rare, and robberies are about 1/10 the national average.
Many on-campus student activities and clubs are organized by BYUSA, the university's official student association. A popular comedy club is
Divine ComedyDivine Comedy is a sketch comedy group sponsored by Brigham Young University. It is known for its parodies of Mormon culture. It also conducts other parodies, for instance their parody of Katy Perry's song firework firebolt....
.
Alumni
As of November 2007, BYU has approximately 362,000 living alumni. Alumni relations are coordinated and activities are held at the new
Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors CenterThe Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center is a three-story building which houses alumni association offices on the Brigham Young University campus in Provo, Utah.- Announcement and fund-raising :...
.
Over 21 BYU graduates have served in the U.S. Senate and U.S. House of Representatives, such as former Dean of the U.S. Senate
Reed SmootReed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
(class of 1876). Cabinet members of American presidents include former Secretary of Agriculture to President
Dwight D. EisenhowerDwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
,
Ezra Taft BensonEzra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
'26 and
Rex E. LeeRex Edwin Lee from St. Johns, Arizona was a Constitutional lawyer, a law clerk for former U.S. Supreme Court Justice Byron White, and the United States Solicitor General under the Reagan administration. He argued 59 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court...
'60, who was
United States Solicitor GeneralThe United States Solicitor General is the person appointed to represent the federal government of the United States before the Supreme Court of the United States. The current Solicitor General, Donald B. Verrilli, Jr. was confirmed by the United States Senate on June 6, 2011 and sworn in on June...
under President
Ronald ReaganRonald Wilson Reagan was the 40th President of the United States , the 33rd Governor of California and, prior to that, a radio, film and television actor....
.
Mitt RomneyWillard Mitt Romney is an American businessman and politician. He was the 70th Governor of Massachusetts from 2003 to 2007 and is a candidate for the 2012 Republican Party presidential nomination.The son of George W...
, former
Governor of MassachusettsThe Governor of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts is the executive magistrate of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, United States. The current governor is Democrat Deval Patrick.-Constitutional role:...
and
2008 Republican Presidential CandidateMitt Romney was a Republican Party primary candidate in the 2008 United States presidential election. On January 3, 2007, two days before he stepped down as governor of Massachusetts, Romney filed to form a presidential exploratory committee with the Federal Election Commission...
, class of 1971.
BYU alumni in academia include former Dean of the
Harvard Business SchoolHarvard Business School is the graduate business school of Harvard University in Boston, Massachusetts, United States and is widely recognized as one of the top business schools in the world. The school offers the world's largest full-time MBA program, doctoral programs, and many executive...
Kim B. ClarkKim B. Clark is President of Brigham Young University–Idaho. Before this appointment in 2005, Clark served as Dean of the Harvard Business School from 1995 to 2005 and as the George F...
and
Michael K. Young '73, current President of the
University of WashingtonUniversity of Washington is a public research university, founded in 1861 in Seattle, Washington, United States. The UW is the largest university in the Northwest and the oldest public university on the West Coast. The university has three campuses, with its largest campus in the University...
. The University also graduated
Nobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner
Paul D. Boyer- External links :* , from the Office of Scientific and Technical Information, United States Department of Energy* * *...
, as well as
Philo FarnsworthPhilo Taylor Farnsworth was an American inventor and television pioneer. Although he made many contributions that were crucial to the early development of all-electronic television, he is perhaps best known for inventing the first fully functional all-electronic image pickup device , the "image...
(inventor of the electronic television) and
Harvey FletcherHarvey Fletcher was an American physicist. Known as the "father of stereophonic sound" he is credited with the invention of the audiometer and hearing aid...
(inventor of the hearing aid). Three of BYU's twelve presidents were alumni of the University. Additionally, alumni of BYU who have served as business leaders include
CitigroupCitigroup Inc. or Citi is an American multinational financial services corporation headquartered in Manhattan, New York City, New York, United States. Citigroup was formed from one of the world's largest mergers in history by combining the banking giant Citicorp and financial conglomerate...
CFO
Gary CrittendenGary L. Crittenden is an American financial manager formerly employed as the chairman of Citi Holdings, a unit of Citigroup, and serving on the boards of Staples Inc., Ryerson, Inc., TJX Companies, and Utah Capital Investment Corp...
'76, former
DellDell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
CEO
Kevin RollinsKevin B. Rollins is an American businessman and philanthropist. The former President and CEO of Dell Computers, in 2006 Rollins was named by London's CBR as the 9th Most Influential person in the Enterprise IT sector....
'84,
Deseret 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...
CEO
Sheri L. DewSheri L. Dew is an American author and publisher, currently acting as president and chief executive officer of Deseret Book, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Dew has also been a religious leader within The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , an inspirational speaker, writer, and acted as a...
, and
Matthew K. McCauleyMatthew K. McCauley is an American businessman who is the CEO of the child clothing store Gymboree. He received his B.A. in American Studies from Brigham Young University in 1997. McCauley started his career at Payless Shoes and subsequently worked a variety of positions at The Gap, Inc., including...
, CEO of children's clothing company Gymboree.
In literature and journalism, BYU has produced several best-selling authors, including
Orson Scott CardOrson Scott Card is an American author, critic, public speaker, essayist, columnist, and political activist. He writes in several genres, but is primarily known for his science fiction. His novel Ender's Game and its sequel Speaker for the Dead both won Hugo and Nebula Awards, making Card the...
'75,
Brandon SandersonBrandon Sanderson is an American fantasy author. A Nebraska native, he currently resides in American Fork, Utah. He earned his Master's degree in Creative Writing in 2005 from Brigham Young University, where he was on the staff of Leading Edge, a semi-professional speculative fiction magazine...
'00 & '05, and
Stephenie MeyerStephenie Meyer is an American author known for her vampire romance series Twilight. The Twilight novels have gained worldwide recognition and sold over 100 million copies globally, with translations into 37 different languages...
'95. Other media personalities include award-winning
ESPNEntertainment and Sports Programming Network, commonly known as ESPN, is an American global cable television network focusing on sports-related programming including live and pre-taped event telecasts, sports talk shows, and other original programming....
sportscaster and former
Miss AmericaThe Miss America pageant is a long-standing competition which awards scholarships to young women from the 50 states plus the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico and the US Virgin Islands...
Sharlene Wells HawkesSharlene Wells Hawkes , from Salt Lake City, Utah, was Miss America 1985.Hawkes , was born in Asunción, Paraguay and spent most of her childhood in South America....
'86 and former co-host of
CBSCBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
's
The Early ShowThe Early Show is an American television morning news talk show broadcast by CBS from New York City. The program airs live from 7 to 9 a.m. Eastern Time Monday through Friday; most affiliates in the Central, Mountain, and Pacific time zones air the show on tape-delay from 7 to 9 a.m. local time. ...
Jane Clayson Johnson '90. In entertainment and television, BYU is represented by
Jon HederJonathan Joseph "Jon" Heder is an American screenwriter, actor, and filmmaker. His feature film debut came in 2004 as the title character of the comedy film Napoleon Dynamite...
'02 (best known for his role as
Napoleon DynamiteNapoleon Dynamite is a 2004 comedy film co-written and directed by Jared Hess and Jerusha Hess and stars Jon Heder as Napoleon Dynamite. The film was Jared Hess' first full-length feature and is partially adapted from his earlier short film, Peluca....
), Golden Globe-nominated
Aaron EckhartAaron Edward Eckhart is an American film and stage actor. Born in California, he moved to England at the age of 13, when his father relocated the family. Several years later, he began his acting career by performing in school plays, before moving to Sydney, Australia, for his high school senior year...
'94, animator and filmmaker
Don BluthDonald Virgil "Don" Bluth is an American animator and independent studio owner. He is best known for his departure from The Walt Disney Company in 1979 and his subsequent directing of animated films such as The Secret of NIMH , An American Tail ,The Land Before Time , and All Dogs Go to Heaven ,...
'54,
Jeopardy!Griffin's first conception of the game used a board comprising ten categories with ten clues each, but after finding that this board could not be shown on camera easily, he reduced it to two rounds of thirty clues each, with five clues in each of six categories...
all-time champion
Ken Jennings Kenneth Wayne "Ken" Jennings III is an American game show contestant and author. Jennings is noted for holding the record for the longest winning streak on the U.S. syndicated game show Jeopardy! and as being the all-time leading money winner on American game shows...
'00, and
Richard DutcherRichard Alan Dutcher is an American independent filmmaker who produces, writes, directs, edits, and frequently stars in his films. Well known among members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints for his early Mormon-themed productions, Dutcher has been called “The Father of Mormon...
, the "Father of Mormon Cinema." In the music industry BYU is represented by former
American IdolAmerican Idol, titled American Idol: The Search for a Superstar for the first season, is a reality television singing competition created by Simon Fuller and produced by FremantleMedia North America and 19 Entertainment...
contestant
Carmen RasmusenCarmen Rasmusen is a Canadian-American country music artist who ranked sixth on the second season of American Idol in 2003. Rasmusen also plays piano and guitar.-Early life:...
and
Mormon Tabernacle ChoirThe Mormon Tabernacle Choir, sometimes colloquially referred to as MoTab, is a Grammy and Emmy Award winning, 360-member, all-volunteer choir. The choir is part of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . However, the choir is completely self-funded, traveling and producing albums to...
director
Mack WilbergMack Wilberg is a composer, arranger, conductor, and Choral clinician, as well as the music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir...
.
BYU has also produced many religious leaders. Among the alumni are several General Authorities of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including two Church presidents:
Ezra Taft BensonEzra Taft Benson was the thirteenth president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from 1985 until his death and was United States Secretary of Agriculture for both terms of the presidency of Dwight D. Eisenhower.-Biography:Born on a farm in Whitney, Idaho, Benson was the oldest of...
'26, and
Thomas S. MonsonThomas Spencer Monson is an American religious leader and author, and the 16th and current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As president, Monson is considered by adherents of the religion to be a "prophet, seer, and revelator" of God's will on earth...
'74), six apostles (
Neil L. AndersenNeil Linden Andersen is the junior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He was accepted by church membership as an apostle on 4 April 2009 during the April 2009 General Conference of the church...
,
D. Todd ChristoffersonDavid Todd Christofferson is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . He has been a general authority of the church since 1993...
'69,
David A. Bednar-External links:*, lds.org**...
'76,
Jeffrey R. HollandJeffrey Roy Holland is an American educator and religious leader. He served as the ninth President of Brigham Young University and is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . As a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Holland is accepted by...
'65 & '66,
Dallin H. OaksDallin Harris Oaks is an American attorney, jurist, author, professor, public speaker, and religious leader. Since 1984, he has been a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
'54, and
Reed SmootReed Owen Smoot was a native-born Utahn who was first elected to the United States Senate from Utah in 1903, and served as a Senator until 1933...
1876), and two General
Relief SocietyThe Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization and an official auxiliary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints . It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, USA and has approximately 6 million members in over 170 countries and territories...
Presidents (
Julie B. BeckJulie Bangerter Beck has been the general president of the Relief Society of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints since 31 March 2007...
'73 and Belle Spafford '20).
A number of BYU alumni have found success in professional sports, representing the University in 7 MLB
World SeriesThe World Series is the annual championship series of Major League Baseball, played between the American League and National League champions since 1903. The winner of the World Series championship is determined through a best-of-seven playoff and awarded the Commissioner's Trophy...
, 5
NBA FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
, and 25
NFLThe National Football League is the highest level of professional American football in the United States, and is considered the top professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing...
Super Bowls. In baseball, BYU alumni include
All-StarsThe Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also known as the "Midsummer Classic", is an annual baseball game between players from the National League and the American League, currently selected by a combination of fans, players, coaches, and managers...
Rick AguileraRichard Warren Aguilera is a former Major League Baseball pitcher. During a 16-year baseball career, he pitched from 1985-2000 for the New York Mets, Minnesota Twins, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago Cubs....
'83,
Wally JoynerWallace Keith "Wally" Joyner is a former first baseman and hitting coach in Major League Baseball. He played for four major league teams during a 16-year career, most notably for the California Angels, for whom he was an All-Star...
'84, and
Jack MorrisJohn Scott "Jack" Morris is a former Major League Baseball right-handed starting pitcher. He played in 18 big league seasons between 1977 and 1994, mainly for the Detroit Tigers, and won 254 games throughout his career...
'76. Professional basketball players include three-time
NBA FinalsThe NBA Finals is the championship series of the National Basketball Association . The series was named the NBA World Championship Series until 1986....
champion
Danny AingeDaniel Ray "Danny" Ainge is an American basketball manager and retired professional basketball and baseball player, currently serving as President of Basketball Operations for the Boston Celtics....
'81, 1952 NBA Rookie of the Year and 4-time NBA All-Star
Mel HutchinsMelvin R. Hutchins is a retired American basketball player. He played professionally in the NBA from 1951 to 1958....
'51, and three-time Olympic medalist
Krešimir ĆosićKrešimir Ćosić was a Croatian professional basketball player who represented Yugoslavia internationally, a member of FIBA Hall of Fame and Basketball Hall of Fame...
'73. BYU also claims notable professional football players including two-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl MVP Steve Young '84 & '96,
Heisman TrophyThe Heisman Memorial Trophy Award , is awarded annually to the player deemed the most outstanding player in collegiate football. It was created in 1935 as the Downtown Athletic Club trophy and renamed in 1936 following the death of the Club's athletic director, John Heisman The Heisman Memorial...
winner
Ty DetmerTy Hubert Detmer is a former National Football League and NCAA quarterback. He starred at Brigham Young University, where he set many records and won the Heisman Trophy in 1990...
'90, and two-time Super Bowl winner
Jim McMahonJames Robert "Jim" McMahon, Jr. is a former American football player. He played college football at Brigham Young University, where he was a two-time All-American and later in the professional ranks with the Chicago Bears, San Diego Chargers, Philadelphia Eagles, Minnesota Vikings, Arizona...
. In golf, BYU alumni include two
major championshipThe men's major golf championships, commonly known as the Major Championships, and often referred to simply as the majors, are the four most prestigious annual tournaments in professional golf...
winners:
Johnny MillerJohn Laurence Miller is an American professional golfer who played on the PGA Tour. He was one of the top players in the world during the mid-1970s; he ranked second in the world on Mark McCormack's world golf rankings in both 1974 and 1975 behind Jack Nicklaus. He is currently the lead golf...
('69) at the 1973 U.S. Open and 1976 British Open and
Mike WeirMichael Richard Weir, CM, O.Ont is a Canadian professional golfer on the PGA Tour. He spent over 110 weeks in the top-10 of the Official World Golf Rankings between 2001 and 2005. He is best known for winning the Masters in 2003....
('92) at the 2003 Masters.
See also
- List of Brigham Young University faculty
- List of presidents of Brigham Young University
- Brigham Young High School
Brigham Young High School was a private high school in Provo, Utah, first known as Brigham Young Academy, later attached to Brigham Young University and operated under the Church Educational System of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints .- History :When Brigham Young Academy was...
- Provo City Library
The Provo City Library is a public library serving residents of Provo in the U.S. state of Utah. It occupies the building of the former Brigham Young Academy, which was built in 1892. In 1976, the building was added to the National Register of Historic Places...
External links