Eugene L. Roberts
Encyclopedia
Eugene Lusk "Timpanogos" or "Timp" Roberts (1880-1953) was head of the department of physical education and a coach of sports including track and field at Brigham Young University
starting in 1910.
Roberts was born in Provo. Roberts was the child of William D. Roberts and his wife the former Julia Lusk. The family ran the Roberts Hotel in Provo. He studied at Brigham Young Academy (the predecessor of BYU) from 1898-1904. He also studied at BYU itself receiving at B.A. degree. He then studied at Yale University
. He later went to the University of Southern California
from which he received a masters degree.
Roberts married Sytha Brown in 1906. A few days later they jointly left to serve an LDS mission. As of 1908 he was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Switzerland. It was here, watching the procession of 5000 to worship atop a mountain near Einsiedeln that Roberts conceived the idea of an annual Mount Timpanogos
hike, an idea he later implemented while on the BYU faculty, with the first hike occurring in 1912. In fact Roberts was so heavily connected with the mountain, and viewed as a man of such stature, that he was often called "Timpanogos" or "Timp".
Roberts was on the BYU faculty and coaching staff from 1910-1928. As of 1912 when he began the annual Mount Timponogos hikes he was not only the head of physical education at BYU, he was the only member of the faculty who was trained in that discipline. During this time he functioned in part in a way that would later have given him the title athletic director. He oversaw the reintroduction of football
at BYU and also named the team the cougars. Among the athletes trained by Roberts were Alma Richards
and Clinton Larsen
, the latter of whom held the world high jump record from 1917 to 1935.
Roberts was also a journalist. He was editor of the BYA newspaper while a student there, and was a sports writer for multiple Salt Lake City papers. It was in this capacity that he introduced references to BYU athletic teams as the cougars. He also wrote correspondence under an assumed name and identity for the Provo Herald to encourage Provo residents to appreciate Mount Timponogos and also clean up trash and beautify the city. When the Herald editors learned that they had been duped into misrepresenting their correspondent, they were not pleased. However instead of exposing Roberts they got him to write a set of moral sermons for them to publish under another assumed name.
He then began a coach at the University of Southern California
. He was also a professor teaching courses at USC, and worked with the administration to set up having John A. Widstoe teach a class on Mormonism, which was the forerunner of the Institute of Religion
adjacent to USC.
Roberts and his wife Sytha were the parents of eight children, all of whom attended college.
One of the peaks of Mount Timponogos is named Roberts Horn in his honor.
Brigham Young University
Brigham Young University is a private university located in Provo, Utah. It is owned and operated by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints , and is the United States' largest religious university and third-largest private university.Approximately 98% of the university's 34,000 students...
starting in 1910.
Roberts was born in Provo. Roberts was the child of William D. Roberts and his wife the former Julia Lusk. The family ran the Roberts Hotel in Provo. He studied at Brigham Young Academy (the predecessor of BYU) from 1898-1904. He also studied at BYU itself receiving at B.A. degree. He then studied at Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
. He later went to the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
from which he received a masters degree.
Roberts married Sytha Brown in 1906. A few days later they jointly left to serve an LDS mission. As of 1908 he was serving a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Switzerland. It was here, watching the procession of 5000 to worship atop a mountain near Einsiedeln that Roberts conceived the idea of an annual Mount Timpanogos
Mount Timpanogos
Mount 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...
hike, an idea he later implemented while on the BYU faculty, with the first hike occurring in 1912. In fact Roberts was so heavily connected with the mountain, and viewed as a man of such stature, that he was often called "Timpanogos" or "Timp".
Roberts was on the BYU faculty and coaching staff from 1910-1928. As of 1912 when he began the annual Mount Timponogos hikes he was not only the head of physical education at BYU, he was the only member of the faculty who was trained in that discipline. During this time he functioned in part in a way that would later have given him the title athletic director. He oversaw the reintroduction of football
American football
American football is a sport played between two teams of eleven with the objective of scoring points by advancing the ball into the opposing team's end zone. Known in the United States simply as football, it may also be referred to informally as gridiron football. The ball can be advanced by...
at BYU and also named the team the cougars. Among the athletes trained by Roberts were Alma Richards
Alma Richards
Alma Wilford Richards was a high jumper and was famous for being the first resident of Utah to win a gold medal at the Olympic Games, in 1912, in the running high jump event.-Jumping:...
and Clinton Larsen
Clinton Larsen
Clinton Larsen is a South African former football player and coach currently managing Premier Soccer League club Bloemfontein Celtic.-References:...
, the latter of whom held the world high jump record from 1917 to 1935.
Roberts was also a journalist. He was editor of the BYA newspaper while a student there, and was a sports writer for multiple Salt Lake City papers. It was in this capacity that he introduced references to BYU athletic teams as the cougars. He also wrote correspondence under an assumed name and identity for the Provo Herald to encourage Provo residents to appreciate Mount Timponogos and also clean up trash and beautify the city. When the Herald editors learned that they had been duped into misrepresenting their correspondent, they were not pleased. However instead of exposing Roberts they got him to write a set of moral sermons for them to publish under another assumed name.
He then began a coach at the University of Southern California
University of Southern California
The University of Southern California is a private, not-for-profit, nonsectarian, research university located in Los Angeles, California, United States. USC was founded in 1880, making it California's oldest private research university...
. He was also a professor teaching courses at USC, and worked with the administration to set up having John A. Widstoe teach a class on Mormonism, which was the forerunner of the Institute of Religion
Institute of Religion
Institutes of Religion provide religious educational classes for young single adult and university students who belong to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints...
adjacent to USC.
Roberts and his wife Sytha were the parents of eight children, all of whom attended college.
One of the peaks of Mount Timponogos is named Roberts Horn in his honor.
Sources
- http://lib.byu.edu/sites/byuhistory/universityhistory/pst/eugene-l-roberts-and-brigham-young-university/ L. Tom Perry Special Collections Library bio and material guide for Eugene L. Roberts.
- Ernest L. WilkinsonErnest 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...
. Brigham Young University: The First 100 Years. (Provo: BYU Press, 1975) Vol. 1, p. 473. - BYU Cougar Club bio
- LDS Church News, October 21, 2009
- BYU Magazine, Summer 2009