--- title: Improvement Era description: Monthly periodical of the Mormon church, 1897 onward. This library holds the issues of November 1897 to December 1930. authors: - John A. Widtsoe collections: - periodicals tags: - magazine - improvement-era periodical: Improvement Era volume: 23 number: 9 published: 1920-07 publisher: Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Associations publisher_place: Salt Lake City language: en type: magazine reference: 'John A. Widtsoe, "The University of Utah," *Improvement Era* 23, no. 9 (July 1920): 817–820.' source: url: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2309unse transcription: Transcribed from the Internet Archive scan of each issue (the item for each issue is named in the issue's own source); unnumbered advertising leaves are omitted, printed page numbers are kept as page markers. identifier: improvementera2309unse start_page: 817 end_page: 820 rights: status: public-domain basis: US publication 1930 or earlier (published 1920-07) source: https://archive.org/details/improvementera2309unse publication_year: 1920 note: The Internet Archive item metadata carries a blanket "© Copyright by Intellectual Reserve, Inc." notice. The library owner judged it inapplicable because this issue was published in 1920, before 1931; a scan-level notice does not restore copyright. --- # The University of Utah The University of Utah By Dr. John A. Widtsoe, President of tlie University of Utah In 1847, when the original band of Utah pioneers entered the Great Salt Lake valley, the country west of the Rockies was an unconquered wilderness, except for a few small spots chiefly in California and Oregon. The experiment in settlement and civilization, begun seventy-three years ago, where Salt Lake City now stands^was the beginning of the successful conquest for civilization of Western America. The pioneers, who battled with the wilderness and who conquered the drouth, toiled under a difficult task. They succeeded only because they had faith in man's dominion over the earth, even over the desert; and because they had visions of a great future, which thrilled their souls, while they toiled in poverty, under hard conditions, to lay the foundations of the greatness that was to come. Men and women, who so dared to undertake the conquest of the desert, could not be and were not ignorant people, careless of the gains of all the ages. They understood that only by the possession and the use of truth, can the hard soil best be made to yield abundantly, or daily joy be won in the midst of surrounding hardship. It was only natural that the thoughts of the Pioneers should turn early to education. The first school in Utah was begun almost before the first log cabin in Salt Lake Valley had been completed; and within three years of the pioneer arrival, on Feb. 28, 1850, the pioneers established by an act of the Legislature a university, now known as the University of Utah the— oldest university west of the Missouri river. The days of the pioneers were filled with heavy labor. Since all who had the strength must give their time to the subjugation of the desert, only the very young could be allowed to spend their days and years in school. Food had to be produced or starvation accepted. Consequently the University of Utah, in its attempt to serve the people of its day, at first taught young people who in our day would be far below the high school grades, and conducted courses of lectures and evening classes for the mature, who after the day's hard task was done, were disposed to engage in intellectual endeavors. It supervised and directed the activities of all the schools among the settlements. In 1867 the conditions in the Territory of Utah were such 818 IMPROVEMENT ERA as to justify the Regents in beginning seriously the building of an institution according to modern university standards and aims. Two years later, in 1869, the real university foundations of th& Institution were laid. Since that time, for fifty-one years, the University has steadily grown in power and public service. For half a century, the graduates of the University have done much of the notable work of the State. The State of Utah and the University of Utah are as one in growth, development and aims. Through its University, the youth of the State has been given visions of the wealth of the earth, tangible and in-" tangible, and has found the desire and courage to win all that is good for the mother commonwealth of the West. So much for history. The University today is organized, manned, and equipped in accordance with the best educational thought of the day. It is located upon the east bench in Salt Lake City, in a beautiful residence district, less than two miles from the business center. Its site, one of the most magnificent in the world, was originally chosen as a campus for the University, but was put to other purposes throughout the years, until in 1899, when the University was transferred from its earlier homes to the permanent possession of its present beautiful location. Since that time, a score of modern school buildings have been erected to meet the needs of the steadily growing student body. These buildings are satisfactorily equipped with the apparatus required for good teaching. An excellent and large faculty, representing practically all the great institutions of learning in the world, is in charge of instruction and investigation. This year more than 1,800 students, nearly all of full college grade, were in attendance and about 700 summer school students, in addition to over 1,900 students who were registered in regular courses of instruction beyond the campus through the Extension Division. Tens of thousands of other persons received University instruction by lectures or other means. The students of the University of Utah are grouped in six — great schools Arts and Sciences, Education, Mines and Engineering, Medicine, Law, and Commerce and Finance. Complete courses of instruction are given in all of these schools, excepting in the School of Medicine, which offers the first two of the four years of professional training required of the graduates in medicine. The Extension Division, co-ordinate with the schools of the Institutions, carries the work of the departments of instruction into every home of the State. Research is fostered at the University of Utah under the belief that great teaching can be done only in an atmosphere which is favorable for the discovery of truth. The Metallur- THE UNIVERSITY OF UTAH 819 gical Research Department of the University, in close co-operation with a branch of the U. S. Bureau of Mines, conducts investigations relative to the utilization of the mineral wealth of the State. From this work great benefits have already accrued to the people of this and other States. The Engineering Experiment Station, one of the pioneer institutions of its kind, enables the engineering faculty who are so disposed to advance truth in the engineering field. There are also maintained a Geological and Resource Survey, a Biological Survey, and an Economic and Sociological Bureau, each for the promotion of original study within its field. The State School of Mines, which by law is a part of the University, because of its location in the heart of the mining country and within easy distance of great mines and smelters, promises to become the leading institution of its kind in the country. The State School of Education, which by State law also is a part of the University, includes all the normal school activities of the State. This gives the advantage to prospective teachers of living the larger life of a University and of mingling with students of many views and aspirations. The School of Commerce and Finance is also one of the most fortunate in the western part of America, in that it is located in connection with a Universitv within the shadow of a great commercial center and near the chief commercial enterprises of the West. All technical engineering work supported by the State funds, must be done at the University. This gives the advantage of a concentration of eouipment and students in a larger institution, where the association with men of many minds, temper and shape the cpiick spirit of youth, and hasten the preparation for useful living. The library of the Universitv, while not to be compared in size with the larger and older libraries of the country, is interesting in that it contains many of the library collections of the early days of the State. In the library stand two great spheres, still in a state of excellent preservation, one terrestrial, the other celestial, which were hauled by ox team across the plai^^ about 1851. They are a mute but eloquent tribute to Utah's pioneer love of learning. The University has the confidence of the people in the State. This is best shown bv its large attendance, which is the largest per capita State University attendance in the United States. The University of Utah has many, rich traditions. It is following deliberated the ideals of the peonle who in Utah and throughout the West, have built a great civilization on the bar 820 IMPROVEMENT ERA ren desert. It has tried to read the lessons of life for its own guidance from the achievements of those who dug the canals and planted the crops and thus tamed the desert; and of those who opened the mountains and built the mines and the smelters and thus brought material comforts into the subjugated wilderness; and of those who built the roads and the railways and along the great avenues of commerce brought the wealth of the Indies and of Europe to make the desert beautiful; and of those who, with the faith, surpassing that of common men, that purity, intelligence and diligence will bind the earth to man's will, gave to the people of the desert a rich spiritual possession. This is one manner of telling the story of the University of Utah: an Institution, proud of its mission to serve this day in the knowledge that he who serves well his own day, shall build a great tomorrow; an Institution, confident that in the soul of youth lie the untold possibilities of the future, which need only nurture and culture for their development; an Institution, joyful because it has the privilege of serving all the people of the State, young and old, in whom still lives the passion for truth. The Victor Walking the street by the Temple went The Savior, sorrowing, bowed with grief; His noble heart in its pain forespent, Sad with his countrymen's unbelief. He had loved them with all his fervent love; He had taught them the light and truth thereof; And the way of life to the throne above, But to all they were blind and deaf. Over the street bv the Temple came My Lord from his anguish, death and doom: The angels rejoiced to announce his name: Light followed the long night's gloom. Of his resurrection an angel sings: "He is Lord of lords and King of kings; And freedom for all mankind he brings From the terror of death's dark tomb!" Over the streel by the Temple rose The Victor o'er fallen man's estate. In his ascension, to man he shows How he was Godlike, and true and great, He gave the penitent joy for tears, He opened the way to the higher spheres, And Man is the heir of eternal years Where the glories of God await! Joseph Lonking Totvnsend