Weber State University - Acorn Yearbook (Ogden, UT)

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HISTORICAL EBER is a name that in- spires, a name that will live in the memory of thou- sands forever, representing a school whose influence is felt the world over. It was due to the leadership and ability of honest, coura- geous and persevering men that Weber Academy was established, an institution developed from the early Church sys- tem of education which was inaugurated in 1888. The following is an extract from a letter sent that year to the presi- dency of Weber Stake from the First Presidency of the Church: We feel that the time has arrived when proper education of our children should be taken in hand by us as a people. Religious training is practically excluded from district schools. The per- usal of books that we regard as divine is forbidden. Our children, if left to the training they receive in these schools, will grow entirely ignorant of those principles of salvation for which the Latter Day Saints have made many sacrifices. To permit this condition of affairs to exist among us would be crim- inal. The desire is universally expressed by all thinking people in the Church that we should have schools wherein the Bible, the Book of Mormon, and Book of Doctrine and Covenants can be used as text books, and where the prin- ciples of our religion may form a part of the teaching of the schools.” After receiving this letter with the authorization that accompanied it. Pres- ident Lewis W. Shurt I iff. President of the Weber Stake, met with other Stake officials to consider the matter. The bcxly decided to organize a Board of Education which would establish a Weber Stake Academy. The Board as then organized included Lewis W. Shurt- liff, iNils C. Flygare. Charles F. Middle- ton (Presidency of the Weber Stake); Joseph Stanford of the High Council; Robert McQuarrie, Bishop of the Sec- ond Ward; Thomas J. Stevens, Bishop of the Fifth Ward; David McKay, Bishop of Huntsville; and Professor Louis F. Moench. Stake Superintendent of Sunday Schools. The responsibility of establishing a school was rightly placed; for these men, tried in the early experiences and perse- cutions of the Church, had proved their ability. President Lewis W. Shurt I iff, born in Sullivan, Ohio. July 24. 1835, passed through the early trials that came to the Saints. At the age of sixteen he left Council BlufTs with his parents and crossed the plains to Utah, arriving in September. 1851. During the trouble with the Indians here in Weber County. Mr. Shurtliff became a lieutenant in the militia that was raised to defend the settlers. At the age of twenty-three he was called with other men on a coloniz- ing expedition to the Salmon River country in Eastern Oregon. In 1863, he was with Captain Thomas E. Ricks, helping a company of emigrants on their journey to Utah. While on his mission to Great Britain, he successfully pre- sided over the Nottingham and London

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FOREWORD AND DEDICATION III: purpose of The Acorn is two-fold: first, to make a record of the activities of Weber College as an institution, and second, to present that material which will aid each individual associated with the college to construct a personal record for himself. There are. then, two requisites for type of content and method of presenta- tion. In the first place, the dominant theme of the whole year should be interpreted, and second, as much material of interest as possible should be incorporated in the plan. Since the publication of the 1928 Acorn, we have passed through a year of extensive activities into newer and wider fields than ever before, a year full of variety. Probably more predominantly during the year than expansion, the foreshadowing of a change in the control of the coh'ege has been the center of our interest. The recent announc.ment that the Church intends to withdraw from the field of secular education after June 10, 1910. has aroused apprehension as to the future of the college, not only among those close!v associated with the institution, but also in Ogden’s com m unity genera 11 y. It is probably but little realized by most ol us the part that has been played by the Church in bringing education in Utah to its present stag.- of development. Ideals of education adopted from New England, and incorporated in the charter for the City of Nauvoo were carried by the pioneers to Utah. Consequently, when these pioneers came west, one of their primary interests was the immediate establishment of schools to provide the necessary educational facilities, re- ligious and secular. Thus, we have education sponsored from the beginning, and where necessary, directly controlled by the Church until the State and municipal governments should be able to continue the work. Now comes, it appears, th • end of this pioneering, and the last step ap- proaches when the Church schools are to be placed in other control. And with this closing, we more fully realize the part that the Church has played in promoting education in this State. It is appropriate then that this book should be dedicated to the growth of education in Utah through Church control. Not only have we felt a coming change in administration this year but also an expansion and growth unexcelled in our activities. Never before has so much progress been made in both school activities and extension of departmental subjects into new fields. A year of fine social events, a continuation of football championships, a Honolulu trip, a place in the Basketball Tournament again sponsored by the college, and two men on the all-tournament team, oratorical contests of high standard, three debate tours covering more than half of the United States, an extensive program in the drama with two school plays presented and three Moroni Olsen plays brought here, in addition to our continued progress in all the other fields of activity represent the material that it has been necessary to treat in this book. A new angle has been outstanding in our activities; the community as well as the college has been represented through this expansion. The type of book that seemed best to suit these conditions appeared at once to be the scrap book, allowing an entirely different treatment of subject matter with signed articles from a large num- ber of contributors, informality of treatment being stressed throughout. The members of the Staff hope that in this book you may find a great deal of interest in recalling your connection with Weber College in 1928-1929.

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HISTORICAL 7 conferences, and traveled extensively in England. Wales, Scotland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark. Germany. France, and Italy, doing faithful missionary- work as he went. After returning to Utah he served as Bishop of Plain City until 1883. as Weber County Commis- sioner for eight years, as a member of the territorial legislature, and as Pro- bate Judge of Weber County, lie was a delegate to the Trans-Mississippi Commercial Congress, and to the Nat- ional Irrigation Congress. He was a member of the State Constitutional Convention, and after Utah became a State, he was elected to the Senate, where he served for two years. I Ie was also Postmaster of Ogden for four years. It was in 1883 that Mr. Shurtliff was called to be president of the Weber Stake, which position he held until his death. Charles F. Middleton, another of the founders, was born February 24. 1834. in Washington County. Illinois. I le helped with the building of Nauvoo. and shared the joys and sorrows that came to the Saints in their journey to Utah. After arriving in Ogden, he ac- companied President Shurtliff on the colonization mission to the Salmon River country, Oregon. After returning from that State, he served successful Iv- in a number of civil position in Ogden. Between August 7, 1871, and January 21. 1883, he labored as second counselor to David H. Peery in the Weber Stake, and on the latter date was chosen First Counselor to President Shurtliff. He filled a short mission to Illinois, Mis- souri. and Iowa; at all times he worked for the betterment of humanity. Nils Christian Flvgare was properly titled when the name Christian was given him. He was born in Sweden, February 3, 1841. While in his native country, he labored three years as a missionary, traveling extensively throughout Sweden. After being re- leased from his position as president of the Stockholm Conference, in 1864 he immigrated to the United States with a large company, and arrived in Sail Lake City in September of the same year. Shortly afterward he moved to Ogden, where he engaged in the work ot contracting and building. In 1874. President Brigham Young called him on a mission to Scandinavia where he again became president of the Stockholm Con- ference. serving for one year, then for two years as president of the. Scandin- avian Mission. On his return he ccmi- ducted a company of emigrants from Liverpool to Utah. Willing men are al- ways in demand: Elder Flvgare was called again to preside over the Scand- inavian Mission after one year of rest at home. During the two years he held this position, he assisted FMer A. W. Carlson in translating and publishing the Book of Mormon in the Swedish language. On returning, he again led a company of immigrants to ! tab. Six years later (1885), he was called a third time to preside over the Scandinavian Mission which mission resulted in the conversion of many people. Between 1877 and 1883, he was Bishop of the Fourth Ward; and from 1883 until the