Willard Young

Willard Young (April 30, 1852 – July 25, 1936) was a prominent member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) who served for many years in the United States military, and later held high positions within the LDS Church's administration. He also served as an educational leader.

Born in Salt Lake City, Utah Territory, Young was the son of Brigham Young and Clarissa Ross Young. His mother died when he was six, and after this Zina D. H. Young acted as his mother. Young is at times described as Zina's "foster son".

In 1860, Young was baptized a member of the LDS Church by James Works.

In 1871, Young began as a cadet at West Point. He graduated from West Point in 1875 and was appointed a second lieutenant with the United States Army Corps of Engineers. From 1875 to 1877 he was stationed at Willets Point, New York. From 1877 to 1879 he worked under Lieutenant Wheeler in the geographical survey of the United States west of the 100th meridian.

From 1879 to 1883 Young was an instructor and then a professor at West Point.

Young was the local supervisor in the construction of the Cascade Locks in Oregon. In this position he had responsibility for general supervision of the Deseret Gym.

From 1907 Young served as an alternate member of the Ensign Stake High Council.

From January 1916 until July 1917 Young served as an assistant to the president of the Logan Utah Temple. From 1923, this department supervised the building of meetinghouses and seminary buildings, providing the architectural plans for the buildings.

Young University

In 1876, LDS Church President Brigham Young executed a deed of land for the establishment of an academy (initially to be known as 'Brigham Young Academy') in Salt Lake City (as he also did for Provo and Logan ); Willard Young was one of the seven trustees named to oversee its subsequent development. However, later problems with the board of trustees designated for this academy, as well as growing friction between the Church and the federal government, delayed its establishment.

No results of consequence had been obtained by August 1883, when Willard Young returned to Salt Lake City after his teaching appointments at West Point. He immediately began talking to the other trustees, and sought to obtain financial backing from the LDS Church. However, he received orders in October of 1883 to report to Portland, Oregon, and the matter was again dropped.

During his absence, the LDS Church backed the establishment of the 'Salt Lake Stake Academy', which was created in 1886. This push, instituted by President Wilford Woodruff, was an effort to increase educational opportunities in the area: in 1888, the church established and put into operation 18 academies, operated through the church's "stakes" or ecclesiastical groups. As part of this push, in June 1888 the General Church Board of Education examined the deed of trust for the Brigham Young Academy at Salt Lake City. Following the meeting, Wilford Woodruff wrote a letter to Willard Young asking his aid in using the deeded property for the Salt Lake Stake Academy. No response from Young is recorded, and the Young Academy's deed remained unchanged. By 1 May 1890 it appears that Woodruff had decided against creating a church-based educational institution in Salt Lake City, because he and his counselors wrote to Young, asking him to resign his military commission and assume the presidency of a new, independent university, to be named Young Academy. This organization was renamed 'University of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints' in 1892, and was locally referred to as 'the Church University'. It apparently was intended to become 'the' Mormon institution of higher learning, and a high class university, second to none in the west.

Young was in Salt Lake City by 30 November 1890. He vigorously promoted, arranged, planned, persuaded, and by September 1893 the institution began presenting lectures at 233 West 200 North. However, the effort lasted only through that school year; in spring 1894 its final classes were presented.