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David O. McKay
Photo: David O. McKay, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons13

David O. McKay

American LDS Church leader (1873–1970)

David Oman McKay (September 8, 1873 – January 18, 1970) was an American religious leader and educator who served as the ninth president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1951 until his death in 1970. Ordained an apostle and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1906, McKay was an active general authority for nearly 64 years, longer than anyone else in LDS Church history.2

From Wikipedia’s article on David O. McKay (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Born Sep 8, 1873, died Jan 18, 1970.1

About

(Eldred G. Smith was a general authority for 66 years, but only served actively for 32 years, prior to being designated as emeritus.)

From Wikipedia’s article on David O. McKay, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.2

Companies

Early life and education

  • Date not recordedUniversity of Utah3

Early life

The third child of David McKay and Jennette Eveline Evans McKay, McKay was born on his father’s farm in Huntsville, Utah Territory, about 10 miles (16 km) east of Ogden. McKay's mother was a Welsh immigrant from Merthyr Tydfil, and his father was a Scottish immigrant from Caithness. In 1880, after the death of McKay’s two older sisters, Margaret and Ellena, his father was called as a missionary to his native Scotland, where he proselytized for two years. In his father's absence, seven-year-old David had additional family responsibilities and helped his mother.

McKay's grandmother bequeathed $5,000 to McKay's mother upon her death and directed that "every cent... be used for the education of the children." This money allowed McKay, his brother Thomas, and his younger sisters, Jeanette and Annie, to attend the University of Utah. McKay graduated in 1897 as valedictorian and class president.

Immediately afterward, he was called on a mission to Great Britain. Like his father, he presided over the Scottish district of the church. Early in his mission, he was impressed by a motto that he saw inscribed on a building in Stirling, "What E'er Thou Art, Act Well Thy Part". This message became a source of inspiration throughout his life.

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Career in education

Upon his return from Scotland in late 1899, McKay taught at the high school level at LDS Weber Stake Academy (predecessor of Weber State University). He married Emma Ray Riggs in the Salt Lake Temple on January 2, 1901. They eventually had seven children, one dying as a young child.

For his first three years at Weber, McKay taught mainly religion and literature classes. On April 17, 1902, McKay was appointed principal of Weber, succeeding the founding principal, Louis F. Moench, who had resigned after nine years in the position. One of his first actions as principal was to organize a school paper. He oversaw the inauguration of sports programs at Weber, with men's and women's basketball teams organized during McKay's tenure. In 1905, they won their baseball game against the University of Utah.

In 1905, church apostles John W. Taylor and Matthias F. Cowley resigned from the Quorum of the Twelve due to disagreement over the manifesto forbidding polygamy, and apostle Marriner W. Merrill died in early 1906. With three vacancies, George F. Richards, Orson F. Whitney, and McKay were called as apostles during the LDS Church's April 1906 general conference. McKay was then 32 years of age.

Prior to this appointment to full-time church service, McKay had planned on a career in education and educational administration. He stayed active in education even after his appointment, continuing as principal of the Weber Stake Academy until 1908 (replaced by Wilford M. McKendrick). McKay stayed at Weber Stake Academy to see the completion of new building projects that he had begun. He also served on the Weber school's board of trustees until 1922, and on the University of Utah's board of regents from 1921 to 1922.

McKay enjoyed a long, personal friendship with John F. Fitzpatrick, who published the Salt Lake Tribune from 1924 until 1960. They met weekly for breakfast to discuss the betterment of Utah. Fitzpatrick organized the Newspaper Agency Corporation, a joint operating agreement between the Salt Lake Tribune (represented as the Kearns Corporation) and the church-owned Deseret News, and consulted extensively with McKay to form this mutually beneficial business in 1952.

Influence on education

Within the leadership of the LDS Church, McKay focused on education. As General Superintendent of the church's Sunday School organization from 1918 to 1934, McKay built seminaries near public high schools throughout Utah, allowing students to take Latter-day Saint religious courses along with their secular high school education. McKay also transferred three LDS colleges to the state of Utah in the 1920s: Snow College, Weber State University (WSU) and Dixie College. Utah underfunded the institutions and in 1953 the governor, J. Bracken Lee, offered to give them back to the LDS Church. McKay, then president of the church, said he would accept them and the proposal was placed on the 1954 election ballot. Since it failed to pass, the three institutions remained property of the state.

McKay guided the remaining church school in Utah, Brigham Young University (BYU) into a full four-year university. McKay was the fourth Commissioner of Church Education in 1920 and 1921.

In honor of his service, the BYU School of Education was named the McKay School of Education. WSU's school of education also carries his name.

From Wikipedia’s article on David O. McKay (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Career

Occupation: teacher, prophet.6

Personal life

  • BornSep 8, 1873, Huntsville7 8
  • DiedJan 18, 1970, Salt Lake City9
  • CitizenshipUnited States10
  • SpouseEmma Ray McKay11

His younger brother, Thomas Evans McKay, was a prominent missionary and mission leader for the LDS Church in Switzerland and Germany; he also served as an Assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles from 1941 to 1958.

McKay's niece, Fawn McKay Brodie, was the author of the controversial book No Man Knows My History, a highly critical biography of Joseph Smith, the publication of which led to her eventual excommunication from the LDS Church.

McKay's oldest son, David Lawrence McKay, was the eighth general superintendent of the LDS Church's Sunday School organization. When his father was ill, David often read his father's sermons during general conference.

One of McKay's granddaughters is Joyce McKay Bennett, wife of former United States Senator Bob Bennett. Another grandchild, Alan Ashton, was the co-founder and co-owner of computer program WordPerfect.

The Events Center at Utah Valley University in Orem, the David O. McKay Events Center, carried McKay's name between 1996 and 2010, after an anonymous donation was given in his honor. In 2010, the name was changed (to "Utah Community Credit Center") due to a fund-raising need at the university, and McKay's name was affixed to the university's Education Center instead.

From Wikipedia’s article on David O. McKay (this version), CC BY-SA 4.0.

Sources

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