| OCR Text |
Show 34 FOUNDERS DAY COMMEMORATIVE ISSUE CI FEBRUARY 28, THE DAILY UTAH CHRONICLE 2000 KM SS ( addition to being the University of Utah's first professor, Maude May Babcock was responsible for a number of firsst, not only at the U and Utah, but in the United States. Born in 1867, Babcock was a graduate of the Philadelphia School of Oratory and the American Academy of Dramatic Art in New York and Weils College. Additionally, she attended Chicago University and studied for two years in London and Paris. Before arriving at the U in 1892, Babcock taught at Harvard University during three summer sessions. According to Babcock, it was Susa Young Gates, a daughter of Brigham Young who had attended one of her summer classes, who was responsible for her com- first woman in the United States to be to a state senate, MiJlha Hughes was a woman of many roles. Born in 1857 in Wales, she immigrated with her family to the United States the next year, reaching Utah in 1861. She entered the University of Deseret in 1876, graduated from the U in chemistry in 1878, then followed her dream of becoming a doctor, attended the University of Michigan School of Med- The Tn JL m 4 icine. She graduated from there in 1880, and spent practicing medicine in Algonac, Michigan. Her involvement was not solely limited to the realms of academia and theatre; she also served as president of the Utah School for the Deaf and Blind for 12 years and was chaplain to the Utah State Senate, the first woman in the US. to hold such a position. In 1895, she directed "Eleusinia," a Grecian play connected to the harvest festival. It was the first performance of a stage play by a university in the United Due to the great success "Eleusinia" enjoyed, the U Dramatic Club was founded in 1897. With Babcock as its director, the first performance was on Dec. 8. 1897 when "A Happy Pair", and JA Box of Monkeys" were performed. "Miss Babcock should feel proud of the club's successful effort, which must have been largely due to her untiring zeal and able direction," wrote a reviewer from The Daily Utah Chronicle. When Babcock retired in 1938, The U Dramatic Club had the longest record of annual performances in the U.S., a tribute to her drive and dedication. At the time of her retirement, she was the senior faculty member at the U. One year after her retirement, she was awarded an honorary doctorate by the Board of States. Regents. Babcock died in 1954. Pen Women. 1 i year Martha returned to Utah in 1882, and served as a resident physician at the Deseret Hospital from 1882 to 1886. In 1884, she married Angus Cannon, one of the directors of the hospital. Angus was 23 years her senior and Martha was his fourih wife. As stake president of the Salt Lake City stake of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints, Angus was watched closely by federal authorities seeking to prosecute him for polygamy. Angus spent most of 1885 in jail for lascivious cohabitation, i.e. polygamy. Martha spent two years in England and Michigan to help him avoid further troubles with the law. When she returned to Utah, she opened a private practice and taught obstetrics and nursing classes. In addition to her medical interests, Martha was active in politics and the women's suffrage movement. She attended Columbian Exhibition in Chicago as part of the Utah women's delegation and testified before a congressional committee 011 the political involvement of women in Utah. She was best known for her election to the Utah State Senate in 1896, the first woman to be elected to a state senate in the United States. Martha ran as an delegate for the Democratic Party while Angus ran in the same capacity with ing to Utah. Babcock founded the U's physical culture and speech departments, which later became theatre and. dance. She wrote a number of influential texts on speech and elocution, including Handbook for Teachers, Interpretive Selections for High Schools ar.d Interpretive Selections for College. Babcock aiso served as president of the National Association of Teachers of Speech and was made an honorary member of the National League of American s the Republican Party. Their daughter Elizabeth recorded that Angus was relieved that his wife had won instead of him. She served two terms as state senator, from 1896 to 1900. The three bills she introduced were: to provide education for the deaf, dumb and blind, to guarantee the health of women and gir! employees, and to create a State Board of Health. In her first term, she chaired the Apportionment Committee, aln her second, she chaired the Public Health Committee. During her second term, she further defined the role of the State Board of Health and gave it increased enforcement powers. During her later years she worked in the orthopedic department of the Graves Clinic in Los Angeles. Cannon died in Los Angeles in 1932. The State Health Buiiding constructed in 1985 is named the Martha H. Cannon Health Building in her honor. owell L. Bennion was born in 1908 to Milton and Cora Lindsay Bennion. His father, Milton Bennion had already established strong Ben nion ties to the University of Utah, having studied at the U and taught there for 40 years. Two major events occurred in Bcnnion's life in 1928 his marriage to Merle Colton and his call to n mission of The Church of serve in the Latter-day Christ Saints. of Jesus Serving until 1931, he in spent two more years Germany and Austria working on his doctorate. In 1934 Lowell accepted an offer by John A. Widtsoe of the LDS Church to found an institute of religion at the U. To attract students of diverse backgrounds, Bennion created a a curriculum of intriguing classes, among them, The Position of Mormonism in the Religious Thought of Western Civilization, and Religion and the Rise of Our Modern Economic Order. Bennion believed that the institute should focus on how to best help the students. Church leaders recognized his ability to relate to the students. David O. McKay president of the LDS Church, once asked Lowell to give a talk in the genera! conference on dating because he felt the youth would listen to him In 1962, because of disagreements with other individuals in the LDS Church's educational system, Bennion accepted an appointment as assistant dean of students at the U. In addition to his numerous administrative duties, from 1967 to 1972, Bennion taught both a sociology of religion and sociology of knowledge once each year. In 1969, he was made a full professor of sociology without requesting it. Just three years after that he was people in Utah have such a strong heritage community giving as Spencer F. and Cleone Few Swiss-Germa- granted tenure. After a number of his close associates at the U . If--- ; " moved on to other positions in the early 1970s, nion accepted the director position of the Community Service Council. As director of the CSC, he authorized the formation of a minorities committee. One of his primary focuses was on programs for the elderly. Under Bcnnion's guidance, the CSC developed and focused nine main programsamong them the Salt Lake Food Bank, the Independent Living Center and Alliance. the Ouclesscbougou-Uta-h In 1986, the U announced the formation of the Lowell L Bennion Community Service Center at a meeting held in Beniriien's honor. Through the Bennion Center, over 5,000 individuals have spent over 100,000 hours giving service. Two years after the formation of the Bennion Center, Bennion retired as director of CSC. He died in 1996. warn Gordon do. His grandfather, David Eccles, built a financial empire that ranged from banks to lumber after starting out with little more than a yoke of oxen in the early 1870s. David, Utah's first multimillionaire, was involved in the community, serving two terms as mayor and using his money for the good of the loans to community. Twice he made interest-fre- e The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da- y Saints to help it out of financial binds. Spencer's uncles George and Marriner Eccles, who served as chairman of the Federal Reserve, and many of their siblings set up foundations that have proven to be crucial to the growth of the U. From Stadium to the David Eccles School of Business, the Eccles' giving has helped the University of Utah Rice-Eccl- immeasurably. Serving as heir to such a legacy isn't always easy. Spencer, born in 1934, and Cleone, born in 1935, have had to meet high expectations. In 1986, Forbes magazine published an article praising Marriner and George, but criticizing Spencer, then head of First Security Bank, claiming he was leading it to destruction. Spencer proved them wrong, though.. In each of the six years immediately following the article, the bank saw record earnings. Both Spencer and Cleone-- attended the U; Spencer graduated in 1956 and Cleone graduated in 1957. Their commitment to the U since then has been 0. C&frhf B. Hinckley has played an important role direction of The Church of Jesus Christ of Saints since 1935. in Born 1910, he attended the University of Utah from 1928 to 1932. He graduated with a bachelor's in English and planned to attend graduate school when the bishop of his ward suggested that he serve a missioa Greatly surprised, as few individuals were called to serve during the Great Depression, Hinckley nevertheless agreed. His mission proved a turning point for the rest of his life. During his mission, he served as assistant to Joseph F. Merrill, a former dean of the U's College of Engineering and then president of all the missions in Europe and member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. On his return to Salt Lake City, Hinckley met with LDS Church President Heber J. Grant and his two counselors to discuss the lack of adequate materials for missionaries teaching the gospel. Just two days later the LDS Church formed the Church Radio, Publicity, and Mission Literature Committee to address the concerns he had raised; Hinckley was asked to work as executive secretary of the committee. At the time of his hiring, there were fewer than 10 employees at the church's headquarters. Before the formation of the committee, the LDS Church's public relations efforts had not been focused or overseen by one body. Hinckley played a major role in the committee, suggesting and preparing materials for the approval of the committee members. He created everything from audiotapes to slide presentations on subjects ranging from the history of the LDS unfailing. He has been a key player in the U's fundrais-in- g endeavors for over 25 years and she has served on the U Board of Trustees. He has served as chair of both the U Alumni House drive and the U's current sesquicentennial campaign: Generations of Excellence. Some of their major donations to the U have supported the Spencer S. Eccles Health Sciences Library, the Hope Fox Eccles Clinical Library, the athletics department and the C. Roland Chris-tense- n Center. Spencer is currently the director of his aunts' and uncles' foundations. Under his guidance, the foundations have provided needed support for the David P. Gardner Hall renovation and the construction of the Marcia and John Price Buildings. Church to The Book of Mormon. The new materials were an immediate and overwhelming success. Two years after joining the committee, at the age of 27, he married Marjorie Pay. Hinckley worked for the committee, and others on missionary work and temple work, until he was called as an assistant to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in 1958. Just three years later, he was called to be a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. In 1971, he was honored by the U with the Distinguished Alumnus Award Hinckley was called to the serve in the First Presidency of the LDS Church in 1981. Due to the poor health of the other members of the First Presidency, he was soon responsible for all the daily assignments of the presidency, until 1985 when Ezra Taft Benson became president. On March u, 1995, he became president of the LDS Church. Since then, he has brought the church untold positive publicity through interviews with Mike Wallace, Larry King and others. He has also greatly accelerated the spread of temples. Still in very good health, it seems he will lead the church for years to come. |
