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Show ) 4 A "X ' ' ; " x . ' v - - ; ' ' ' ' :- -l H i M ton of books makes a weighty legacy. This was the gift of the late President and Mrs. George Albert Smith to his second love, Brigham YoungUniversity. are cataloging the Officials e family library collected dur-ing a lifetime by President .Smith and his first love, Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith. Presentation was made recently by their three children, Mrs. Emily Smith Stewart, Mrs. Edith Smith Elliot and George Albert Smith Jr. Most of these books will go in the stacks of J. Reuben Clark Jr. Library designated as part of the Smith collection by a seal on the flyleaf; According to Mrs. Stewart, her mother collected most of them, for, oddly enough, the legacy comes from a man who seldom read. While still young, President Smiths sight was permanently impaired by the heat and glare suffered during a surveying trip. His children read to him, and thus acquired an early love of history, art, music and the classics. Because of him, the Book of Mormon was printed in Braille. After die death of the President in 1951, the books rested boxed in the North 40," a room In Mrs. Stewarts Salt Lake City -home, along with enough mementos and documents to fill it to the ceiling three times In the last 20 years. The sorting and cataloging of this mass has kept the sisters busy for a decade. Many of these mementos are Important in Church history, for Lucy Smiths grandfather was Wilford Woodruff, also president of the Church. The Smith side is no less rich. Both George Alberts father and grandfather were apostles and counselors in fte First Presidency. It was at the Provo home of grandfather George A. Smith that the George Albert lived when he came to the deserted warehouse that sheltered the budding academy of Karl G. Maeser, a man he revered so much that his daughters claimed, We were raised on Karl Maeser. The stay was brief. His father was ealled on a mission, and at the age of 13 young George Albert was nailing boxes together at ZCMI. After graduation from the University of Deseret, he became ZCMIs drummer for a large territory he sometimes covered on bicycle. He had a unique distinction, he was never asked to itemize his expense account. At 22 he married childhood sweetheart Lucy Woodruff, who used to cut across his lawn on the way to her grandparents. The wedding, May 25, 1892, preceded a mission call by only a few months. Lucy Joined him and when the mission president was forced to be absent for several months, Mission Secretary Smith took over, directing 125 missionaries in hostile country where threats of death were not uncommon. Treasured souvenirs were splinters once blasted by mob bullets from shelter. the walls of his After their 1894 return to Salt Lake City, he received the honor of being the first Mormon federal appointee, receiver of public moneys and disbursing agent for Utah. Thodore Roosevelt reappointed him in 1902. He was in his office on the weekday session of October Conference 1903 when he was sustained an apostle. Although his fathers diary contains an entry saying that President Joseph F. Smith had mentioned fiie upcoming call, no one had informed A 2,000-volum- Oscar Kirkham, left, and Bryant S. Hinckley, admire plaque wilh Pres. George Albert Smith, center, for his work in Scouting (picture at .fight). Photos below show Pres. Smith and Lucy Emily Woodruff Smith shortly before their marriage. r ' e wi " 4'j ; &M . ' . 1 A iiV ; : - ; - v s ' v 1 y - V c,f ".,. ' 1 The young Smith family, included Emily, left, Edith, right, and George Albert Jr., on his mother's lap. fif lo I v y? k l' v , yy log-cabi-n George. Mrs. Stewart remembers that she and her sister were waiting for their father to escort them to the fair. ' Kfe: WEEK ENDING OCTOBER 14, 1967 Y'-- Some of Pres. Smith's trips took him to the Pacific with his daughters, Emily, left, and Edith In photo, left. Top is son George Albert Jr., . with George Albert Smith m. -- It seemed like the whole Tabernacle was streaming across the lawn into our house, dying and kissing mother. They were all saying that Father was an apostle, and we thought that being an apostle must be the worst thing that could possibly happen to you." Even when the Information was confirmed, the new apostle picked bis chit |