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Show Native New College Head LA IE, Hawaii -Panguitch native Dr. J. Elliot Cameron officially became the sixth president of Brigham Young Unvierslty Hawii Campus during inauguration ceremonies attended by more than 2,000 in the new activity center on the campus. Cameron, born in Panguitch, is the son of Archie and Luana Sargent Cameron. He paid tribute to his parents, sisters, wife and children as he acknowledged his new responsibility. Gordon B. Hinckley, chairman of the executive committee of the university's board of trustees, charged the new president to "marshall the resources of this university ... to the opening of the minds and the enlargement of the understanding of all who come here." He said that the institution has the responsibility to teach its students to "think with intellectual integrity, act . . . . t i ; i ; l ; wiin moral respixisiuuuy and stand as examples of men and women possessed of a great sense of service to their fellow men. Ano :r member of the unive ty's board of trustee . Boyd K. Packer, also addressed the gathering, expressing to Cameron that he was chosen for the position "because you possess broad experience and high intellectual achievemnt, coupled with a deep faith in God a very rare combination nowadays." Hinckley and Packer are members of the Council of Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which operates Brigham Young University. Accepting the charges "without any hesitation or reservation", Cameron told the throng that all who became part of BYU - Hawaii will be carefully selected. "Every person associated with the school faculty, staff, student and visitor is responsible to provide an optimum environment," he said. "Those who have the opportunity to teach, work, or study here mu3t not undervalue and depreciate their investment." BYU - Hawaii, which celebrated its 25th anniversary in 1980, was known as The Church College of Hawaii until becoming part of Brigham Young University in 1974. The school has had six consecutive years of increased enrollments. Cameron, who has been at the BYU Hawaii helm since last August, had been serving as vice president of student services at the BYU main campus in Provo, Utah. A career educational administrator, he had served in various administrative capacities at BYU since 1962. He previously served as dean of student services at Utah State University in Logan for five years, president of Snow College in Ephraim for three years, superintendent of Sevier School District for four years, principal of Duchesne and South Sevier high schools over a six-year period, and a teacher at Lincoln High School in Orem for two years. Cameron graduated from Springville High School in Springville and earned a doctor of education degree at Brigham Young University, where he also was awarded bachelor's and master's degres. He also has studied at the University of Utah and Utah State University. He and his wife, the former Maxine Petty of Nephi, have four married children. |