In 1882, for the first time,
the church set up a normal fund for the Academy, with $400 for tuition for
training teachers. During the years
following Brigham Young’s death in 1877, the Academy continued to grow and they
recruited from the very large Utah Territory.
In 1883, the Academy had 402 registered students. By 1884, the Academy had students from what
would become seven surrounding states.
But,
on January 27, 1884 the Lewis Building, on Third
West and Center Street, caught fire and was destroyed. Much of the furniture, organ, musical
instruments, the library and physical apparatus was saved. Financial loss was at least $15,000. The Young Women’s Journal said:
Of all who gazed on that sad
spectacle that night, there was no heavier, sadder heart than that of its
foster-father, A.O. Smoot. The
Institution had grown into his very heart of hearts, and to see the results of
years of toil and hard-earned blessings blazing on the altar of sacrifice, wilted
his feelings to the uttermost… With
steady courage he calmed the fears and murmurs of excited pupils, raised the
fallen hopes of [the] crushed principal, infused life and energy into the board
and faculty, and with the loss of only one day, the school resumed its session,
and BY Academy went bravely on with its work.
Quick assignments were made to
hold classes in the Provo Tabernacle, the Smoot bank building and the Jones
furniture store and school reopened, missing only one day. But enrollment slackened and financial stress
increased. Within a year, classes were
moved to the church-owned ZCMI warehouse on 500 South Academy (University)
Avenue, where all of the upper floor and half of the lower floor were used.
At the same time, the Board of
Trustees, with encouragement from President John Taylor, decided to build a new
academy building on Fifth North and Academy Avenue. President John Taylor assigned $5000 of
Church funds toward the erection of a new building. In April 1884, using some of the money
advanced by the Church, $1300 was paid toward the price of the land which cost
$4,800. Land was purchased and the
foundations were dug and completed by October of 1884. But by 1885, enrollment had declined
and lack of funds caused the work on a new academy building to be halted
indefinitely.
Additional challenges resulted
from the involvement of heirs of Brigham Young who held visitational and veto
rights, together with control and management of academy property. This made administration more complicated and
obtaining private donations was more difficult.
This arrangement was
dramatically changed in November, 1890 when Brigham’s heirs gave full authority
to President Abraham O. Smoot and the Board of Trustees for all aspects of
Academy administration. This led to new
life in the Academy and the Board of Trustees immediately moved forward to
complete the Academy Building.
Architect Joseph Don Carlos
Young, Brigham’s son, completed the design of the Academy Building. The Board of Trustees borrowed substantially
more money with several board members signing personal guarantees, particularly
A.O. Smoot. A.O. Smoot endorsed $65,000 in BY Academy notes, outstanding
against his name, with interest up to 12%.
These were all for the Academy and likely for the building. Also H.H. Child, Harvey H. Cluff, David John
and Wilson Dusenberry signed personal guarantees.
The total cost of the Academy
Building was about $100,000. In 1893
(during this period of loan guaranteeing), A.O. said to his wife: Anne, I haven’t a piece of property that is
not mortgaged. I have had to do it to
raise money to keep the Brigham Young Academy going. That was given to me as a mission and I would
sooner lose all than to fail in fulfilling this responsibility. I love that school and I can see what it
means to our youth to have a spiritual as well as book learning. It must live.
Construction resumed in early
1891 and was completed in late 1891. It
was dedicated by George Q. Cannon, a member of the First Presidency, on January
4, 1892. President Wilford Woodruff,
A.O. Smoot, Karl Maeser and others spoke.
This beautiful building was said to provide the Best Education and Accommodations in the Territory, and was
critical to the survival and growth of the BY Academy[1].
President A.O. Smoot, who
conducted the dedicatory services, said on this occasion: My
heart swells with gratitude as I look upon this assemblage. I have been watching the academy since its
commencement and its reverses and successes.
I have taken an almost fatherly concern in it. Its graduates are known throughout all Utah
and its surroundings. The prospect for
the academy is very flattering for the future.
The old walls of the academy were very dear to me. The old walls will be remembered with
gratitude by many a Brigham Young Academy student. We are prepared to accommodate 600
students. We have the furniture and all
the appliances. We feel that the present
academic year will not close with less than that number. I ask the people here today not for their gold
and silver, but for their faith and assistance.
I have spent many a sleepless night for the academy. I feel confident that the success of the
Brigham Young Academy is
assured. It will never go backward but
onward [Applause.] My association
with Dr. Maeser has not been limited. I
have spent many an hour with him and feel that in his retirement he has a
greater field of usefulness in which to labor.
May his mantle fall upon his successor, Benjamin Cluff, with becoming
dignity.
An early photograph shows the
BY Academy Building as it appeared on Founders’ Day in 1900, about eight years
after its dedication. Three years later,
the BY Academy became Brigham Young University and Academy Avenue became
University Avenue.
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| BY Academy Building. Built under the direction of A.O. Smoot, BY Academy Board of Trustees President, (1875-1895). Started 1884, dedicated – 1892. When the roll of honor is read of the names who have made the Academy what it is today, second only to the illustrious name of its founder, Brigham Young, will stand the name and fame of Abram O. Smoot (Joseph F. Smith) |
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Provo Tabernacle. Built under the direction of Utah Stake President, A.O. Smoot, (1868-1895). Started 1883, dedicated 1898. President A.O. Smoot said (Sept. 1, 1889, Utah Stake Conference) I hope to live to see the Tabernacle completed and ornamented with an organ and beautiful as a house of worship but I don’t know whether I will or not.
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| Provo City Center Temple Dec 2014 (see more) |
[1]
This
Academy Building, after being sold by the Church in 1978, was abandoned and in
terrible disrepair; but it was beautifully preserved and expanded (1995-2001)
at the cost of about 24 million dollars and currently houses the Provo City
Library at Academy Square
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