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1911 Brigham Young University modernism controversy

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210: 94:, the superintendent of the church schools, felt especially that teaching religion from non-Mormon sources and teaching evolution was contrary to Latter-day Saint teachings. The four instructors' courses were popular among students and other faculty, but university and church officials accused the professors of promoting heretical views, and in 1911 offered the Petersons and Ralph Chamberlin a choice: alter their teachings or lose their jobs. Privately, 30: 660: 198: 174: 90:, to teach biology and philosophy, respectively. The Chamberlin and Peterson brothers, while devout Mormons, actively sought to increase the intellectual atmosphere of the university and community, facilitating discussion and debates on evolution and the Bible, and sought to convey that evolutionary ideas and Mormon theology were not mutually exclusive, but rather complementary. 186: 691: 65:, eventually resulting in the resignation of all four faculty members, an event that "leveled a serious blow to the academic reputation of Brigham Young University—one from which the Mormon school did not fully recover until successive presidential administrations." 101:
This ignited a great deal of controversy in the school and surrounding community. The students of BYU overwhelmingly supported the professors, and a petition of support signed by at least 80% of the student body was submitted to BYU officials and reprinted in the
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As a result of these intertwined academic storms, the AAUP published the document now known as the 1915 Declaration of Principles on Academic Freedom and Academic Tenure. Appearing in the inaugural December 1915 volume of the
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in Salt Lake City a similar controversy — what some at the time described as 'a tempest in a teapot' — erupted four years later in February 1915. There, the dismissals of two professors and two instructors by President
685: 108:, Salt Lake City's largest secular newspaper. Unwilling to change their teachings, the Petersons and Ralph Chamberlin left the university in 1911, while William remained for another 5 years, resigning in 1916. 81:
was hired to teach psychology, and his brother Henry Peterson hired as the director of the College of Education. Joseph Peterson was the first Ph.D on the faculty of BYU. In 1908 and 1909 Brimhall hired
232: 1509: 1121: 1539: 1320: 1446: 997: 723: 1426: 857: 835: 147:. The 1911 BYU controversy — involving some of the same professors, including the Peterson brothers and the Chamberlins — led in part to the University of Utah debacle. 1204: 763: 1253: 830: 795: 1273: 1357: 1060: 768: 136: 1303: 805: 800: 974: 345:
Chamberlin, Ralph. Ralph V. Chamberlin oral history interview, ID: MSS OH 238. Provo, Utah: L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University.
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wrote that the 1911 BYU controversy made Utah comparatively less emotional and reactionary than other parts of the country during the 1925
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The loss of the faculty represented an intellectual loss to the university, and a stifling effect on students as well as faculty.
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The four professors at the center of the controversy: Joseph and Henry Peterson (top row) and Ralph and W. H. Chamberlin (bottom)
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Unpublished Master's thesis, J. Willard Marriott Library Special Collections, University of Utah, Salt Lake City.
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told Ralph Chamberlin he could stay, but he refused, as the Petersons weren't given the same offer.
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began hiring a new group of faculty to increase the academic reputation of his school.
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The Theory of Evolution as an Aid to Faith in God and Belief in the Resurrection
178: 1373: 992: 659: 144: 139:' first institutional academic freedom inquest, spearheaded by AAUP founders 1416: 1392: 1238: 288: 46: 701: 508: 264: 260: 197: 185: 1408: 1345: 53:
of the Bible, arguing that modern scientific thought was compatible with
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Mormonism in Transition: a History of the Latter Day Saints; 1890-1930
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Creation and evolution in public education in the United States
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Academic Freedom and the Utah Controversies of 1911 and 1915.
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Bulletin of the American Association of University Professors
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cademic Freedom and the Utah Controversies of 1911 and 1915.
261:"The 1911 Evolution Controversy at Brigham Young University" 431:. Urbana: University of Illinois Press. pp. 171–174. 362:
The Mormon Experience: A History of the Latter-Day Saints
477:"Religion and Education: The Scopes Controversy in Utah" 425:"Definition of a Role for the Church Educational System" 266:
The Search for Harmony: Essays on Science and Mormonism
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Metzger, Walter P. (1961). "The First Investigation".
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1911 modernism controversy at Brigham Young University
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Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years
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Tom Perry Special Collections Library 531:"AAUP's 1915 Declaration of Principles" 244: 169: 327: 325: 323: 321: 319: 774:Skaggs Institute of Retail Management 597:. General Board, Y.M.M.I.A.: 548–551. 7: 1034:Primrose International Viola Archive 1454:New World Archaeological Foundation 604:"The Organic Evolution Controversy" 228:History of Brigham Young University 1432:Foundation for Attraction Research 1046:Ernest L. Wilkinson Student Center 858:Physical and Mathematical Sciences 564:"Twixt Sand and Shoals: 1909-1921" 562:Wilkinson, Ernest L., ed. (1975). 25: 1107:Monte L. Bean Life Science Museum 796:Family, Home, and Social Sciences 668:Evolution and Theological Belief 658: 208: 196: 184: 172: 1550:Mormonism-related controversies 1122:Museum of Peoples and Cultures 1003:Bertrand F. Harrison Arboretum 587:"Theory and Divine Revelation" 452:Bennion, Milton (March 1911). 1: 423:Alexander, Thomas G. (1996). 305:Unpublished Master's thesis, 1437:Mars Desert Research Station 806:Health and Human Performance 801:Fine Arts and Communications 259:Bergera, Gary James (1993). 1039:International Harp Archives 458:The Utah Educational Review 398:(13): 10–16. Archived from 307:J. Willard Marriott Library 1566: 1535:Christianity and evolution 1229:1911 modernism controversy 1024:BYU Family History Library 1189:West Mountain Observatory 1127:Education in Zion Gallery 998:Centennial Carillon Tower 674:Some Early Hebrew Legends 481:Utah Historical Quarterly 475:Hart, Ann Weaver (1983). 223:Mormon views on evolution 1530:Christianity and science 1525:Brigham Young University 1459:Religious Studies Center 1091:Spencer W. Kimball Tower 1086:N. Eldon Tanner Building 734:Brigham Young University 585:Joseph F. Smith (1911). 331:Bowen, Craig H. (1995). 301:Bowen, Craig H. (1995). 88:William Henry Chamberlin 43:Brigham Young University 1422:BYU Research Institutes 1403:The Generations Project 1304:Academic freedom issues 1081:Karl G. Maeser Building 1066:Heber J. Grant Building 1056:Harris Fine Arts Center 73:In 1907, BYU president 1515:20th-century Mormonism 1316:Ballroom Dance Company 1143:LaVell Edwards Stadium 1117:Museum of Paleontology 34: 1153:Larry H. Miller Field 1076:Joseph Smith Building 1071:Jesse Knight Building 1051:Eyring Science Center 1019:Harold B. Lee Library 663:Texts on Wikisource: 309:Special Collections, 84:Ralph Vary Chamberlin 32: 1495:1911 in Christianity 1469:Wheatley Institution 781:Continuing Education 614:. pp. 131–171. 203:Evolutionary biology 863:Religious Education 133:Joseph T. Kingsbury 121:Scopes Monkey Trial 1490:1911 controversies 1249:Seventh East Press 893:Women's basketball 688:, W. H. Chamberlin 682:, R. V. Chamberlin 676:, R. V. Chamberlin 670:, R. V. Chamberlin 610:. 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Index

1911 Brigham Young University controversy

Brigham Young University
evolution
higher criticism
Christian
Mormon theology
stake presidents
George H. Brimhall
Joseph Peterson
Ralph Vary Chamberlin
William Henry Chamberlin
Horace H. Cummings
Joseph B. Keeler
Salt Lake Tribune
Milton Bennion
Ann Weaver Hart
Scopes Monkey Trial
University of Utah
Joseph T. Kingsbury
American Association of University Professors
Arthur O. Lovejoy
John Dewey
Portals
Utah
icon
Education
icon
Evolutionary biology
LDS Church

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