Brigham Young and Higher Education

Brigham wanted the young people of Utah to have the opportunity to learn as much as possible so he started several schools of higher education. In 1850 Brigham organized the University of Deseret, now the University of Utah. Under the direction of Karl G. Maeser, he established an academy in Provo in 1875, which is now Brigham Young University. In 1877 he began the Brigham Young College in Logan, to educate teachers for schools in settlements throughout the west. It later became Utah State University.


Education was important to Brigham Young, whether it was for his own children, the children of the community, the women of the Church, or establishing institutions of higher education. “My policy is to keep everybody busy in building up the Kingdom; [including] building academies and other places of learning.”