BYU’s Most Controversial President - Ernest Wilkinson w/ Gary Bergera | Ep. 2147
Mormon Stories Podcast
Dr. John Dehlin
4.5 • 5.7K Ratings
🗓️ 13 May 2026
⏱️ 100 minutes
🧾️ Download transcript
Summary
In this episode, we dive into the life and legacy of Ernest L. Wilkinson, president of Brigham Young University from 1952 to 1971. Known for rapidly expanding BYU into a major religious university, Wilkinson was also a deeply polarizing figure whose leadership raised serious questions about race, politics, academic freedom, and loyalty within the Church.
Joined by historian and longtime Signature Books publisher Gary Bergera, we explore Wilkinson’s diary collection and what it reveals about his ambitions, fears, and decisions.
From alleged “spy ring”activity among faculty, to clashes with Apostle Boyd K. Packer, to his views on black students, LGBTQ+ students, and the role of capitalism in the gospel, this conversation uncovers a complex portrait of a man who helped shape modern BYU –while leaving behind a legacy still debated today.
Gary Bergera has spent decades shaping Mormon historical scholarship and was a key figure in Signature Books. His work has helped bring forward documents and perspectives that continue to challenge and inform conversations today.
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Transcript
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| 1:00.2 | Hello everyone and welcome to another edition of Mormon Stories podcast. |
| 1:03.0 | I'm your host, John DeLynn. |
| 1:04.1 | It's April 8th, 2026. |
| 1:06.9 | And today we are here to talk about someone who I would say is one of the most controversial |
| 1:12.8 | and polarizing and maybe even important Mormon figures or leaders of the 20th century. |
| 1:22.7 | We are here to talk about the Ernest L. Wilkinson. |
| 1:26.9 | Many will know of him because the |
| 1:29.6 | large student center of B.Y.U., the Wilk or the Wilkinson Center, obviously is named after him. |
| 1:36.4 | He was a president of BYU. I believe it's from 19, if I put my glasses on, I believe it's from |
| 1:43.8 | 1952 to 1971. |
| 1:48.8 | And he was controversial for all sorts of reasons. |
| 1:53.0 | I believe he may have, I think we've covered before our Mormon stories, said or done some |
| 2:00.5 | things that were considered |
... |
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