Young Ambassadors

The Young Ambassadors is a performing group from Brigham Young University. The group was founded by Janie Thompson in 1969. Thompson had formed the Program Bureau in 1952 at the request of then BYU president Ernest L. Wilkinson.

The Young Ambassadors was originally called Brigham Young Ambassadors, but “Brigham” was dropped from the name in 1970.

The World’s Fair Committee asked the United States to provide a performing group that could represent America. With no available funding, the invitation was declined. However, Jimmie Fukusaki, the Department of Defense Entertainment Coordinator for the Pacific Command, got the idea to invite two performing groups on a regular USO military tour and schedule a delay en route to perform at Expo ’70. Brigham Young University was contacted to provide the two groups.[1]

One group would be the Sounds Of Freedom, a patriotic choir who had previously performed for America on the “Ed Sullivan Show.” The other group would be a variety show put together by founder Janie Thompson, the creative director behind the BYU troupes that toured overseas with the Department of Defense during the 1960s.[2]

Since the group’s performance at the Expo ’70 in Japan, they have performed their musical variety show throughout the United States and in over 68 other countries.[3] Their live and televised appearances are seen by millions of people each year.

Young Ambassadors consists of 10 men and 10 women performers, as well as music and technical personnel.

Randy Boothe was the artistic director for the Young Ambassadors from 1978 to his retirement in 2020. Nathan Balser is now the artistic director.

Dallin H. Oaks, who served as president of BYU, considers Young Ambassadors as key to establishing a good relationship between The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and China.[4][5]