Lucile C. Tate

Lucile C. Tate was a biographer and artist. She is the author of the best-selling biography, LeGrand Richards: Beloved Apostle, published in 1982, and David B. Haight: The Life Story of a Disciple, published in 1987. She also penned Boyd K. Packer: A Watchman on the Tower (1997). In addition, her articles and drawings have appeared in university and Church publications.

Lucile was born on May 17, 1914. She attended Brigham Young University where she received a bachelor's degree with highest honors in 1964, and was elected to Phi Kappa Phi. Continuing her studies there, she was awarded a master's degree with distinction, receiving the Clark-Thomas Graduate Award.

She then became a faculty member of the College of Humanities. From 1971 to 1976 she and her husband, George S. Tate, lived in Alexandria, Virginia, during which time she did considerable research and writing for a biography of her father. That biography, Andrew B. Christenson, Mormon Educational Pioneer, was published in 1981.

Lucile and George served a mission together and were among the first workers in the Washington D.C. Temple. They later went again to the DC area to serve a mission for the Church. After George’s death, Lucile served another mission in that same area with her sister Margaret, while both of them were in their 80s.

Lucile has held many other positions in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, including teacher, Relief Society president, and stake Primary president. She is the mother of four children.

In 2004 she was awarded an honorary doctorate at BYU. She died on March 18, 2009.