Joseph T. Kingsbury
Joseph T. Kingsbury was born on November 4, 1853, in Weber County, Utah Territory. A few years afterward, his family moved to Salt Lake City from the farm in Weber County, Utah.
He attended the University of Deseret, now known as the University of Utah, from 1872 to 1875. He then studied at Cornell University from 1875 to 1877. In 1878, Kingsbury joined the University of Deseret faculty where he taught physics, chemistry, mineralogy, geology, geography, and civil government. He received his doctorate through Illinois Wesleyan University in 1894.
Kingsbury married Jane Mair on August 7, 1879, and they had six children.
He served as president of the University of Deseret from 1892 to 1894. In 1894 he was replaced by James E. Talmage and served as university vice president. He was once again appointed president in 1897 and held that position until he resigned because of a campus controversy in 1916. (See Wikipedia, “Joseph T. Kingsbury.”) Kingsbury was given an appointment to teach in the chemistry department by the University Board of Regents, but because that was also controversial, he was given other work at the University.
In 1930 university auditorium was named Kingsbury Hall in his honor. Kingsbury died on April 10, 1937, in Salt Lake City.
