John A. Widtsoe

John Andreas Widtsoe ( born January 31, 1872 Frøya, † November 29, 1952 in Salt Lake City, Utah) was an apostle of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was from 1921 until his death in the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

Life

As Widtsoe was six years old, his father died. After his mother joined the Latter Day Saints, the family emigrated to the United States. Widtsoe attended Brigham Young College in Logan, Utah, where he made his degree in 1891. He later studied at Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In 1894 he completed his studies and began thereat to act at Utah Agricultural College. In 1898 he married. From the marriage seven children were born, four of whom died in early childhood. After his marriage Widtsoe traveled to Europe, where he studied chemistry at Göttingen and Zurich. In 1900 he returned to Utah. He put his acquired knowledge to the next 20 years at the Utah Agricultural College and published two books. In 1907 he became president of the college. Later he became president of the University of Utah.

In March 1921 he became the apostle of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and was now a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.