Cecil O. Samuelson
| Cecil O. Samuelson, Jr. | |
|---|---|
Samuelson leading the April 2008 commencement exercises at BYU
|
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| First Quorum of the Seventy | |
| October 1, 1994 – October 1, 2011 | |
| End reason | Granted general authority emeritus status |
| Presidency of the Seventy | |
| August 15, 2001 – April 5, 2003 | |
| End reason | Honorably released to become president of BYU |
| Emeritus General Authority | |
| October 1, 2011 | |
| 12th President of Brigham Young University | |
| In office | |
| May 1, 2003 – May 1, 2014 | |
| Predecessor | Merrill J. Bateman |
| Successor | Kevin J Worthen |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
August 1, 1941 Salt Lake City, Utah |
| Alma mater | University of Utah (B.S., M.Ed., M.D.) |
| Spouse(s) | Sharon Giauque Samuelson |
Cecil Osborn Samuelson, Jr. (born Aug 1, 1941) was the 12th president of Brigham Young University (BYU) and is an emeritus general authority of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Prior to holding these positions, Samuelson had worked as a professor of medicine and later dean of the school of medicine at the University of Utah, and senior vice president of Intermountain Health Care (IHC). While he was president at BYU, Samuelson pushed professors and students to raise their expectations and encouraged mentored learning. During his presidency, student enrollment limits stayed constant, new sports coaches were hired, new buildings were built, and a hiring freeze during the Great Recession reduced faculty.
Samuelson holds a bachelor's degree, a master's degree in educational psychology, and an M.D. from the University of Utah. He completed his residency at Duke University Medical Center in Durham, North Carolina. He is a Brother of Pi Kappa Alpha International Fraternity.
Samuelson worked at the University of Utah in 1973 as assistant dean of admissions and at the medical school as a faculty member. In 1977 he became acting dean of the University of Utah medical school, and in 1985 was promoted to dean of the medical school. In 1988 he became vice president over health services at the University of Utah, where he gained a reputation as a sensitive negotiator. In 1990, IHC appointed Samuelson as senior vice president and then IHC Hospital president.
At the beginning of Samuelson's tenure as president of BYU, he invited students and faculty to "raise the bar" in their learning and teaching and in their expectations of student behavior. During his time as president, the College of Health and Human Performance was dissolved into existing colleges. The university replaced old student dorms with New Heritage Housing, and built the Gordon B. Hinckley Alumni and Visitors Center (2007), BYU Broadcasting Building (2011), and Life Sciences Building (2014). During the 2008 recession, along with the LDS Church which owns and operates the university, BYU instituted a hiring freeze for almost two years, and 70-80 faculty retired or left. Enrollment limits stayed consistent, and Samuelson pushed for more mentored learning experiences, where professors work together with students on research.
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