D. Michael Quinn
| D. Michael Quinn | |
|---|---|
| Born |
Dennis Michael Quinn March 26, 1944 Pasadena, California |
| Education | Yale University (PhD) |
| Occupation | Author |
| Known for |
Mormon scholar Member of the September Six |
Dennis Michael Quinn (born March 26, 1944) is an American historian who has focused on the history of the The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). He was a professor at Brigham Young University (BYU) from 1976 until he resigned in 1988. At the time, his work concerned church involvement with plural marriage after the 1890 Manifesto, when new polygamous marriages were officially prohibited. He was excommunicated from the church as one of the September Six and is now openly gay.
Quinn was born in Pasadena, California, and grew up in adjacent Glendale. He wanted to be a medical doctor, and in preparation, he became a nursing aid at his local hospital during his senior year in high school, with a full load of patients. In college, however, he failed his pre-med program and had to change majors choosing English and philosophy instead. He served a mission for the LDS Church for two years in England. After graduation, Quinn served for three years in the United States Army during the Vietnam War: 18 months of training as a military intelligence agent followed by 18 months in Munich, Germany. During his military service he was first accepted into Duke University for graduate studies in English but after leaving the Army he realized that he preferred his then-hobby of studying history over other subjects. He then applied for a graduate program in history in Yale Graduate School where he graduated with a PhD in 1976. After graduation he took a job teaching and researching history at BYU. He also worked as a research assistant to then church historian Leonard J. Arrington for 18 months. Quinn taught at BYU until he resigned in January 1988 due to the ongoing pressure from some authorities who wanted to see him leave. At BYU he was elected once as best professor by the graduating class.
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