Skip to main content

Joseph B. Keeler family papers

 Collection — Multiple Containers
Identifier: MSS 2016

Scope and Contents

Includes journals, biographical sketches, correspondence, articles, lesson manuals, published and unpublished manuscripts, photographs, and ephemera. The bulk of the material was created by Joseph B. Keeler's descendants, who used his papers as they compiled their published family history, "Build Thee More Stately" (1989). The collection focuses on family history, religion, education, and professional organizations.

Dates

  • approximately 1840-1990

Creator

Conditions Governing Access

Open for public research.

Conditions Governing Use

It is the responsibility of the researcher to obtain any necessary copyright clearances. Permission to publish material from Collection must be obtained from the Supervisor of Reference Services and/or the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Board of Curators.

Biographical History

Joseph Brigham Keeler (1855-1935) was one of the original twenty-nine students of Brigham Young Academy and later served on the faculty for thirty-six years. In the Brigham Young Academy and University administrations, he served as first counselor to Karl Maeser, Benjamin Cluff, and George Brimhall. Keeler taught in the Commercial and Theology departments and wrote the first two Aaronic Priesthood manuals in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He served a bulding mission to the St. George Temple (1874-75), a proselytizing mission to the Southern States Mission (1880-2), and served as Provo 4th Ward bishop, counselor and president of the Utah Stake, patriarch, and member of the General Priesthood Committee on Outlines.

Extent

5 boxes (2.5 linear feet)

Language of Materials

English

Other Finding Aids

Finding aid available in repository.

Other Finding Aids

File-level inventory available online. http://files.lib.byu.edu/ead/XML/MSS2016.xml

Custodial History

The Joseph B. Keeler Collection is an artifiicial collection created from the 1996 donations of Ellen Keeler Thompson. A granddaughter of Joseph and Martha Keeler, Ellen Thompson donated three cartons of materials to BYU on 28 February 1996. Part of these three cartons have been processed into MSS 2016 [Joseph B. Keeler Collection] as well as a few original Joseph Keeler items from the Daniel M. Keeler donation a89-628. The three cartons donated by Thompson did not reflect the ordering used in writing "Build Thee More Stately," nor display the order in which she received the materials. Additionally, Daniel M. Keeler, one of the last living children of Joseph B. Keeler, donated his father's journal on 27 August 1980. This original journal has also been incorporated into MSS 2016.

Appraisal

Utah and the American West and LDS cultural, social, and religious history (20th century Western & Mormon Manuscripts collection development policy, 5.VII, 2007).

Title
Register of Joseph B. Keeler family papers
Status
Completed
Author
Garrett Schroath
Date
2011 March 15
Description rules
Appm
Language of description
English
Script of description
Latin
Language of description note
Finding aid written in English in Latin script.

Repository Details

Part of the L. Tom Perry Special Collections Repository

Contact:
1130 HBLL
Brigham Young University
Provo Utah 84602 United States