J. Elliot Cameron

J. Elliot Cameron (born 1923) was an American educator and a leader in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).

Cameron was born in Panguitch, Utah. He served in the United States Army during World War Two and became a specialist in hospital administration. He began teaching at Lincoln High School in Orem, Utah in 1948. [Wilkinson, Ernest L. and Leonard J. Arrington, "Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years" (Provo, Utah: Brigham Young University Press, 1976) Vol. 3, p. 218]

Cameron served as principal of Duchesne High School in 1949. From 1950 to 1953 he was principal of South Sevier High School. From 1953 to 1956 he was the superintendent of the Sevier School DIstrict. [Wilkinson. "Brigham Young University". Vol. 3, p. 218] Cameron attended the University of Utah, Utah State University, Southern Utah State College, and earned bachelor's, master's (both 1948) and doctorate degrees (1966) from Brigham Young University (BYU) in Provo, Utah. In the fall of 1964 Cameron served on a committee with seven general authorities that evaluated the idea of the church building more junior colleges. The so called "Cameron Report" which the committee came out with recommended that no new church institutions of higher education be built, that no new programs be inaugurated but instead it advocated the establishment of primary and secondary schools for church members in areas where such schools were not easily available. [Wilkinson. "Brigham Young University". p. 173]

From 1956 to 1958, Cameron was the president of Snow College in Ephraim, Utah. After his time at Snow, he became Dean of Student Services at Utah State University and in 1962 became the Dean of Students at BYU. In 1972 his title was changed to dean of student life.

In 1980, Cameron became the president of Brigham Young University Hawaii. It was while Cameron was in this position that the school first made contacts with Chinese officials. He also oversaw the completion of the Lorenzo Snow Administration Building and the Cannon Activities Center. In 1986 Cameron succeeded Henry B. Eyring as Commissioner of Church Education for the LDS Church. In 1989, the position of Commissioner of Church Education was abolished and Cameron retired. The position was subsequently revived in 1992 with Eyring serving another term.

Cameron also served as a bishop, stake president, regional representative of the Twelve, and as a member of the general board of the Sunday School. Cameron was a contributing editor to the 1992 "Encyclopedia of Mormonism" and was a frequent contributor to LDS Church magazines.

From 1989 to 1992 Cameron served as president of the Provo Utah Temple of the church. [ [http://www.lds.org/ldsorg/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=9ce527cd3f37b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “Appointments,”] "Ensign", Aug. 1989, 79.] ["Church News", 1992-05-23]

In 1996, Cameron served as the National President of the Sons of Utah Pioneers organization. [ [http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QQHXAGUYPYAM&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=5&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES "Vern Taylor to head Sons of Utah Pioneers"] , "Deseret News", 1994-10-28, p. C2.] Cameron also served as a chairman of the Utah Pioneer Sesquecentenial Coordinating Council. [Twila Van Leer, [http://www.desnews.com/cgi-bin/cqcgi_plus/@plus.env?CQ_SESSION_KEY=QQHXAGUYPYAM&CQ_CUR_DOCUMENT=6&CQ_TEXT_MAIN=YES "Utah's past called a guide to its future"] , "Deseret News", 1997-02-20, p. B1.]

Cameron and his wife, the former Maxine Petty, are the parents of four children.

References

External links

* [http://lds.org/portal/site/LDSOrg/menuitem.b12f9d18fae655bb69095bd3e44916a0/?vgnextoid=2354fccf2b7db010VgnVCM1000004d82620aRCRD&locale=0&sourceId=ac7fef960417b010VgnVCM1000004d82620a____&hideNav=1 “J. Elliot Cameron New Commissioner of Education,”] "Ensign", May 1986, 108