Karl G. Maeser

Family Background

1828. January 16: Born Karl Gottfried Maeser in Vorbrucke, Meissen, Germany. In 1854 he married Anna Meith in Germany, and twenty-one years later wed plural wife Emilie Damke. He was the father of nine children.

Education

With private tutoring, Maeser became proficient in French, Italian, and Latin, in addition to his native German. Musically gifted, he played the piano and organ, and conducted choral and orchestral music. He studied two years at the Krenz Schule in Dresden before graduating with honors from the Friederich Stadt normal school. At the age of twenty he taught in the Dresden schools, later serving as a private tutor in Bohemia.

First Mormon Convert in Saxony

1855. "Scepticism had undermined religious impressions of my childhood days, and infidelity, now known by its modern name of agnosticism, was exercising its disintegrating influence upon me."

Maeser was amused by the "inaccuracies and the poverty of language" he found in Mormon pamphlets. "But as I read on I came to be convinced that 'Mormonism' was a bigger thing than I had anticipated it to be. The humble but straightforward statements of testimony, the mistakes and the meagerness of the language used in the exposition of the wonderful truths that I could see back of it all, brought such uneasiness to me that I could not resist; my soul was on fire, as it were, and I therefore expressed a desire to have an Elder sent to me."

Taught the gospel by William Budge, Franklin D. Richards, and William H. Kimball, Maeser and seven family members and friends were baptized in the Elbe River—the first Mormon converts in Saxony.

Maeser was made president of the small Dresden branch.

1856. The Dresden branch emigrated to Utah, first stopping in England, where Maeser served a short mission to Scotland. When they arrived in America, the Maesers had only enough money to reach Philadelphia. Called on a mission to Virginia, Karl Maeser taught music to the children of ex-President John Tyler and others, earning enough money to complete the trip to Utah.

Teacher

1860. In Salt Lake City, Maeser announced in the Deseret News, "The undersigned begs to inform the Public that he intends opening Evening Classes, both for ladies and gentlemen, for English, German, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, Drawing, Bookkeeping, Mathematics, and all the branches of a sound and practical education." The Fifteenth Ward school was established.

Brigham Young placed Maeser in charge of Salt Lake's Union Academy in 1861. In 1864 he became the private tutor of Brigham Young's children. He was also organist for the Tabernacle Choir.

Missionary

1867. At general conference Maeser heard his name announced for a mission to Germany and Switzerland. He gave his last fifty-cent piece to his wife Anna, who said she would return it when he returned.

1870. Anna met him at the door, where Maeser noticed "a new stove, carpet, lace curtains, furniture, all paid for furnished the front room." She gave him his fifty-cent piece and "another one besides."

Father of Brigham Young University

1870. Maeser opened a teacher training school in the Salt Lake Twentieth Ward.

1876. April 5: A munitions explosion in the hills north of Salt Lake damaged Maeser's schoolhouse. When he complained to Brigham Young that he would be unable to teach until the building was repaired, Young replied, "I want to give you a mission to teach at the Brigham Young Academy in Provo. … I want you to remember that you ought not to teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God." Nineteen days later, Maeser began a two-month experimental term of the Brigham Young Academy.

August 27: Sixty-seven students attended the opening of the Brigham Young Academy on Center Street in Provo, Utah. The school house was "a grim non-descript structure without beauty or grace or any other aesthetic feature calculated to invite a second look. The lower floor was made up of two large rooms at the front, and two small ones at the back. The upper floor had been designed for use as a theater. It consisted of one large room and a stage—both so utterly bare and gloomy as to make inappropriate any form of entertainment except tragedy."

1884. Tragedy struck when the school burned to the ground. Classes reconvened in the ZCMI warehouse, which was used until 1892, when Education Hall was dedicated on University Avenue.

Among Maeser's students were Reed Smoot, George H. Brimhall, Annie Clark Tanner, Joseph M. Tanner, James E. Talmage, and Susa Young Gates.

He guided the lives of his students by memorable sermonettes:

"Everyone's life is an object lesson to others."
"There is a Mount Sinai for every child of God, if he only knows how to climb it.""Every one of us sooner or later must stand at the forks of the road and choose between personal interest and some principle of right.""The truly educated man will always speak to the understanding of the most unlearned of his audience.""Whatever you do, don't do nothing. Whatever you be, don't be a scrub."

Church Educator

1888. Wilford Woodruff called Maeser to be the first general superintendent of Church schools. In 1889 the Church Board of Education conferred on him the degree of doctor of letters and didactics, and one year later released him from his Brigham Young Academy responsibilities so that he could devote more time to establishing Church schools in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Canada, and Mexico.

1894. Appointed second assistant to George Q. Cannon in the superintendency of the Deseret Sunday School Union. In 1899 he was ordained a patriarch.

Author

1898. To express his philosophy of education, Maeser wrote School and Fireside. "Discover and evaluate the worth of each individual," he advised. "Teacher's plans should be varied and flexible to allow for student differences. … Discover the sphere of action for which any given child is adapted and turn its thoughts and energies in that direction. … Teachers and parents should be living examples of what they teach."

Death

1901. February 14: Died of cardiac insufficiency in Salt Lake City. Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery.

1912. The Maeser Memorial Building was erected at Brigham Young University.

Sources
Gates, Susa Young. "Dr. Karl G. Maeser." Young Woman's Journal 3 (August, 1892):481-486.
Maeser, Reinhard. Karl G. Maeser. Provo: Brigham Young University, 1928.
Pardoe, T. Earl. The Sons of Brigham. Provo: Brigham Young University Alumni, 1969.
Wilkinson, Ernest L. Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years. 4 vols. Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.

	A Book of Mormons Richard S. Van Wagoner and Steven C. Walker Copyright 1982, Signature Books Salt Lake City, Utah Contents


	Karl G. Maeser (1828-1901)

			Karl G. Maeser was the father of Brigham Young University. Photograph courtesy Daughters of the Utah Pioneers.

	Family Background 1828. January 16: Born Karl Gottfried Maeser in Vorbrucke, Meissen, Germany. In 1854 he married Anna Meith in Germany, and twenty-one years later wed plural wife Emilie Damke. He was the father of nine children. Education With private tutoring, Maeser became proficient in French, Italian, and Latin, in addition to his native German. Musically gifted, he played the piano and organ, and conducted choral and orchestral music. He studied two years at the Krenz Schule in Dresden before graduating with honors from the Friederich Stadt normal school. At the age of twenty he taught in the Dresden schools, later serving as a private tutor in Bohemia. First Mormon Convert in Saxony 1855. "Scepticism had undermined religious impressions of my childhood days, and infidelity, now known by its modern name of agnosticism, was exercising its disintegrating influence upon me." Maeser was amused by the "inaccuracies and the poverty of language" he found in Mormon pamphlets. "But as I read on I came to be convinced that 'Mormonism' was a bigger thing than I had anticipated it to be. The humble but straightforward statements of testimony, the mistakes and the meagerness of the language used in the exposition of the wonderful truths that I could see back of it all, brought such uneasiness to me that I could not resist; my soul was on fire, as it were, and I therefore expressed a desire to have an Elder sent to me." Taught the gospel by William Budge, Franklin D. Richards, and William H. Kimball, Maeser and seven family members and friends were baptized in the Elbe River—the first Mormon converts in Saxony. Maeser was made president of the small Dresden branch. 1856. The Dresden branch emigrated to Utah, first stopping in England, where Maeser served a short mission to Scotland. When they arrived in America, the Maesers had only enough money to reach Philadelphia. Called on a mission to Virginia, Karl Maeser taught music to the children of ex-President John Tyler and others, earning enough money to complete the trip to Utah. Teacher 1860. In Salt Lake City, Maeser announced in the Deseret News, "The undersigned begs to inform the Public that he intends opening Evening Classes, both for ladies and gentlemen, for English, German, French, Italian, Latin, Greek, Drawing, Bookkeeping, Mathematics, and all the branches of a sound and practical education." The Fifteenth Ward school was established. Brigham Young placed Maeser in charge of Salt Lake's Union Academy in 1861. In 1864 he became the private tutor of Brigham Young's children. He was also organist for the Tabernacle Choir. Missionary 1867. At general conference Maeser heard his name announced for a mission to Germany and Switzerland. He gave his last fifty-cent piece to his wife Anna, who said she would return it when he returned. 1870. Anna met him at the door, where Maeser noticed "a new stove, carpet, lace curtains, furniture, all paid for furnished the front room." She gave him his fifty-cent piece and "another one besides." Father of Brigham Young University 1870. Maeser opened a teacher training school in the Salt Lake Twentieth Ward. 1876. April 5: A munitions explosion in the hills north of Salt Lake damaged Maeser's schoolhouse. When he complained to Brigham Young that he would be unable to teach until the building was repaired, Young replied, "I want to give you a mission to teach at the Brigham Young Academy in Provo. … I want you to remember that you ought not to teach even the alphabet or the multiplication tables without the Spirit of God." Nineteen days later, Maeser began a two-month experimental term of the Brigham Young Academy. August 27: Sixty-seven students attended the opening of the Brigham Young Academy on Center Street in Provo, Utah. The school house was "a grim non-descript structure without beauty or grace or any other aesthetic feature calculated to invite a second look. The lower floor was made up of two large rooms at the front, and two small ones at the back. The upper floor had been designed for use as a theater. It consisted of one large room and a stage—both so utterly bare and gloomy as to make inappropriate any form of entertainment except tragedy." 1884. Tragedy struck when the school burned to the ground. Classes reconvened in the ZCMI warehouse, which was used until 1892, when Education Hall was dedicated on University Avenue. Among Maeser's students were Reed Smoot, George H. Brimhall, Annie Clark Tanner, Joseph M. Tanner, James E. Talmage, and Susa Young Gates. He guided the lives of his students by memorable sermonettes: "Everyone's life is an object lesson to others." "There is a Mount Sinai for every child of God, if he only knows how to climb it.""Every one of us sooner or later must stand at the forks of the road and choose between personal interest and some principle of right.""The truly educated man will always speak to the understanding of the most unlearned of his audience.""Whatever you do, don't do nothing. Whatever you be, don't be a scrub." Church Educator 1888. Wilford Woodruff called Maeser to be the first general superintendent of Church schools. In 1889 the Church Board of Education conferred on him the degree of doctor of letters and didactics, and one year later released him from his Brigham Young Academy responsibilities so that he could devote more time to establishing Church schools in Utah, Idaho, Arizona, Colorado, New Mexico, Canada, and Mexico. 1894. Appointed second assistant to George Q. Cannon in the superintendency of the Deseret Sunday School Union. In 1899 he was ordained a patriarch. Author 1898. To express his philosophy of education, Maeser wrote School and Fireside. "Discover and evaluate the worth of each individual," he advised. "Teacher's plans should be varied and flexible to allow for student differences. … Discover the sphere of action for which any given child is adapted and turn its thoughts and energies in that direction. … Teachers and parents should be living examples of what they teach." Death 1901. February 14: Died of cardiac insufficiency in Salt Lake City. Buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery. 1912. The Maeser Memorial Building was erected at Brigham Young University. Sources Gates, Susa Young. "Dr. Karl G. Maeser." Young Woman's Journal 3 (August, 1892):481-486. Maeser, Reinhard. Karl G. Maeser. Provo: Brigham Young University, 1928. Pardoe, T. Earl. The Sons of Brigham. Provo: Brigham Young University Alumni, 1969. Wilkinson, Ernest L. Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years. 4 vols. Provo: Brigham Young University Press, 1975.