Christen Jensen (1881–1961) was an American educator who twice served as interim president of

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU) is a Private education, private research university in Provo, Utah, United States. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is the flagship university of the Church Educational System sponsore ...

(BYU). The two terms were 1939-1940 while

Franklin S. Harris Franklin Stewart Harris (August 29, 1884 – April 18, 1960) was president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from July 1921 until June 1945, and president of Utah State University from 1945 to 1950. His administration was the longest in BYU history ...

was doing work in Iran and then in Nov. 1949-Feb. 1951 between the presidencies of Howard S. McDonald and Ernest L. Wilkinson. Jensen was born in

Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...

to Christen Jensen Sr. and his wife Nel Sina Johnsen, both of whom were immigrants from Denmark. Jensen initially went through the Normal school of the University of Utah, and then was a teacher in such southern Salt Lake County towns as Midvale and Riverton as well as Pleasant Green in western Salt Lake County. While teaching in Midvale Jensen met another teacher there named Juliaetta Bateman. They had a common interest in music. They married on August 17, 1904. Jensen then decided to pursue further studies in political science. He received his bachelor's degree from the

University of Utah The University of Utah (the U, U of U, or simply Utah) is a public university, public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah, United States. It was established in 1850 as the University of Deseret (Book of Mormon), Deseret by the General A ...

in 1907 and his M.A. from

Harvard University Harvard University is a Private university, private Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States. Founded in 1636 and named for its first benefactor, the History of the Puritans in North America, Puritan clergyma ...

in 1908. Jensen joined the BYU faculty in 1908. In 1911 he became the chair of the BYU Department of History and Political Science. He held this position until 1949. Jensen later took a leave to complete a Ph.D. at the

University of Chicago The University of Chicago (UChicago, Chicago, or UChi) is a Private university, private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Its main campus is in the Hyde Park, Chicago, Hyde Park neighborhood on Chicago's South Side, Chic ...

, writing his dissertation on the history and uses of the pardoning power. Jensen served as dean of the College of Applied Science there and also from 1929 until 1949 as dean of BYU's Graduate School. He also served as dean of the BYU department of history and political science.''Deseret News'', May 23, 1949 During Jensen's administration a requirement for taking a course in American history and government for graduation was added and the George Albert Smith Fieldhouse was built. Jensen was a Latter-day Saint. He had many callings in the

Sunday school ] A Sunday school, sometimes known as a Sabbath school, is an educational institution, usually Christianity, Christian in character and intended for children or neophytes. Sunday school classes usually precede a Sunday church service and are u ...

and also served for a time as a member of the presidency of the Utah Stake, which covered Provo and its immediate vicinity. At the time of his death Jensen was serving as the Patriarch of the Provo East Stake.

Sources

* Wilkinson, Ernest L., ed., ''Brigham Young University: The First One Hundred Years''. Vol. 2, p. 486-495.; Vol. 4, p. 468-469.
''Political Research Quarterly'' announcement of Jensen's death
* Jensen, Julia Bateman, ''Little Gold Pieces'' 1948.

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Jensen, Christen 1881 births People from Salt Lake City People from Midvale, Utah 20th-century American educators American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints University of Utah alumni Harvard University alumni University of Chicago alumni Brigham Young University faculty Patriarchs (LDS Church) 1961 deaths Latter Day Saints from Utah 20th-century American political scientists