Samuel George Ellsworth (1916–1997) was an American

historian A historian is a person who studies and writes about the past and is regarded as an authority on it. Historians are concerned with the continuous, methodical narrative and research of past events as relating to the human species; as well as the ...

specializing in

Western United States The Western United States (also called the American West, the Western States, the Far West, the Western territories, and the West) is List of regions of the United States, census regions United States Census Bureau. As American settlement i ...

history and the history of

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Restorationism, restorationist Christianity, Christian Christian denomination, denomination and the ...

. He was a founding editor of the ''

Western Political Quarterly ''Political Research Quarterly'' is a quarterly peer-reviewed academic journal that covers the field of political science. The editor-in-chief is Charles Anthony Smith (University of California, Irvine); with associate editors: Andrew Flores (Ameri ...

''.

Biography

Early life and education

Ellsworth was born in

Safford, Arizona Safford (Western Apache language, Western Apache: Ichʼįʼ Nahiłtį́į́) is a city in Graham County, Arizona, Graham County, Arizona, United States. According to the 2020 United States census, 2020 Census, the population of the city is 10,1 ...

but was raised in

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

Utah Utah is a landlocked state in the Mountain states, Mountain West subregion of the Western United States. It is one of the Four Corners states, sharing a border with Arizona, Colorado, and New Mexico. It also borders Wyoming to the northea ...

and

Missouri Missouri (''see #Etymology and pronunciation, pronunciation'') is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern region of the United States. Ranking List of U.S. states and territories by area, 21st in land area, it border ...

as well as Arizona. He graduated from

Kansas City The Kansas City metropolitan area is a bi-state metropolitan area anchored by Kansas City, Missouri. Its 14 counties straddle the border between the U.S. states of Missouri (9 counties) and Kansas (5 counties). With and a population of more t ...

High School and began his college studies at Kansas City Junior College. He then served a mission for the

LDS Church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a nontrinitarian restorationist Christian denomination and the largest denomination in the Latter Day Saint movement. Founded during ...

in the North Central States Mission, headquartered in

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

. After his mission Ellsworth went to

Logan, Utah Logan is a city in Cache County, Utah, United States. The 2020 United States Census, 2020 census recorded the population at 52,778. Logan is the county seat of Cache County and the principal city of the Logan metropolitan area, which includes Ca ...

where he studied at what is now

Utah State University Utah State University (USU or Utah State) is a public university, public land grant colleges, land-grant research university with its main campus in Logan, Utah, United States. Founded in 1888 under the Morrill Land-Grant Acts as Utah's federal ...

earning a bachelor's degree in history and math. He was appointed principal of the LDS Seminary in

Bunkerville, Nevada Bunkerville is a census-designated place in Clark County, Nevada, United States. The population was 1,069 at the 2020 census. Geography According to the United States Census Bureau, the census-designated place of Bunkerville (which may not co ...

as well as working as a teacher at Virgin Valley High School. In October 1942 Ellsworth married Maria Smith, a daughter of Asahel H. Smith and his wife Pauline Udall, in the

Mesa Arizona Temple The Mesa Arizona Temple (formerly the Arizona Temple; nicknamed the ''Lamanite Temple'') is the seventh operating Temple (LDS Church), temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The intent to build the temple was announced on Oct ...

Military service

In late 1942 Ellsworth joined the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

. He served much of the war at

Hammer Field Fresno Yosemite International Airport is a joint military–public airport in Fresno, California, United States. It is the primary commercial airport for the San Joaquin Valley and three national parks: Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon. It ...

, but from January 1945 until June 1946 was a chaplain stationed in the

Philippines The Philippines, officially the Republic of the Philippines, is an Archipelagic state, archipelagic country in Southeast Asia. Located in the western Pacific Ocean, it consists of List of islands of the Philippines, 7,641 islands, with a tot ...

Post-graduate education

After World War II Ellsworth pursued further studies at the

University of California, Berkeley The University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley, Berkeley, Cal, or California), is a Public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university in Berkeley, California, United States. Founded in 1868 and named after t ...

. He earned an MA and Ph. D. both in American history with his thesis and dissertation topics being about missionary work of the LDS Church in the United States and

Canada Canada is a country in North America. Its Provinces and territories of Canada, ten provinces and three territories extend from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pacific Ocean and northward into the Arctic Ocean, making it the world's List of coun ...

during parts of the 19th Century.

Academic career

Ellsworth spent his career from 1951-1983 as a professor of history at

. From 1966-1969 he was chair of the USU History Department. During this time he served one year as a visiting professor at

West Virginia University West Virginia University (WVU) is a public university, public Land-grant university, land-grant research university with its main campus in Morgantown, West Virginia, United States. Its other campuses are those of the West Virginia University Ins ...

and later one year as a visiting professor at

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 ...

. Among major works Ellsworth edited the journals of

Addison Pratt Addison Pratt (February 21, 1802 – October 10, 1872) was an early Latter-day Saint convert and missionary. Pratt preached in French Polynesia from 1844 to 1848 and from 1850 to 1852, and is recognized by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

, the autobiography of

Louisa Barnes Pratt Louisa Barnes Pratt (November 10, 1802 – September 8, 1880) was a prominent advocate for women's vote and other related causes in the 19th century as well as a Latter-day Saint missionary. Early life Louisa Barnes was born in Warwick, Massachu ...

and ''Dear Ellen: Two Mormon Women and Their Letters''. Ellsworth's wife was descended from Addison and Louisa Barnes Pratt. Ellsworth also wrote the biography of Samuel Claridge entitled ''Samuel Claridge: Pioneering the Outposts of Zion''. Ellsworth also wrote a Sesquecentennial History of the LDS Church in

French Polynesia French Polynesia ( ; ; ) is an overseas collectivity of France and its sole #Governance, overseas country. It comprises 121 geographically dispersed islands and atolls stretching over more than in the Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean. The t ...

with Kathleen C. Perrin and a history of the early LDS settlement in the area of Logandale, Nevada.

Sources

''BYU Studies''. Vol. 38, no. 4 review of ''Autobiography'' of Louisa Barnes Pratt
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ellsworth, S. George 1916 births 1997 deaths American military chaplains American Mormon missionaries in the United States Church Educational System instructors Utah State University alumni University of California, Berkeley alumni Utah State University faculty West Virginia University faculty Brigham Young University faculty Latter Day Saints from Arizona Latter Day Saints from California Latter Day Saints from Missouri Latter Day Saints from Utah United States Army Air Forces personnel of World War II United States Army Air Forces soldiers