Parley Alma Christensen Papers

Parley Alma Christensen

1911 - Letters

This collection contains the personal and professional papers of Parley Alma Christensen. It contains items such as his research materials, personal correspondence, papers from his travels around Europe, newspaper articles about Christensen and his work, and a Xerox copy of his father's, Mads Christensen, autobiography. This collection is important because it shows the professional and personal life of Parley Alma Christensen, a man who was an important educator in Utah.

About the author

Parley Alma Christensen was born 15 May 1888 in Kanesville, Weber County, Utah, to Mads Christensen and Hannah Margretta Christensen. He married Ruth Jones 2 June 1915 in the Salt Lake Temple. They had four children together. He received his bachelor's from Utah State University and then taught in Box Elder County elementary schools and Box Elder High School. He received his masters and PhD from Stanford University and then began teaching at BYU in 1927. In 1948 he received "Professor of the Year" award from the students at BYU, and then in 1959 got the Distinguished Service Award of the Utah Academy of Arts, Sciences, and Letters. He was the English Department Chairman for 25 years. He retired in 1965 and then died three years later on 26 September of cancer. Christensen wrote many books, some of which are on the Harold B. Lee Library bookshelves. Some of his more famous works are, "All In A Teacher's Day," and "Of A Number of Things."

Bibliographic information

• Title: Parley Alma Christensen Papers
• Author: Parley Alma Christensen
• Published: 1911