Associated Students of Brigham Young University Histories, 1922-1986 (UA 1081)

Student government at Brigham Young University began in 1909. It was refined in 1924 with the acceptance of a new constitution. The new constitution established an organization that included a president, first vice-president, second vice-president, secretary-historian, editors of two publications (Y News and Banyan), and a cheermaster. A student council that included university administrators was also part of the governing structure. The organization was know as the Student Body until 1933 when the title Associated Students of Brigham Young University (ASBYU) was first used. The student body organization would be known ASBYU until 1988 when a new constitution was implemented under the direction of President Jeffrey R. Holland and the name was changed to the Brigham Young University Student Service Association (BYUSA) to better reflect the organization’s new service oriented role.

One of the officers in ASBYU was the secretary-historian who was tasked with documenting as many of the activities of the student body as possible. The results of the efforts of the numerous individuals who held this office can be found in UA 1081 Associated Students of Brigham Young University histories, 1922-1986. Comprised of 94 bound volumes, this collection contains meeting minutes, photocopies of newspaper articles, correspondence, brochures, pamphlets, and other miscellaneous items that were deemed to have a historical nature. This rich collection allows researchers to gain a better understanding of the variety of activities available to students and how students interacted with the university administration through their governance organization.

If you would like to know more about this collection and others that document student life at Brigham Young University, contact the University Archivist at gordon_daines@byu.edu or (801) 422-5821.