Administrative History

The Honors Program (est. 1960) is an academic unit at Brigham Young University.

The Honors Program was established by university president Ernest L. Wilkinson in 1960 to broaden and enrich the undergraduate student experience through intensive general education courses. This has included a focus on critical thinking and writing skills, and more recently on interdisciplinary approaches to subjects. The program was initially open to students by invitation, but was expanded to the general student body in 1983.

The Honors Program has been associated with various units of the university administration. Initially it reported directly to university administration, then in 1973 was placed under the dean of College of General Studies. In 1979 it was again placed under the direction of the university, but after 1983 began reporting through the dean of General Education and Honors and the dean of Undergraduate Education. Directors of the program have included Robert K. Thomas (1960-1968), Richard D. Poll (1968-1970), C. Terry Warner (1970-1975), Thomas F. Rogers (1975-1978), Reba L. Keele (1978-1979), Gary L. Browning (1979-1981, 1982-1983), Karen Lynn (1981-1982), De Lamar Jensen (1983-1986), Thomas Matheson (1986-1988), Alan F. Keele (1988-1993), James Faulconer (1994-1995), Susan Easton Black (1995-1998), Daniel Fairbanks (1998-1999), K. Newell Dayley (2000), J. Scott Miller (2000-2007), Madison U. Sowell (2007-2009), Gary L. Hatch (2009-2010), Rory Scanlon (2010-2012), and Joseph Parry (2012- ).