BYU names new president

PROVO — A new era unfolded Tuesday at Brigham Young University as a medical doctor trained at the University of Utah was announced as the new leader of the school owned by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Dr. Cecil O. Samuelson, the second consecutive church general authority to be named to the school's top post, will become BYU's 12th president on May 1.

Samuelson, a Salt Lake native and a member of the LDS Church's Presidency of the Seventy, replaces Merrill J. Bateman, who has helmed BYU since Jan. 1, 1996.

The surprise announcement was made by LDS Church President Gordon B. Hinckley during the school's weekly devotional in the Marriott Center. More than 20,000 students, professors and staff were at the announcement.

President Hinckley — president of the school's board of trustees — said the board "did not select a medical doctor because BYU is sick. It will be his responsibility to keep it in robust health, growing and maturing as one of the great teaching universities of this nation and the world."

President Hinckley also said Samuelson "will take off his crimson red jacket and put on one of royal blue."

Prior to assuming full-time responsibilities as a leader in the church, Samuelson worked as vice president of health sciences at the University of Utah and senior vice president of Intermountain Health Care.

Samuelson also has experience in the classroom. The new president was a professor at the U.'s school of medicine before moving into administrative positions.

Bill Nelson, president of IHC, said Samuelson "is a great friend, and we worked closely together at IHC, and he was a great leader here."

Nelson said Samuelson "clearly has the academic credentials to be strongly credible as an academic leader."

Steven Kohlert, former senior vice president at IHC, characterized him as very analytical, "but he's also very warm in his interpersonal relationships. His background suits him wonderfully for this."

Jim Jardine, a Salt Lake attorney and friend of Samuelson's, said he's "never known anyone who combines better academic excellence, personal warmth and spiritual depth."

At the U., said Jardine, who is a member of Utah's Board of Regents, Samuelson worked in "very high-profile, challenging and demanding positions that he handled very well. He has been able to manage large responsibilities and commitments with a great balance and reach. He has tremendous intellectual energy."