John A. Widtsoe Building
Norwegian-born John Andreas Widtsoe received B.S. and Ph.D. degrees from Harvard University. He became president of the University of Utah in 1916, after serving as teacher and administrator at Utah State Agricultural College and Brigham Young University. He was widely known as a chemist and agricultural reclamation scientist, as well as a seasoned administrator. His term as president, which continued until 1921, spanned the World War I years. Among his accomplishments were setting University rules and regulations in order, reorganizing liberal education and its requirements, strengthening the faculty by attracting outstanding scholars from Eastern schools and by encouraging outstanding younger members to earn doctorates.
Construction of this building was begun in 1899. In 1901 the building was nearly destroyed by fire. Only the foundation and walls were left standing. Fortunately these were in good condition and by the opening of school in 1902 the building and contents had been restored or replaced. Past users of the building have come primarily from the sciences, with chemistry, physics and mathematics taught here by several generations of the University faculty. In ceremonies sponsored by the Alumni Association in June, 1976, the building was officially named for John A. Widtsoe.
Located at 155 South 1400 East in the U of U Circle Historic District in Salt Lake City, Utah
From University of Utah Circle Historic District:
This building was one of the original three built in 1899-1901 with the initial $200,000 appropriated to establish the University on its present site. The architect was Richard K. A. Kletting, a prominent Salt Lake architect. Like the other two buildings done at the time it is done in a simplified version of the Second Renaissance Revival. It has rusticated sandstone foundations with pressed hard brick for the rest of the exterior. The symmetrical arrangement of the windows, with the square bays at the bottom and Roman bays at the top is characteristic of the style as well as the horizontal quality and the hip roof. The building was nearly destroyed by fire on the night of December 19, 1901. The foundations and walls were left in good condition up to the arches of the third floor windows. It was rebuilt by 1902. In 1911 an extension was added to the north side which gives it the uneven massing that the other original buildings don’t have. The interior of the building was extensively remodeled during the last part of 1975. The bearing walls and floors were kept but the rest of the building was redesigned and mechanical and air conditional systems were revamped. On March 8, 1976, the building was officially renamed the John A. Widtsoe Mathematical Building in honor of Widtsoe, who had served as President of the University between 1916 and 1921. He was the author of the laws and by-laws of the first University constitution.
