Archives West Finding Aid

David Henry Christensen (1869-1956) was born in Manti, Utah. He attended the Presbyterian Mission School at Manti for five years. In 1881, his family moved to Ephraim, Colorado, and Christensen traveled most of the distance on horseback, driving a herd of cattle. In 1887, Christensen returned to Utah to enter the University of Deseret. He graduated from the Normal Course in 1890, and was elected principal of Payson Schools, where he served until 1897. In 1893 he was also appointed Superintendent of Utah County Schools. In 1894 he married Catherine Dean, a Salt Lake City teacher and former Salt Lake County principal. In 1897, Christensen resigned from all of his education positions including his position on the first State Board of Education, in order to serve a mission of president of the Berlin conference of the German mission, a position he held for two years. During his third year in Germany, he was transferred to the presidency of the Frankfurt conference. After his release, Christensen spent one year studying at the University of Goettingen, Germany. In 1901, Christensen returned to the United States with the intent of entering a Ph.D. program at the University of Chicago. Prior to starting at Chicago, he received an offer from the Board of Education of Salt Lake City for the job of superintendent of Salt Lake City Schools. Christensen accepted the appointment, and served in that capacity for fifteen years. In 1916, following his resignation from the Salt Lake City schools, Christensen pursued business interests as president of Christensen Construction Company. During his lifetime he held several positions in the community, including member of the Board of Regents of the University of Utah. He received an honorary Ph.D. from the University of Utah, and was active in local and national politics and local education until his death in 1956.