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.
The D. H. Christensen papers (1853-1956) consist of papers and other materials that document the activities of D. H. Christensen. Box 1 contains personal and family materials, including biographical sketches of family members, family correspondence, mission journals, and personal the correspondence and writings of Christensen. Box 2 contains materials relating to Christensen's service as superintendent of Salt Lake City Schools 1901 through 1916. papers in this box consist almost entirely of correspondence, most of which relates to a survey of Salt Lake City schools that was completed in 1915. Box 3 contains business and political papers, including materials from Christensen Construction Company and from Christensen's 1936 candidacy for Governor of Utah. Of particular interest is a folder of correspondence between Christensen and Upton Sinclair. Box 4 holds items regarding a wide variety of subjects including personal and family matters, political interests, and educational involvements. Materials include a mission journal, a news clipping scrapbook, and correspondence regarding Christensen's involvements with the University of Utah and with local and national politics.
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Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Gift of Dean K. Christensen and Kathleen C. Hall in 1991.
Processed by Christie Pugh in 1994.
Photographs were transferred to the Multimedia Section of the Manuscripts Division (P0369).
This is an article from the Millenial Star about a mission to Scandinavia taken by Willard Snow, John E. Forssgren, and Peter O. Hansen. Included also is a typescript of a journal written by one in the party, but the author is unknown.
Including Christensen's candidacy for Governor in 1936.
Including correspondence from Governors, Senators, and Representatives.
Includes correspondence from George H. Dern.
Includes obituaries of Christensen and his wife, Catherine Dean, and correspondence between D. H. Christensen and his father, Herman Julius Christensen.
Continuing educational involvements of Christensen after his service as superintendent. Includes a 1917 letter from Thomas A. Edison, signed by his secretary.
Correspondence from Christensen's time as superintendent of Salt Lake City schools, and an address given to the Parent Teacher Association in 1915
Contains papers regarding Christensen's service on the Board of Regents and his honorary Ph.D. Original correspondence from George Dern, Sterling W. Sill, A. Ray Olpin, and Joseph Merrill is included.