Ezra Christiansen Dalby was born in Ephraim, Utah in 1869. He graduated Sanpete Stake Academy (now Snow College) in 1889 and from University of Utah in 1891. He was a well-educated man. He attended the University of Chicago and received LL.D. (a law degree) from La Salle University in 1918 and a Master of Arts degree from University of Utah in 1924.
He married Zella Anderson in 1894. They were the parents of seven children.
He was a principal at several schools in Utah. He worked at Manti (1892-1893) before serving a mission for the Church in St. Louis from 1896-1898. He returned to Utah and served as a principal in Redmond (1898-1899). At this time he was also a captain in Utah State Militia. He moved to Moroni, Utah and was principal for a year there before coming to Idaho in 1901 to be the principal of Ricks Academy. He served as President of Ricks for 13 years and was a progressive educator. During his leadership, the Academy became a standard high school, normal school (a school which prepares teachers), and commercial school.
In 1914 Ezra left Rexburg and moved his family to the Teton Valley where he became the principal of Teton High School in Driggs, Idaho for five years. He also served as county superintendent of schools of Teton County. He practiced law in Driggs from 1918-1921. He belonged to both the Utah and Idaho Bar Associations. Ezra served as acting mayor and city councilman of Rexburg and as city councilman and major of Driggs. He was editor of the Current-Journal the Rexburg newspaper, and wrote the book, Land and Leaders of Israel. He authored many articles for church and stake publications.
He was active in Church, serving as president MIA, as superintendent of Sunday School, as stake superintendent of Sunday School, and as a high councilman in several stakes in Utah and Idaho.
In 1929 the Dalby family moved to Salt Lake City, Utah. Ezra taught school and was principal at several schools in Salt Lake City until 1934. He died in 1934 in Salt Lake City and is buried there.
(Biographical sketch taken from Brigham Young University - Idaho's online exhibition titled, "The Presidents and First Ladies". )
The Ezra C. Dalby papers (1893-1985) consists of a genealogical chart, and photocopies of a scrapbook page, and excerpts from his diary. The materials in this collection were compiled in 1985 by Rosemary White, the granddaughter of Ezra Dalby.
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Collection Name, Collection Number, Box Number, Folder Number. Special Collections, J. Willard Marriott Library, The University of Utah.
Photographs transferred to the Multimedia Division of Special Collections.
Donated by an anonymous donor in 2006.
Processed by Betsey Welland in 2010.