Карл Маэсер: Ютаның көрнекті педагогы және Брайам Янг Университетінің негізін қалаушысы

Prominent Utah educator, born 1828

Karl Gottfried Maeser (January 16, 1828 – February 15, 1901) was a prominent Utah educator and a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter day Saints (LDS Church). He served 16 years as principal of Brigham Young Academy. Although he was not the first principal of the Academy, he is considered its founder. The Academy later became Brigham Young University (BYU) in 1903. He graduated on May 20, 1848. Maeser became a schoolteacher and tutored Protestant children in Bohemia for three years. In December 1848, Maeser was required to enlist in the military for a two year assignment; however, he was declared "unfit." Maeser had no major physical or mental disabilities that would have impacted his conscription. Maeser was the first Latter day Saint baptized in Saxony. He and his family left London in May 1857; their ship arrived in Philadelphia in July. The Maeser's infant son, Karl Gustav Franklin Maeser, died as they arrived and was buried in Philadelphia. Maeser returned with Anna to Philadelphia, where he was called by the church to serve as conference president. and appointed mission president in 1868. He founded the church magazine, Der Stern, in January 1869. Upon his return to Utah in 1870, there were enough German speaking church members in Salt Lake City for them to hold their own church meetings again, and Maeser presided at their meetings. In 1875, Maeser took a plural wife, Emilie Damke. During this time, he also kept books for Leonard H. Hardy to supplement his income.

In 1875, Brigham Young Academy in Provo, Utah, was founded to combine secular and religious teachings. When Maeser arrived at Brigham Young Academy in 1876, during the school's "second experimental" term, enrollment had declined since Dusenberry had started the school. The facilities were run down, there was no record system, and the school lacked a uniform schedule. Only 29 students enrolled at the beginning of Maeser's first term, but this number doubled by the end of the term. Maeser turned the devastating fire into a lesson on pride. Maeser had a profound effect on his students. One of them, Alice Louise Reynolds, wrote that "he had the ability to inspire. He made his students feel the worth of life; he told us that the Lord had sent each of us to do a special work, and that the proper preparation was necessary for that mission." Among the students who studied under Maeser were George Sutherland, William H. King, Bryant S. Hinckley, James E. Talmage, George Albert Smith and J. Golden Kimball. He also inspired his family members; one of his sons, Karl Emil, studied under Maeser and went on to be a respected educator and school president. Maeser retired from Brigham Young Academy in 1892 to devote his time to his position as the Superintendent of Church Schools. He was succeeded by Benjamin Cluff.

Maeser opposed educational philosophies of John Locke, who argued that education was for the elite only. Maeser recognized that Johann Bernhard Basedow had good ideas about treating students with kindness and removing physical punishment from the classroom; In Maeser's eyes, Basedow was not a good example. A song was written in Maeser's memory, "Come, Lay His Books and Papers By". The words were written by Annie Pike Greenwood and the music by L. D. Edwards. This song became an LDS hymn and appeared in the 1948 edition of the church's hymnal as hymn number 338. After the title, it states, "In memory of Dr. Karl G. Maeser." It is not included in the 1985 hymnal. Maeser also inspired a relationship between Meissen, where he was born, and Provo, Utah. Now, the two cities share a sister city relationship. It is the hope of both cities that the relationship will grow to include the exchange of delegations, including manufacturers, youth, academicians, scientists, artists, associations, clubs, tourists, technicians and others, which will result in enriching the cultures of the respective cities. As of 2001, the two cities have been sending high school age students on a three week long exchange to gain more knowledge about their differences in society and culture. A public charter high school named Karl G. Maeser Preparatory Academy was established in Lindon, Utah, in 2007. The school emphasizes the use of the classics as well as a Socratic style format for class discussions.

Archival materials related to Karl G. Maeser at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Harold B. Lee Library, Brigham Young University