Kevin J Worthen facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Kevin J Worthen
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| 13th President of Brigham Young University | |
| In office May 1, 2014 – May 1, 2023 |
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| Preceded by | Cecil O. Samuelson |
| Succeeded by | C. Shane Reese |
| Personal details | |
| Born | April 15, 1956 Dragerton, Utah, U.S. |
| Spouse | Peggy Sealey Worthen |
| Children | 3 |
| Education | Brigham Young University (BA, JD) |
| Profession | Academic administrator, professor of law, attorney |
| Website | BYU's Office of the President |
Kevin J Worthen (born April 15, 1956) is an American professor. He was the 13th president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2014 to 2023. BYU is a large university in Utah.
Before becoming president, Mr. Worthen held other important roles at BYU. He was the Advancement Vice President. He also served as the leader, or dean, of the J. Reuben Clark Law School at BYU.
From 2010 to 2021, he also served as an "area seventy" in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This is a leadership position in the church.
In 2023, Mr. Worthen began teaching at Yale Law School as a visiting professor. He also became a special fellow at BYU's Wheatley Institute. He continues to teach law at BYU Law School.
Contents
Early Life and Education
Kevin J. Worthen was born in Dragerton, Utah. He grew up in Price, Utah, as the youngest of four children.
He served as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Monterrey, Mexico.
Mr. Worthen went to the College of Eastern Utah (CEU). He played on the basketball team there. In 1978, he graduated as one of the top students. During his summers, he worked in a coal mine. He then earned his bachelor's degree from BYU in 1979. He graduated with very high honors.
In 1982, Mr. Worthen graduated from BYU's law school at the top of his class. After law school, he worked for important judges. He worked for a judge in the U.S. Court of Appeals. He also worked for Justice Byron White at the United States Supreme Court. From 1984 to 1987, he worked as a lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona. He found that he loved learning about the history of laws. This led him to consider teaching law.
Teaching and Leadership at BYU
In 1987, Mr. Worthen returned to BYU to teach at the law school. He was the dean of the law school from 2004 to 2008. He also spent a year teaching in Chile as a Fulbright Scholar.
Mr. Worthen is an expert in laws about Native American people. He believes that governments should work with Native American groups. He thinks they should be treated as important community groups. He helped write a book about federal Indian law. He also helped revise the Utah Constitution.
While at BYU, Mr. Worthen also helped with sports. He was a representative to the NCAA for four years. He also led the University Athletic Advisory Council.
He has written articles about Native American law and marriage laws. He also wrote about how the NCAA (a sports organization) works with religion.
In 2008, Mr. Worthen became BYU's Advancement Vice President. In this role, he was in charge of university relations, communications, sports, and fundraising. In 2010, he became the head of a committee for the Association of American Law Schools.
BYU President
On March 11, 2014, it was announced that Kevin J. Worthen would become the 13th president of BYU. He officially started his role on May 1, 2014. He took over from Cecil O. Samuelson.
Mr. Worthen was officially welcomed as president on September 9, 2014. Many important people attended the event. These included leaders from the Church Educational System and other university presidents.
In 2016, Mr. Worthen stood firm on BYU's honor code. Air Force officials wanted an exception for a new ROTC leader. But Mr. Worthen insisted that everyone at BYU should follow the code.
In 2017, he announced a deal for BYU students. This deal gave them free rides on local buses and trains for 10 years.
Also in 2017, BYU created a new office for "experiential learning." This office helps students find internships, volunteer work, and other ways to use what they learn in real life.
Student Support and Safety
BYU made changes to how it handles student support and safety. The university created a full-time director for its Title IX Office. This office helps prevent and respond to issues like discrimination. The Title IX Office now reports directly to the student life vice president. Its location was also moved to be separate from other offices. These changes were made to better support students.
Personal Life
Kevin J. Worthen married Peggy Sealey Worthen in 1978. They have three children. They live in Provo, Utah.
In April 2010, Mr. Worthen became an area seventy in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had previously served as a bishop and a stake president in the church. He finished his service as an area seventy in August 2021. He continued to be the president of BYU until May 2023.
See also
- List of law clerks of the Supreme Court of the United States (Seat 6)
- List of J. Reuben Clark Law School alumni
