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 and lawyer. He served as the 13th president of Brigham Young University (BYU) from 2014 to 2023. BYU is a large private university run by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Worthen also served as a leader in the church, called an area seventy, from 2010 to 2021.
Before becoming president, Worthen was a vice president at BYU and the dean of its law school, the J. Reuben Clark Law School. After his time as president, he became a visiting professor at Yale Law School and a special fellow at BYU's Wheatley Institute. He also continues to teach at BYU's law school.
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Early Life and Education
Kevin J Worthen was born in Dragerton, Utah, and grew up in the nearby city of Price, Utah. He was the youngest of four children. As a young man, he served as a missionary for the LDS Church in Monterrey, Mexico.
Worthen first attended the College of Eastern Utah. There, he was co-captain of the basketball team and graduated as one of the top students in 1978. During his summer breaks, he worked as a coal miner. He then went to BYU, where he studied political science and graduated with the highest honors (summa cum laude) in 1979.
In 1982, Worthen graduated from BYU's law school, again with the highest honors. After law school, he had two very important jobs as a law clerk. First, he worked for Judge Malcolm Wilkey in Washington, D.C. Then, he clerked for Justice Byron White at the United States Supreme Court. From 1984 to 1987, he worked as a lawyer in Phoenix, Arizona.
Career at BYU
Professor and Dean
In 1987, Worthen returned to BYU to become a professor at the law school. He became an expert in American Indian law, which deals with the laws and rights of Native American groups. He also spent a year in 1994 teaching law in Chile as a Fulbright Scholar. From 2004 to 2008, he served as the dean of the law school.
Worthen also had important roles related to college sports. He was BYU's representative to the NCAA for four years.
In 2008, Worthen became BYU's Advancement Vice President. In this job, he was in charge of the university's relationships with the public, sports teams, and fundraising.
President of BYU
On March 11, 2014, it was announced that Worthen would become the new president of BYU. He officially started on May 1, 2014. As president, he led the entire university.
One of his well-known decisions came in 2017. He made a deal to give all BYU students free rides on local buses and trains. This helped students get around the area more easily.
He also focused on giving students real-world experience. In 2017, BYU created a special office to help students find internships and volunteer work. This helped them use what they learned in class to prepare for their future jobs.
Improving Student Safety
In 2016, President Worthen started a group to look at how the university handled reports of serious incidents involving students. The goal was to find ways to better support students who had been harmed.
Based on the group's advice, BYU made several changes. The university created a policy to protect students who report an incident from getting in trouble for other rule-breaking that happened around the same time. BYU also made its Title IX Office, which handles these reports, more independent. This showed the university's commitment to creating a safer campus for everyone.
Personal Life
Worthen married Peggy Sealey in 1978. They have three children and live in Provo, Utah.
Besides his work at BYU, Worthen has been an active leader in the LDS Church. He served as a bishop and a stake president in Provo. From 2010 to 2021, he was an area seventy, a leadership role in the church. He continued to serve as BYU's president 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
