Estelle Spilsbury Harris


Wife of Franklin Stewart Harris, Jr., President of Utah State Agricultural College, 1945-1950

Frankie Estelle Spilsbury Harris was born on Feb. 17, 1884 in Toquerville, Utah, a pioneer ranching community in the southern part of the state. Her parents were George Moroni Spilsbury and Roselia Haight Spilsbury. She attended school in Toquerville but moved to Sandy, Utah to live with her sister and attend seventh grade, returning home the following year and graduating 8th grade as valedictorian. She then attended Branch Normal School (now College of Southern Utah) for two years. She studied dressmaking and music in Salt Lake City one winter but had to stop when she became ill with typhoid fever. In 1905 she entered BYU and graduated in 1907 with a Kindergarten Normal Diploma. She taught one year in Price.

On June 18, 1908 she married Franklin Stewart Harris. They had met at BYU. They had two sons and four daughters, all graduated from BYU. Five children were born on the Logan campus, where Franklin was an agronomist and head of the experiment station. He also served as Dean of the School of Agricultural Engineering and Mechanical Arts. In 1941, Estelle graduated from BYU with a B. S. degree along with her youngest daughter.

From 1921 to 1945 Franklin was the president of BYU. The Harris' traveled throughout the world before and after his tenure at the USAC. They visited Jerusalem, Italy, Greece, Singapore, Hong Kong, Japan, and India. In 1939 they visited Iran where Franklin was an advisor to the government of Iran. Ten years later they returned to Iran for a two year stay. They also lived for a while in Paris.

Estelle was president of the USU Faculty Women's League, the BYU Faculty Women, and the AC Woman's Club. She was an active member of the LDS Church and a member of the Cleofan Club and the Friendly Circle.

Estelle died at the age of 90 on Dec. 2, 1973 in Salt Lake City where she is buried.