Thomas J. Yates

Thomas Jarvis Yates was born November 13, 1870 to Thomas and Elizabeth Francis Yates. His parents were immigrants to the United States from England.[1]^{: 4, 6, 62} He grew up in Scipio, Utah. As a child, he had a sense of humor and liked to pull pranks. He was a member of the LDS Church and participated in the church throughout his life.[2] He was baptized in June 1879.[1]^: 3 His family lived on the frontier and Yates came in contact with Native Americans and stray horses on occasion.[2] Yates also enjoyed riding and racing horses as a boy. However, he got sick frequently, including suffering from typhoid fever.[1]^: 37, 67

Yates attended Brigham Young Academy (BYA) in Provo, Utah, at 16 years of age. He received instruction from the head of the school, Karl G. Maeser, and other teachers such as James E. Talmage and Benjamin Cluff. He returned home for the summers in order to work.[2]^: 4 Although Yates considered leaving school, he graduated from the academy in 1891.[1]^: 5, 14

After graduation at age 20, Yates got a job as the principal of a school that was located in Deseret, Utah. He was also put in charge of schools in other Utah communities including Oasis, Delta, and Hinckley. After some time, Yates returned to BYA.[2] Due to changed graduating requirements, he graduated again in 1895.[1]^: 19 While at BYA, he met Lydia Horne. The couple planned to get married in 1895; however, Yates received an assignment to serve as a missionary for the LDS Church.[2] He decided to serve, and married Lydia on March 20, 1895 before leaving on his mission.[2] Yates left June 1, 1895 and served for three years in the Southern States Mission, returning on July 6, 1898.[1]^: 5

When Yates returned from his mission, he and Lydia went to Cornell University.[2] They lived in Ithaca, New York and he worked in a blacksmith shop. He took classes from Robert H. Thurston and Harris J. Ryan. Yates graduated in June 1902 with degrees in mechanical and electrical engineering.[1]^: 20, 21 Afterwards, the family moved back to Utah and got jobs at different power companies. Lydia died in 1903; the couple had two daughters together.[2] On February 24, 1904, Yates married to Lily Fairbanks. They had five daughters and three sons together.[1]

Yates worked in several different power plants. He began working at the Utah Power and Light Company in July 1902 as a switchboard attendant. In 1903, he became the plant's foreman. That same year, workers at power plants in Utah went on strike, and Yates was hired to visit the different power plants and instruct workers. After that, he became superintendent of the company's power plants,[1]^: 90–92 a position he held from 1903 to 1906. In 1907, Yates started working as a consulting electrical engineer. He also oversaw the building of power plants including the Heber City and Murray power plants. Yates later performed tests on the New York City Subway for two years.[1]^: 5, 43

Yates continued to serve in other responsibilities and assignments in the church. He wrote a book called A Brief History of the Origin of the Nations. He worked as a tour guide at Temple Square and served as a temple worker for ten years.[2] He died on February 8, 1958, in Abilene, Texas, while he was visiting. He died in the Rancho Motel.[3] Investigators found that he died due to a pulmonary hemorrhage.[4]

• Autobiography and biography of Thomas Jarvis Yates, MSS 6831 at L. Tom Perry Special Collections, Brigham Young University