Sunday, May 3, 1953 Myra, Oertel, and I went to Salt Lake and there picked up Janath Russell Carmon and two of her children and we all went on to Provo where we attended baptism of Ellen June Claudenin Russell wife of Robert Russell Oertels sons wife. Robert baptized her and I confirmed her We ate dinner at Restaurant. Looked around the campus and returned to Salt Lake and then home Some wind and cool, but no rain Robert and Ellen have new apartment and seem happy She is nice little woman. We are happy she is baptized Monday, May 4, 1953 Nice day. I went down to Dr Clarks and had my teeth scaled and my car repaired Have been home most of day Recd letter from Charles Smart who is studying medicine in Philadephia. Find grandson Lyman Rich called today We are tired today from yesterdays trip to Provo Oertel is at Maren to night with Cleone & Royal Eccles. Retire early Tuesday, May 5, 1953 Nice day. Recd letter from Mary Peery our daughter in Palo Alto saying she and her Husband H Taylor peery are going on 3 weeks trip through the East. Dr Jr called. I called on two old Pioneers. Have read some Reports of an impressive expansion program at Brigham Young University in recent years are heartening, especially in view of the crisis involving so many privately-supported American educational institutions. As of last month, BYU has a cumulative enrollment of 7,469 students, President Ernest Wilkinson reported in a speech at the Salt Lake Lions Club recently. They come from every state except Rhode Island, from several possessions and from 21 foreign countries. A further gain of 1,000 is forecast for next year and Dr. Wilkinson expects 10,000 students on the Provo campus in three to five years. This would exceed the current enrollment at any university in the Intermountain Area. Interestingly, 52 per cent of the BYU students come from outside Utah. Idaho is the home state of more than 1,000 and more than 900 come from California and 374 from Arizona. One hundred and forty five are residents of the central states and 156 of the southern states. Seventy are enrolled from Hawaii and the 195 foreign born students exceed the number of aliens on any other campus in the Intermountain West. Including students at the LDS Business College and McCune School of Music, branches of B Y U, and those taking correspondence and extension courses, the cumulative enrollment at Brigham Young is more than 13,000, Dr. Wilkinson reported. The faculty and physical campus are growing proportionately, with considerable increase in the schools budget in the last two years. Seventy two were added to the faculty in one year and 40 new instruction staff members have joined so far this year. Dr. Wilkinson stressed that care is being taken to make sure the quality of instruction and work matches the quantitative increases. Studies show that standards and achievements are above average, he said. There certainly is a place in the United States for the private university stressing spiritual things. Brigham Young University and the L D S Church are to be complimented on the 40 per cent increase in enrollment in two years and other examples of unusual progress.