Elder Cecil O. Samuelson is looking forward to the perks of the calling he’ll assume May 1, when he becomes the 12th president of BYU.

"Do I dare say that I’m excited I’m the only general authority whose stake conferences are built around the football schedule?" he asked, laughing.

But the unassuming Salt Lake native, whose wit is delightfully subtle, was quick to add, "But we’re excited about becoming involved in the whole university community. I mean, athletics are a part of all of that, but... I think that being involved in the whole community is a very important thing, and I’m anxious to... see what I can see and learn what I can learn through the whole university."

Although he was in a "serious state of clinical shock" soon after being called to

lead the university, Elder Samuelson said his pending assignment has become more of a reality over the past few weeks.

"It’s starting to sink in, yes. I wake up in the morning and realize that it’s probably true," he said. "I’m now in the stage of great anticipation and modest concern, but I’m really very excited for the opportunity and the prospects because I keep learning wonderful things about the university."

Elder Samuelson has served in the Presidency of the Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, as senior vice president of Intermountain Health Care, and as a professor, dean, and vice president of health sciences at the University of Utah.

"I think all of those experiences have allowed me to come to the university with perhaps some understandings that most people on campus don’t have," he said. "I hope that those tend to be strengths and be melded with the insights and understandings that other people around here have about things that I have yet to learn."

Despite his experience in a range of academic positions, he said he is nervous about the magnitude of his new calling.

"I think what you’re always most nervous about when you’re dealing with a university as big and as complex as this one is that it’s important that I understand all that I can in areas that I’ll have some influence, so that the university continues to progress along the path it’s taken these last many years," he said. But, he added, "I think it will be a wonderful adventure for me."

As part of this adventure, Elder Samuelson will have to convince a few skeptics that he can be loyal to BYU blue, despite his red past. Before working for the University of Utah, he received a bachelor of science degree, a master’s degree in educational psychology and a medical degree from BYU’s rival university. He also fulfilled his residency and held a fellowship at Duke University.

"I think more people have made more of the fact that we’re a University of Utah family than we do — not to say that we haven’t had tremendous loyalty and experience and love of our opportunities there... but it has been a fascinating thing to me to have people seriously wonder about how it is that somebody who has been so tainted as I am could come," he said.

"I’m not an economist — President Bateman is — but I know enough about Malthusian economics to know that it doesn’t apply to your feelings about institutions and families and all the other things."

Elder Samuelson said he is not worried about adjusting to life as a Cougar.

"I don’t think anybody I can talk to — they may question my wisdom or my judgment, but I don’t think they’ll question my affection or my affinity or my dedication to what I’m involved with," he said. "I love BYU. I’ll be a great supporter of BYU, I’ll do everything I can to advance this institution, and I won’t have to do that with my fingers or toes crossed or anything else."

As he works to advance the institution, Elder Samuelson said he expects to see some changes.

"The assessment has been given to me by so many people about the general good health of the university and the tremendous strength we have; but on the other hand, the university is a living organism, and so I wouldn’t want anyone to think there won’t be any changes while I’m here," he said. "The church is a growing and developing and flourishing organism, and Brigham Young University as part of the church is also growing and changing and flourishing, and I think that we’ll see some wonderful things happen.... I hope there will be some wonderful things that I’ve not even conceived of."

But, he said, he intends to ultimately let the church set the standard for BYU.

"The church is really our lodestar, if you will, our guide in terms of what we do, and I think that is very, very clear.... I don’t think they (the First Presidency) have sent me here to be a robot, but I think they have sent me here to be faithful to what I think has been the pattern here for many administrations," he said. "One of the things that encourages me most is how clear that vision seems to be to the students, the administration, the faculty, the staff, our broader community."

As a father of five children and grandfather of three, Elder Samuelson said he enjoys being with his family — "we do all kinds of crazy things" — in his free time. When asked about his family’s reaction to his new calling, he said, "My daughters laughed, my sons were not sure that it wasn’t one of my sick jokes. I think that in spite of all that, they’re proud..., and I think they’re grateful that I have this kind of opportunity."

Describing himself, he said, "I like people, I tend to be reasonably outgoing, I have a sense of humor which my wife worries is sometimes a little inappropriate, but I think other people would have to judge those things."

Although he is slow to spell out his own achievements, he said he hopes President Bateman can "really reflect on the tremendous things he and the university have accomplished while he’s been here.

"Knowing Elder Bateman, and I know him quite well, he’s a very modest man. He’s self-confident and bright and all of those things, but I think that he would be more modest than he needs to be about his accomplishments, so my advice would be to stand back and look at those things and feel good about them."

Now that he and President Bateman, who was recently called to serve in the Presidency of the Seventy, will be swapping positions, he said he is trying to focus on learning about the university while finishing up his calling in the presidency.

"I’m not one who believes that will be a short process — in fact, I hope that if I’m here many years, which is my expectation and my hope, that I’ll still be learning when I walk out the door. And I want to walk out; I don’t want to be carried out."
Copyright Brigham Young University 16 Apr 2003