Richard Douglas Poll, age 76, died at his home in Provo on April 27, 1994.
A teacher, writer and lecturer on Mormon and Utah history, Dick was born in Salt Lake City on April 23, 1918 to Carl William and Annie Swenson Poll. He received B.A. and M.A. degrees from Texas Christian University, where he was a student body president. He served an LDS mission in West Germany, Denmark and Canada, 1939-41. While in the U.S. Army Air Force, he married Emogene (Gene) Hill on November 22, 1943.After obtaining a Ph.D (Phi Beta Kappa) at the University of California, Berkeley, he taught from 1948 to 1969 at Brigham Young University. He was chairman of the History Department, associate director of the Honors Program, first president of the BYU Chapter of A.A.U.P., first faculty representative on the Deans Council, and 1969 Honors Professor of the Year. He taught a closed-circuit TV course, "The American Heritage," to several thousand BYU students.
He was Vice President for Administration at Western Illinois University (WIU), Macomb, Illinois, 1970-75; then he returned to full-time teaching. In 1983 he retired to Provo where he taught occasionally at BYU. His memberships included the Brigham Young Academy Foundation, Rotary Club (Paul Harris Fellow), American Civil Liberties Union, American Association of University Professors, Utah State Historical Society, Western History Association, Organization of American Historians and the Democratic Party.
President of the Mormon History Association, 1969-70, he wrote books and articles of historical, biographical and religious themes. His essay, "What the Church Means to People Like Me" introduced to concept of Liahona and Iron Rod Mormons. An active member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he served in the Oak Hills Second Ward bishopric, several high councils, and as president of the Macomb Branch. He directed several travel-study tours and was a tutor in the Provo Library adult literacy program. Dick will be missed for his humor, intellect and dedication to his family, church and community.
He is survived by his three daughters, Marilyn (Gary) Bell, Lubbock, Texas; Nanette (Terry) Allen, Sandy; Jennifer (Clayton) Crawford, Oakland, Calif.; nine grandchildren; sister, Ruth Barlow, Provo; and brother, Carl Poll, Palo Alto, Calif.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, May 7, 1994 at 11 a.m. in the Grandview 9th Ward Chapel, 1555 North 1350 West, Provo. Friends may call at the chapel prior to services, 9-11 a.m. Interment, East Lawn Memorial Hills, Provo.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the History Department Scholarship fund of BYU or WIU.
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