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Inauguration of President John S. Tanner to be Nov. 10, 2015

John S. Tanner will be installed as BYU–Hawaii’s 10th president during a devotional assembly on Tuesday, November 10, at 10 a.m., in the Cannon Activities Center.

President Henry B. Eyring, first counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and First Vice Chairman of the Board of Trustees, will give the installation of President John S. Tanner and will speak during the meeting. President Tanner will also offer remarks.

IF YOU GO: The Inauguration is open to the public. All attendees are encouraged to be seated in the Cannon Activities Center by 9:40 AM. Event parking will be in the lot north of the Lorenzo Snow Administration Building.

The inauguration will be broadcast live on the university’s web stream site. Elder Kim B. Clark, a member of the First Quorum of the Seventy and Commissioner of Education for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints will also speak.

Tanner succeeds Steven C. Wheelwright, who served as BYU–Hawaii president from 2007 until the middle of this year. While Tanner officially began his tenure as president of the university on July 27, 2015, the inauguration is a chance for the greater campus community to come together to celebrate an important milestone for BYU­­–Hawaii.

Prior to his new role, Tanner served as first counselor in the Sunday School general presidency (2014-2015) and as Academic Vice President at BYU from 2004 to 2011. He was BYU’s Associate Academic Vice President for Undergraduate and International Education from 1992 to 1998, where he developed the BYU Freshman Academy program, and he served as chair of the BYU English Department from 1998 to 2003.

Tanner started his long career in education, both as an English professor and administrator, when he joined the Florida State University faculty as an assistant professor. A former Fulbright Scholar, Tanner joined the BYU faculty in 1982.

A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Tanner grew up in South Pasadena, California, and served a mission to the Brazil South Mission. He graduated from BYU with a bachelor’s degree in English in 1974 and later received his Ph.D. in English from the University of California, Berkeley, in 1980. Tanner served as president of the Brazil Sāo Paulo South Mission from 2011 to 2014.

President Tanner is married to Susan Winder Tanner, former Young Women general president of the Church. They have five children and 20 grandchildren.

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