Cummings, Horace H. (Horace Hall), 1858-1937

Educator, businessman, and Mormon Church leader.

From the guide to the Horace H. Cummings diary and autobiography, 1917-1936, (L. Tom Perry Special Collections)

Horace Hall Cummings was born in Provo, Utah on June 12, 1858. He was the son of Benjamin Franklin and Catherine Hall Cummings. The young Horace Cummings worked at a variety of jobs. At various times he was as a printer's devil at the Deseret News, worked in the finishing department of the Deseret Woolen Mills and quarried granite for the Salt Lake temple. He attended the Deseret University and studied under Dr. John R. Park But Cummings had attended only three terms when he was forced to quit school in order to support his family.

Looking for work, Cummings found a job teaching school at Mill Creek. This job turned into a lifelong career as an educator. In addition to a profession, Cummings found a wife as a result of that teaching job. Barbara Matilda Moses, whom he married on August 4, 1881 was a student in Horace's first classroom in Mill Creek. Barbara Matilda or Tillie, was the daughter of Julian and Ruth Ridge Moses. The Cummings had seven sons and two daughters. On April 13, 1890 Horace Cummings married a second wife, Matilda Sophia Wilcox Bliss.

Although most of his life was spent in the Salt Lake Valley Cummings spent the fall and winter of 1880-81 to the north in Cache Valley. In Logan, he taught at the Brigham Young College in Logan. At the same time, he and his brother B.F. Cummings Jr. bought and operated the Logan Leader a weekly newspaper. To bring in additional income Cummings kept books for Barber & Sons, taught a winter term in the fifth ward and served as a private tutor.

An active member of the Mormon Church all his life Cummings served a mission to Mexico from 1885 to 1887. While in Mexico he distributed the first shipment of Books of Mormon translated into the Spanish language. He also translated sections of the Doctrine and Covenants into Spanish. He followed Helaman Pratt as the mission president in 1887. As mission president he helped build up the Mormon colonies in Chihuahua by sending converts to settle there.

After his mission, Cummings was very successful in his career. He was in charge of the Utah Educational Exhibit at the 1904 World's Fair at St. Louis, Missouri. He wrote textbooks on elementary science that were used for many years. But the pinnacle of his career was serving for thirteen years as the general superintendent of Church schools. Horace H. Cummings died in Salt Lake City on August 1, 1937.

From the guide to the Horace Hall Cummings family papers, 1865-1937, 1880-1887, (Utah State University. Special Collections and Archives)