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Beverley Taylor Sorenson

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Beverley Taylor Sorenson
Born
Beverley Taylor

(1924-04-13)April 13, 1924
Salt Lake City, Utah, U.S.
DiedMay 27, 2013(2013-05-27) (aged 89)
Alma materUniversity of Utah
Occupation(s)Philanthropist, arts education advocate, schoolteacher, businesswoman

Beverley Taylor Sorenson (April 13, 1924 – May 27, 2013) was an American education philanthropist and advocate for the promotion of arts in elementary schools.[1]

Personal life

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Sorenson was born in Salt Lake City, Utah.[1] She was the daughter of Frank Campbell Taylor and Bessie Elinor Taylor, and the fifth of six children.[1] She was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.[2]

During her upbringing, Sorenson danced and played the piano.[1] She attended Irving Junior High and East High School.[1] In 1945, she graduated from the University of Utah with a bachelor's degree in education.[3] That same year, Sorenson moved to New York City and became a kindergarten teacher.[1]

There, she met James LeVoy Sorenson and they were married the next summer on July 23, 1946 at the Logan Utah Temple.[1] They had eight children and settled in Salt Lake City.[1] At the time of her passing they had 49 grandchildren and 65 great-grandchildren.[1] Sorenson died on May 27, 2013.[1]

Career

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From 1945 to 1946, Sorenson was a schoolteacher at a Quaker school in New York.[3][4] In 1975, Sorenson became the owner and manager of ExCelCis Cosmetics/LeVoys Fashions.[4] From 1989 to 1995 she was the owner and manager of the Continental Beauty College.[4]

Sorenson became the founder of Art Works for Kids in 1995 and the co-founder of the Sorenson Legacy Foundation in 2005.[4]

In 2008, the Utah State Legislature adapted Sorenson's arts-focused teaching model to integrate arts into elementary education.[5] In her honor, they named it the Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program.[1]

Sorenson Legacy Foundation

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Sorenson was a philanthropist and supported many causes through the Sorenson Legacy Foundation.[1] Among those causes, the foundation donated 45 million dollars to support fine arts instruction for children and teachers.[6] She established endowments for elementary arts education at seven universities:

Recognitions

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  • The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts and Education Complex at The University of Utah, Built in 2014.[9]
  • The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts, a building at Southern Utah University built in 2016.[10]
  • Honorary Doctorates from Southern Utah University, Salt Lake Community College, University of Utah, Utah State University, and Westminster College.[4]

Awards

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  • Award for Arts Achievement and Excellence for the International Council of Fine Arts Deans
  • Living Legacy Award from the Boys and Girls Club
  • The Eli and Edythe Broad Award for Philanthropy in the Arts from Americans for the Arts.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l "Beverley Taylor Sorenson". The Salt Lake Tribune Obituaries. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  2. ^ Swensen, Jason (June 18, 2011). "Arts and education". Church News. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "Our Founders". Sorenson Legacy Foundation. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  4. ^ a b c d e f Taylor, Allison Armstrong; Taylor, Tom (2012). Look Beyond the Weeds: The Life of Beverley Taylor Sorenson. Beverly Taylor Sorenson.
  5. ^ Romero, McKenzie (May 28, 2013). "Prominent Utah philanthropist Beverley Taylor Sorenson dead at 89". Deseret News. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  6. ^ "About Beverley Taylor Sorenson, 1924–2013". Southern Utah University. Retrieved September 21, 2023.
  7. ^ "About Arts Partnership". ARTS Partnership: Arts Reaching and Teaching in Schools. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  8. ^ "Endowed Positions". Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts Learning Program. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  9. ^ "Beverley Taylor Sorenson Arts & Education Complex". The University of Utah. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
  10. ^ "The Beverley Taylor Sorenson Center for the Arts". Southern Utah University. Retrieved April 17, 2019.
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