Rulon Seymour Wells
Born 7 July 1854 in Salt Lake City.[1] Son of Daniel Hanmer Wells and Louisa Free.[2] Member of the Wasatch Literary Association, organized in EBW’s home, 1874–1875.[3] Served a mission to Germany, 1875–1877.[4] Married Josephine Eliza Beatie, 18 Jan. 1883, in Salt Lake City.[5] At the bedside of his father when he died, 24 Mar. 1891.[6] Appointed to serve a second mission to Germany; mission was deferred for financial reasons, 5 Dec. 1891.[7] Sustained as one of the presidents of the Seventy, 5 Apr. 1893.[8] President of the European mission, 1896–1898.[9] Manager of Mutual Life of New York, beginning 1 Dec. 1899, in Salt Lake City.[10] Served on the general board of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association, 1900–1929.[11] Elected to the Utah House of Representatives, Nov. 1900.[12] Served on the Salt Lake City council, 1904–1908.[13] Hosted the reunion of the Daniel H. Wells family organization at his home, 27 Oct. 1916.[14] Appointed as Utah state insurance commissioner, 9 Mar. 1917.[15] Accompanied Melvin J. Ballard and Ray L. Pratt to open South America to missionary work, 1925–1926.[16] Broadcast weekly sermons on KSL Radio, 14 Aug.–13 Nov. 1939.[17] Died 7 May 1941 in Salt Lake City.[18]
[1] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. F, 16 June 1866–25 Oct. 1868, p. 351, line 4637, Rulon Seymour Wells, 15 Aug. 1868, microfilm 183405, DGS 5270328 (restricted access), FHL. EBW, Diary, 7 July 1887 and 7 July 1893. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 18 July 2019), Rulon Seymour Wells (KWJC-37F).
[2] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. F, 16 June 1866–25 Oct. 1868, p. 351, line 4637, Rulon Seymour Wells, 15 Aug. 1868, microfilm 183405, DGS 5270328 (restricted access), FHL.
[3] Wasatch Literary Association, Minute Book, 1874–1878 and 1890, MS 2689, CHL. Zina S. Whitney, “Literary Work of the Past,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Sept. 1893, 31–32. Carol Cornwall Madsen, Emmeline B. Wells: An Intimate History (Salt Lake City: University of Utah Press, 2017), 139–140.
[4] Missionary Department, Missionary Registers, 1860–1959, vol. A, 25 Apr. 1860–27 Apr. 1894, p. 31, line 1319, CR 301 22, image 40/160, CHL. “Fourth Day, Saturday, Oct. 9, 2 p.m.,” Deseret News, 13 Oct. 1875, 9. “Home Affairs,” Woman’s Exponent, 1 Aug. 1877, 4.
[5] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. L, 14 May 1878–8 Nov. 1883, p. 395, lines 28–29, Rulon Seymour Wells and Josephine Eliza Beatie, 18 Jan. 1883, microfilm 183402, DGS 5270325 (restricted access), FHL. EBW, Diary, 3 and 18 Jan. 1883. “Married,” Salt Lake Daily Herald, 19 Jan. 1883, 8. “Local and Other Matters,” Deseret News, 24 Jan. 1883, 9.
[6] EBW, Diary, 25 Mar. 1891.
[7] Rulon S. Wells, Salt Lake City, UT, to Joseph F. Smith and George Reynolds, 5 Dec. 1891, p. 2, First Presidency, Missionary Calls and Recommendations, 1877–1918, CHL.
[8] “The Second Day,” Logan Journal, 8 Apr. 1891, 5.
[9] Missionary Department, Missionary Registers, 1860–1959, vol. C, 27 Apr. 1894–16 Oct. 1906, p. 29, line 383, CR 301 22, image 30/252, CHL. “A Joyous Homecoming,” Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 25 Dec. 1898, 3.
[10] “Wells Takes Managership,” Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 2 Dec. 1899, 3.
[11] Richard L. Evans, “Rulon S. Wells,” Improvement Era, June 1941, 331.
[12] “Democratic Ticket,” Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 1 Nov. 1900, 4. “In the Legislature,” Salt Lake Herald-Republican, 9 Nov. 1900, 5.
[13] “Members of the Next Council,” Salt Lake Herald Republican, 4 Nov. 1903, 1. “Democrats Will Try to Run Old Crowd; Smootites Worried,” Salt Lake Telegram, 10 Sept. 1907, 4.
[14] The Wells Family Reunion Commemorating the One Hundred and Second Anniversary of Daniel Hanmer Wells, October 27th, 1916, at the Residence of Mr. and Mrs. Rulon S. Wells, 101 Second Avenue, Salt Lake City, Utah (Salt Lake City: Wells Family Organization, 1916), copy at CHL. EBW, Diary, 27 Oct. 1893; 21 Oct. 1895; 29 Oct. 1916.
[15] “Confirmation of the Appointees of the Governor,” Ogden (UT) Daily Standard, 10 Mar. 1917, 20.
[16] Missionary Department, Missionary Registers, 1860–1959, vol. E, 15 July 1919–31 Dec. 1929, p. 148, line 739c, CR 301 22, image 153/287, CHL.
[17] Rulon S. Wells, Radio Sermons and Poems (Salt Lake City: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 1939).
[18] “Utah State Archives Indexes,” database and images, Utah State Archives (https://archives.utah.gov, accessed 16 July 2019); Utah Department of Health, Office of Vital Records and Statistics Death Certificates, series 81448, file no. 705/742 (1941), Rulon Seymour Wells.