Thomas Cheney

Thomas Edward Cheney (1901–1993) was an American folklorist who made contributions to the field of Mormon folklore. As one of the first Mormon folklorists, he collected folk songs in Utah and Idaho and authored books and articles on Utah, Idaho, and Mormon folklore. He served as president of the Folklore Society of Utah from 1963 to 1964. Cheney also compiled songs for the American Folklore Society, which were published in 1968. Along with books on Mormon Folklore, Cheney wrote a book about J. Golden Kimball, which was considered controversial. He was also a professor of English at Brigham Young University (BYU) and taught courses in English Romantic literature, ballads, and Mormon folklore. Early life Thomas E. Cheney was born in 1901 in Victor, Idaho. After graduating from high school, he attended summer school at Ricks College, now known as Brigham Young University-Idaho. Immediately afterward, he began teaching at an elementary school. He earned his bachelor's degree in English at Utah Agricultural College (now Utah State University). Cheney served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church) in Southern California from 1924 to 1926. Career Teaching career Cheney resumed his teaching career after he returned from his mission and became a school principal. He was introduced to folklore during his master's program at the University of Idaho in 1930. He completed his master's thesis on Mormon folk songs, attaining his master's degree in 1936. Cheney then became a professor of English at BYU, where he taught English Romantic literature and English, Scottish, and American ballads. He also taught graduate seminars in Mormon folklore. Additionally, Cheney led students through projects collecting their own folklore material in his Introduction to Folklore course.