Leonard J. Arrington
1917–1999 (81 years)
Hometown: Twin Falls, Idaho
Biography
Leonard J. Arrington was the first professional historian to serve as Church Historian of the LDS Church (1972-1982). He founded the Mormon History Association and authored numerous influential works including Great Basin Kingdom. His tenure as Church Historian was marked by unprecedented access to church archives, though it ended controversially when the History Division was moved to BYU and restrictions were placed on archival access.
