Janette Hales Beckham, commonly known as Janette C. Hales and later, Janette Hales Beckham ( Callister; June 7, 1933 – March 4, 2022), was the tenth general president of the

Young Women organization The Young Women (often referred to as Young Women's or Young Woman's) is a youth organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). The purpose of the Young Women organization is to help each young woman "be worthy to ma ...

the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, informally known as the LDS Church or Mormon Church, is a Nontrinitarianism, nontrinitarian Christianity, Christian church that considers itself to be the Restorationism, restoration of the ...

(LDS Church) from 1992 to 1997. She was also a member of the Utah State Legislature from 1988 to 1991.

Biography

Janette Callister was born in

Springville, Utah Springville is a city in Utah County, Utah, Utah County, Utah that is part of the Provo–Orem metropolitan area. The population was 35,268 in 2020, according to the United States Census. Springville is a bedroom community for commuters who work ...

, and raised in Spanish Fork, Utah. She is the daughter of Thomas Leonard Callister (1899–1966) and Hannah Carrick (1904–93). She attended

Brigham Young University Brigham Young University (BYU, sometimes referred to colloquially as The Y) is a private research university in Provo, Utah. It was founded in 1875 by religious leader Brigham Young and is sponsored by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day ...

(BYU) on scholarship and graduated in 1969. While at BYU, she met her future husband, Robert H. Hales. They were married in 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. The couple lived in

San Antonio, Texas ("Cradle of Freedom") , image_map = , mapsize = 220px , map_caption = Interactive map of San Antonio , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name = United States , subdivision_type1= State , subdivision_name1 = Texas , subdivision_t ...

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, and

San Francisco San Francisco (; Spanish language, Spanish for "Francis of Assisi, Saint Francis"), officially the City and County of San Francisco, is the commercial, financial, and cultural center of Northern California. The city proper is the List of Ca ...

and raised five children. Robert Hales was an ophthalmologist. He was a professor of medicine at the

University of Utah The University of Utah (U of U, UofU, or simply The U) is a public research university in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is the flagship institution of the Utah System of Higher Education. The university was established in 1850 as the University of De ...

and a professor of nursing at BYU. Robert Hales died of cancer in March 1988. Shortly after her husband's death, Hales was appointed by Utah Governor

Norman H. Bangerter Norman Howard Bangerter (January 4, 1933 – April 14, 2015) was an American politician and businessman who served as the 13th governor of Utah from 1985 to 1993. He was the first Republican elected to the position since 1960, and the first to h ...

to fill a vacancy in the Utah House of Representatives. In the November 1988 election, Hales was elected to the House as a Republican. Hales served in the 48th Utah State Legislature. She decided not to run for re-election in 1990 and stepped down after one term in January 1991. In March 1990, when

Elaine L. Jack Elaine Jack ( Low; born March 22, 1928) was the twelfth Relief Society general president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1990 to 1997. She also served in the general presidency of the church's Young Women Orga ...

was released as a counselor in the general presidency of the LDS Church's Young Women organization to become general president of the church's

Relief Society The Relief Society is a philanthropic and educational women's organization of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). It was founded in 1842 in Nauvoo, Illinois, United States, and has more than 7 million members in over 18 ...

, Young Women president

Ardeth G. Kapp Ardeth Greene Kapp (born March 19, 1931) was the ninth Young Women (organization), Young Women general president of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1984 to 1992. Early life Ardeth Greene was born on March 19, 1931 ...

selected Hales as her new counselor. Hales served in this capacity until 1992, when Kapp was released and Hales was selected as her successor. During her tenure as general president of the Young Women, Hales was assisted by four counselors: Virginia H. Pearce, Patricia P. Pinegar, Bonnie D. Parkin, and Carol B. Thomas. Pinegar went on to serve as general president of the church's

Primary Primary or primaries may refer to: Arts, entertainment, and media Music Groups and labels * Primary (band), from Australia * Primary (musician), hip hop musician and record producer from South Korea * Primary Music, Israeli record label Works * ...

and Parkin went on to serve as the general president of the Relief Society. Hales was released in 1997 and succeeded by Margaret D. Nadauld. In 1995, while serving as general Young Women president, Hales married Raymond E. Beckham and changed her surname to Beckham. He was a BYU professor of communication who was heavily involved in fundraising and supervising extension work, including the operations of BYU's short-lived Las Vegas center. Beckham was a member of the LDS Church's Olympic Coordinating Committee for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from 1998 to 2002. In 2004, Beckham became a member of the

Utah Valley State College Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008. History ...

(later

Utah Valley University Utah Valley University (UVU) is a public university in Orem, Utah. UVU offers master's, bachelor's, associate degrees, and certificates. Previously called Utah Valley State College, the school attained university status in July 2008. History ...

(UVU)) Board of Trustees and later served as the chair of the board.Utah Valley State College: Board of Trustees
, uvsc.edu, accessed 2008-08-13. She left the UVU board in 2011. Beckham has also served on the board of directors of Deseret Book Company.

Notes

References

* Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt (1993). ''Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women'' (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book)
"New Young Women General Presidency Called,"
'' Ensign'', May 1992, pp. 106–07
"Robert H. Hales, Ophthalmologist and Community Leader, Dies at 57"
''Deseret News'', March 27, 1992

''Deseret News'', July 26, 2007
"Janette C. Hales Beckham"
mormonwiki.com
"Sustaining the Living Prophets"
LDS General Conference, talk given by Janette Hales Beckham, April 1996 {{DEFAULTSORT:Beckham, Janette Hales 1933 births 2022 deaths American leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints Brigham Young University alumni Counselors in the General Presidency of the Young Women (organization) General Presidents of the Young Women (organization) Republican Party members of the Utah House of Representatives Politicians from Provo, Utah People from Spanish Fork, Utah People from Springville, Utah Utah Valley University people Women state legislators in Utah Latter Day Saints from Utah