Now and then attention has been drawn in this forum to the relationship between Mormon Church president David O. McKay and his long-time secretary, Clare Middlemiss. Indeed, as RfM poster "Fetal Deity" is quoted observing, tongue-in-cheek, from another thread:

"As far as the relationship between Middlemiss and McKay implied by the information in your post--all I can say is: 'C----------REEPY!' (I wonder if they had to deny a request by Middlemiss to be buried alive with the prophet's corpse?!?!?!)"


Time to tie up some loose ends, establish some basic facts and move to the bigger picture.

As to where Middlemiss is buried, here is some relevant information:

"Name: CLARE MIDDLEMISS

"Birth: 2/27/1901 SALT LAKE CITY,UTAH

"Death: 3/5/1983 SALT LAKE CITY,UTAH

"Burial: 3/11/1983 Salt Lake City Cemetery, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake, Utah, United States

"Grave Location: J_19_16_5S2RDWY"

("Names in Stone: Cemetery Maps," under "Deceased Page: Clare Middlemiss," original emphasis, at: https://www.namesinstone.com/Sources.aspx?dec=572654https://www.namesinstone.com/Sources.aspx?dec=572654)


According to the "Deseret News," McKay is buried in the same cemetery (i.e., the Salt Lake City Cemetery), with directions to his plot as follows:

"President Hinckley's resting place, next to his wife's grave, is located just south of 10th Avenue, between the cemetery's Main and Hillside streets. The grave of President David O. McKay is a little south of the Hinckley family site."

No mention is made in that report as to where Middlemiss reposes in relation to McKay.

("Salt Lake Cemetery Will Serve as Final Resting Place for 11 LDS Prophets," by Lynn Arave, "Deseret News," 30 January 2008, at: http://www.deseretnews.com/article/695248518/Salt-Lake-Cemetery-will-serve-as-final-resting-place-for-11-LDS-prophets.html)


However, below is an actual plot map of the Salt Lake City Cemetery showing geographically, as well as by gravesite numerical identification, where McKay is buried. McKay is interred in the West Plat, noted as follows:

"David Oman McKay (1951-1970); WEST-3-79-1-W"

(Again, Clare Middlemiss's grave location in the same cemetery is "J_19_16_5S2RDWY")

("LDS Prophets and their Grave Sites," under "Visiting LDS Prophet Graves," by Ron Anderson, December 2001, at:
http://mormontrails.org/Tours/Cemeteries/Prophets/prophets.htm


Authors Gregory A. Prince and William Robert Wright, in their book, "David O. McKay: The Rise of Modern Mormonism" (Salt Lake City Utah: University of Utah Press, 2005) make no mention of McKay and Middlemiss being buried next to each other. They record the following:

"The final entry in his [McKay's] diary, written by Clare Middlemiss, describes the funeral procession's journey [of McKay] from the Tabernacle to the Salt Lake City Cemetery. Ironically, it ends with a reference, not to the church over which he presided, but to the one which he had made his peace, and which reciprocated in a gracious gesture of shared sorrow: 'As the procession proceeded up South Temple, crowds lined the streets in reverent respect fro their Prophet, Leader, and Friend, and bells tolled from the Cathedral of the Madeleine.'" (Chapter 15, "Final Years," p. 394)
_____


That out of the way, it is important to recognize that Clare Middlemiss, in historical retrospect, was a powerful woman in a male-run Church where powerful women were clearly considered an annoyance (not to mention a threat) by the boys in charge.

Significantly, Prince and Roberts dedicate their book "[i]n the memory of Clare Middlemiss, for creating the record." Later in the text, they write that when McKay became president of the Mormon Church, he "retained his personal secretary of 16 years, Clare Middlemiss. Never before (or since) had the private secretary to a Church president been a woman. During the subsequent 19 years, Middlemiss would become arguably the most powerful woman in the history of the Church, and would chronicle McKay's activities in unprecedented detail." (Chapter 1, "Prophet and Man," p. 2)

Prince and Wright continue:

"Although her official title remained secretary, in fact, she functioned as McKay's chief of staff, often to the chagrin of the otherwise exclusviely male Church hierarchy. Along the way she compiled probably the most extensive record of any Church president. . . .

"Never shy, once she began to work for McKay in 1935 she quickly took charge of his office and remained in charge throughout her career. She possessed superb organizational and writing skills that allowed her not only to manage the day-to-day affairs of the office, but also to compile along the way the exraordinary collection of records that made possible the current biography.

"She was extremely loyal and devoted, first to David O. McKay as Church president, and then to the Church over which he presided. She was aware of her position and power--and adept at using them to promote and protect McKay and the Church, even if it meant inserting herself between them and other Church leaders. Generally of a pleasant and friendly disposition, she could become remote and intimidating at the first indication that the interests of her two charges were being threatened."

On Middlemiss's life-long singlehood, the authors write:

"Clare Middlemiss was an attractive, stylish woman . . . . Though she never married, she did not consider herself an 'old maid.' Her extended family, which included 19 nieces and nephews, became her posterity; and although her modest Church salary brought her close to financial independence, she was generous to them and to others throughout her life as benefacator, mentor, and confidant. . . .

"Shortly after beginning her work as McKay's secretary, Middlemiss turned her attention to the compilation of the record that became the nucleus of the current biography. As she explained in 1948, she discoverd that 'nothing has ever been compiled on President McKay's activities until 1934' and began to fill that gap by making 'a complete record.'

"A secretrial career for the Church in those years required a special level of commitment, for Church policy (since changed) required all female secretaries be single. Early in her career, she reminisced, 'I had plans to get married, such as every young girl does, you know, and I was dating three or four boys at the time.' As matters turned out, she remained single, but her decision apparently was not driven by career aspirations. Her nephew Robert Wright, co-author of this volume, remembers, 'She has suitors who wanted to go out with her, and I think at least one or two of them really wanted to get married, but she didn't want to get married to them. She told me was just never found a person that whe wanted to get married to. . . . After a few years went by, she wished that she had a family. I know that. And she would have been a good maother, but she just put all her energy into her job.'"

"Her fortunes changed dramatically in April 1951. As had been the case in 1935, it was inadvertent on her part. A fellow secretary related the story:

"'[Clare] told me one time when [President McKay] was called to be President of the Church that Joseph Anderson assumed he was going to be the President's secretary. Now, he had worked for Heber J. Grant and for Geroge Albert Smith. He sort of treated Clare like her days were numbered. And President McKay had never said a word, one way or the other. So they were getting ready to move into the office where President McKay was going to sit, and she said to President McKay, 'Well, I guess you'll be bringing in Brother Anderson. I suppose you'll want to bring him in here.' And he said, 'You're my secretary.' She said, 'Well, it's customary to have a man be the secretary to the President.'' He said, "I don't see why. You're my secretary, and you're going to stay my secretary.' She said she just sat down and cried, because she was so worried that she's lose her job. Brother Anderson was not happy about that, because he really, fully exected to be President McKay's secretary, too. That's when they started the First Presidency office, and he was in the First Presidency's office.'

"David O. McKay was 77 years old when he became Church president; and although he was a vigorous man, he had a history of health problems. As a result, Middlemiss was protective of him from the outset and became increasingly protective as advancing age gradually drained his strength. While others saw her efforts as less than benign, McKay trusted her implicitly and appreciated her protectiveness. McKay's housekeeper recalled, 'Everybody know that she was a little overpowering. When I made a remark to President McKay at one time, he said, 'Well, I know, Gaby, but she's a very good secretary.' He needed her, she was very good in her job. . . . He knew her weakness, but she was smart, and he appreciated her.'

"McKay's eldest son agreed with the housekeeper's assessment, but spoke also of the downside. 'She was devoted to [my] [f ather and did everyting she could to protect him, and in the process aroused the antagonism of nearly everybody else, including the members of the Twelve.' One such member was senior Apostle Harold B. Lee, who told a fellow General Authority, 'It's interestng . . . that I have to go through a non-priesthood bearer to get certain things done in my assignment.' Even members of the First Presidency were occasionally antagaonized by her protectiveness. Charles M. Brown, son of McKay's counselor Hugh B. Brown, recalled: 'She was probably the supreme example of a totally dedicated secretary, and men in that position need totally dedicated secretaries. But she might have overstepped her bounds. . . Dad and Eldon Tanner couldn't get in to see him quite frequently, and they would work through his son, David Lawrnece, to try to get to him rather than through Clare.'

"Yet others within the hierarachy saw Middlemiss as unqualifiedly positive. Apostle Ezra Taft Benson 'had a high regard for her and her love for the Prophet, and her protectivess for him, too.' And Marion D. Hanks, another General Authority, wrote to her, 'I still think that of the factors that have preserved the President's life beyond what might normally have been, your loyalty and wisdoom and devotion rank high.'

"Some women saw in Clare Middlemiss a unique role model. Elaine Anderson Cannon, who spent decades working in close apporximation to the General Authorities, was particularly appreciative. 'She had POWER! [original emphasis] When women were just all saluting the Brethren, Clare was just manipulating and doing all this stuff, and being charming and accepting the chocolates--and working the wonders.'

"Still other people viewed Middlemiss with an ambivalence that was results driven. For example, in 1962, Ernest L. Wilkinson was highly critical of her when she was an obstruction to his own plans. 'One of the most constant frustrations I have at the Church Office Building (I am not alone in this)is that of trying to get to see President McKay through his secretary.' Yet seven years later, when she enabled rather than obstructed, his attitude changed. 'One of the difficulties of the present situation is that generealy mail does not get through to the President, but thorugh Clare Middlemiss we had arranged to get these letters through to him, and I think the conference we had will result in a decision in all three of these matters which had been pending for some time.'

"The most balanced, and perhaps, fairest, assessment of Clare Middlemiss came from Robert L. Simpson who, as a counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, worked with her and McKay for nearly a decade:

"'She believed implicity that she had a responsibility to protect President McKay, and to do everythin she could to conserve his energy and strength, and give him peace of mind. And she did that to the very utmost of her ability. I never saw one occasion when she did anything but when she thought it was for the benefit of the Church, and President McKay personally. A lot of people were a little taken aback by her, because she held the line, but she had to, and in her mind she was doing what the Lord wanted her to do. Even other members of the [First] Presidency or the Twelve that would try and make an end run--she just didn't let it happen. And I think Presidnet McKay appreciated it. . . . He never wavered in his trust. . . I think Clare Middlemiss as meant to be for just exactly what she did, and the role she played.'

"As significant--and unprecedented--as her actaivities were in McKay's office, the most important legacy of Clare Middlemiss, and the longest lasting, was the record she kept. An astounding 130,000 or so pages in length, it consists of three components: diaries, discources, and scrapbooks. Keeping the record became the focus ofher life away from the office. Her nephew recalled, 'She would always bring something home to do. She got to the point wehere she had an office there. . . . She did an awful lot of work at home, even after being at the office all day for a long time.'

"So consumed with the record was she that she took no holidays, spending them in work at the office or home; took not even one week of vacation time in a decade; and worked overtime nearly as many hours as regular time, without compensation. Speaking at a national conference, Middlemiss stated, 'I have not been able to work on these journals during regular working hours, they have been written in the evenings, on holidays and weekends.' She rarely deviated from her daily commute of home-to-office-to-home, a round trip of some three miles, and in 20 years drove her care an average of less than 1,000 miles annually.

"Of greatest historical significance are the diaries, some 40,000 pages of typescript in length. Middlemiss began to write the diary a few months after beginning work for McKay, nd continued through his death . . . .

"For his part, McKay fully understood the crucial role Middlemiss played in chronicling his life, 'If it had not been for her,' he said,'there would be no journals, no scrapbooks, and few if any records.' Even more to the point, he said, 'So far as my life's work is concerned, there would be hardly one word written if it had not been for her; that she ahd really 'saved' my life in that regard.'"

When Middlemiss's health began to seriously deteriorate, the Mormon Church's male hierarchy decided she should stay on only long enough to finish her record complilation projects:

"When David O. McKay died in 1970, Middlemiss was one month short of her 69th birthday and in diminishing health. Prior to his death, she had had heart surgery that delayed but did not prevent furether cardiovascular problems. She hoped to be able to continue working for the Church but was asked to stay on only long enough to finish the tasks of organizing McKay's records and completing the diaries. On April 4, 1983, after a long, debilitating battle with congestive heart disease, Clare Middlemiss died in Salt Lake City. She was buried in the Salt Lake City Cemetery." (Chapter 6, "Radio and Television Broadcasting," pp.142-43; and "Appendix: The Clare Middlemiss Records," pp. 405-11)

_____


Yes, Clare Middlemiss was devoted to the Mormon Church president and to the Mormon Church for which she worked, in that order.

But she didn't put up with grumpy good-ol'-boy resistance from Mormon male control freaks who wanted her out of Command Central (or at least leashed) so that they could go about their business of traditionally doing business.

Middlemiss left a legacy of a proud professional woman who exhibited amazing talents, abilities and independence.

In the male-minded world of the chauvinistic Mormon Church from which she was eventually shoved in her declining health after having served the Brethren's record-keeping purposes, she deserves her well-earned share of respect, credit and admiration.



Edited 15 time(s). Last edit at 05/21/2012 02:04PM by steve benson.

My goodness, you heteros are a horny bunch! Even GAs can't stop staring at beautiful women!

I was in France on a mission when David McKay died in 1970. A local paper printed a small story titled "THE POPE OF THE MORMONS IS DEAD."

After that, I recall the local LD$ French members having a hard time saying "Je sais que Joseph Fielding Smith est un vrai prophete de Dieu." They were duely instructed to be sure they included "Fielding" and ended up pronouncing it "Jozef Feeldeeng Smeet."

Allegedly, the alleged gay profit, Spencer Kimball, had an alleged gay male secretary. Allegedly.

And allegedly, as he died, Spencer called for and reached out to his allegedly gay male secretary, and not his wife.

If true, it's a good thing for him he was 'forced' to have a MALE secretary.

I have never heard of her before.

I am always enlightened by your postings, Steve.

Thank you for your consistent and constant enhancement to our collective knowledge.

geekchick

Wouldn't it be interesting if they were having an affair?

I'll bet such steamy stories existed at the COB... You never know.

I knew a woman whose friend was a call girl and said she had customers at the COB. I was shocked, as a TBM at the time. But honestly, that's not so shocking. No doubt there is some crazyness that goes on in the corridors of the COB that we hear nothing about.

. . . meaning that she seems, at least from her perspective, to have been initially reluctant to work as McKay's secretary--but decided to take the position when directed to do so by the Office of the First Presidency.

Prince and Wright note:

"Middlemiss's ascent to power was inadvertent on her part:

"'In the Spring of 1935 I was the only secretary in the general Financial and Missionary office of the Church, working as secretary for Aruther Winter, financial adviser to the First Presidency, and Harold Reynolds, the Mission Secretary and Transportation Agent for the Church.

"'One morning, Brother Winter told me that the First Presidency wanted me to serve in their office as secretary to President David O. McKay, who had been appointed second counselor to President [Heber J.] Grant, just a few months previous to that time. I remember saying to Brother Winter, 'Do I have to go?,' as I was really frightened at the thought of working for those great men. His answer to me was, 'Sister, when the First Presidency speaks, you go." So I commenced my work as the immediate secretary to President McKay.'"

{Prince and Wrignt, "David O. McKay and the Rise of Modern Mormonism," p. 406)


Second, from at least one outsider's perspective, Middlemiss was seen as a dutiful secretary who single-mindedly focused, among other matters, on recording the travels of McKay and his wife at home and abroad. The following mention of Middlemiss's responsibilities in preserving a history of the travels of the Church's presidential couple came in a sales pitch made by a commericial company that contracted with the LDS Church to use its voice recording devices.

Tha authors observe:

"[Middlemiss's] work of gathering [existing transcripts of McKay's discourses that predated her employment] was rendered much simpler when voice recording devices became portable shortaly after he became Church president. McKay's use of one such device, which accompaneid her entourage on his first Europen tour in 1952, was duly noted in a company newsletter:

"'One day late last fall, President David O. McKay of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, which is commonly known as the Mormon Church, called me at the Waldorf Astoria in New York City. I, complete with traveling case, had just arrived in New York from the Pembroke Statiaonery Co. in Salt Lake City. . . . President McKay and his wife told me their plans for a trip to Europe and the Scandinavian countries to visit the branches of the Church. . . .

"Incidentally, I am a Master Model Audograph, and I'm proud that I'm still working for the McKays in Salt Lake City. In fact, I'm a permaent part of the Church equipment and I attend all the deication services at new temples and churches where President McKay presides. Members throughout the world can now hear the words of their beloved President almost as soon as I record them.'" (ibid., p. 410)


Finally, Middlemiss was intently devoted to, and consumed by, not only making a record of McKay's actvities when he was alive, but also wanting to eventually compose his biographical history.

From Prince and Wright's book:

"Clare Middlemiss intended to use her record herself to write a biography of McKay. Her nephew noted:

"'She was an historian, really. She wanted a history of President McKay, what he'd done in his life, and she thought it was really important to ahve that. But by the time she was able to do it after she retired, she really didn't have the health to do it. She was not well and she was worn out. I talked to her about that. She said, 'I don't have the energy to do it.' Probably two years after President McKay's death, she told me whe wanted me to have shat she had up there at home, and she wanted it to be used.'" (ibid. pp. 410-11)


In short, it appears that Clare Middlemiss may have simply been too busy chronicling David O. McKay's life to have had time for any romance with him.



Edited 9 time(s). Last edit at 05/24/2012 12:00PM by steve benson.

Hmm, wonder why she isn't mentioned in any YW or RS manuals? Or even a conference talk?

Oh yeah, it's because she was an unmarried, childless, professional woman who had a backbone and put chauvinistic men in their place.

Silly me! I forgot Mormons don't believe in women like that.

5 will get ya 100 it's a PH position now.

I recall that when I worked at the Church News in the early 70s there were still stories being told by various people, including Harold B. Lee's brother who occupied a desk there, about the indomitable Clare Middlemiss and how she effectively ran the church during McKay's declining years. Not least of her power was control over who did and didn't have access to McKay.