The Richard Wright Young papers consists of three generations of Utah architects--Joseph Don Carlos Young, George Cannon Young, and Richard Wright Young--a son, grandson, and great-grandson, respectively, of Brigham Young.

The materials span the years 1855-1986 and include correspondence, financial papers, building specifications, books, architectural drawings, and photographs. They are arranged in three main sections: personal papers, books, and architectural drawings. Materials within each section are arranged by architect.

Boxes one through eight contain the personal papers of Joseph Don Carlos Young. Included are biographical and family items, correspondence, personal and professional papers, and miscellaneous materials. Some early territorial legislative materials, dating from the 1850s, have been removed and placed in the library's Rare Books Division.

The next sixty boxes contain the personal papers of George Cannon Young. They begin with the transcripts of his oral interviews (wherein he speaks of his life and profession), followed by his correspondence, personal papers, appointment books, financial and business records, and a large collection of articles related to architecture.

Richard Wright Young's manuscript materials make up the last part of this section and include biographical material, correspondence, personal items, and miscellaneous material.

A large number of books were part of the original collection. Most were processed into the general library holdings, but some were thought to relate directly to the manuscript material, and have been included in the second section.

The architectural drawings make up the third section of the collection. Included are almost 200 projects from the works of Joseph Don Carlos Young, George Cannon Young, Richard Wright Young, and other Utah architects. The drawings are arranged by architect and building type--commercial buildings, institutional buildings, residential buildings, and miscellaneous. The other Utah architects include the firms of Ware and Treganza, J. A. Headlund, Scott and Welch, and Richard Kletting.

The drawings themselves range from watercolor on board and ink on linen, to rough sketches on tracing paper. Due to the poor condition in which the material had been stored, many of the older drawings needed extensive cleaning and repair work. As a result, most of the original information contained on them is still visible. Even so, many of the older drawings are fragile and must be handled with care.

The photographic materials which accompanied the collection have been placed in the Photo/Audio Visual Section of the Manuscripts Division. Included are the pictures of the Young family, buildings designed primarily by George Cannon Young, and several John Wesley Powell stereographs. A copy of the photo register, PO326, is included.

The University of Utah Marriott Library and the LDS Church Historical Department jointly acquired this collection and divided the materials. The papers and drawings which pertained to LDS church buildings went to the LDS Historical Department and the remainder came to the Marriott Library's Manuscripts Division.

Several architectural collections in the Manuscripts Division relate closely to this one. The papers of three other descendants of Brigham Young--Don Carlos Young, Jr., Georgius Young Cannon, and Lorenzo Snow Young--are housed here. Combined, they show the continuing legacy of the Young family's contributions to the growth and development of Salt Lake City.