Born 12 Mar. 1857 in Salt Lake City.[1] Son of Hiram B. Clawson and Margaret Gay Judd.[2] Active member of the Wasatch Literary Association, 1874–1878.[3] Secretary for John W. Young, a railroad contractor who was building the Utah Western Railway; represented him in several eastern states, with headquarters in New York City, 1875–1877.[4] Graduated from Scott-Browne’s College of Phonography while in New York City, 1877.[5] Served in the Southern States mission, Apr.–Nov. 1879.[6] His companion, Elder Joseph Standing, was murdered by a mob, 21 July 1879; Clawson escorted his body back to Salt Lake City.[7] Married Florence Ann Dinwoodey, 3 Aug. 1882, in Salt Lake City.[8] Participated in plural marriage.[9] Indicted for cohabitation; sentenced to four years in prison, 25 Oct. 1884.[10] Pardoned by U.S. president Grover Cleveland, 13 Dec. 1887.[11] Served as president of the Box Elder Stake, 1888–1899.[12] Ordained an apostle by church president Lorenzo Snow, 10 Oct. 1898.[13] Served on the general board of the Young Men’s Mutual Improvement Association and the Church Board of Education.[14] Associated with EBW in various social functions, such as the Sons and Daughters of Utah Pioneers celebration banquet.[15] Served as second counselor in the First Presidency to President Lorenzo Snow, 6–17 Oct. 1901.[16] Presided over the European mission, serving with his wife Lydia Spencer Clawson, 1910–1913.[17] Served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, 1918–1943.[18] Died 21 June 1943 in Salt Lake City.[19]
[1] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. H, p. 53, Rudger Judd Clawson, 23 June 1873, microfilm 183407 (restricted access), FHL. “Family Tree,” database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org, accessed 18 May 2018), Rudger Judd Clawson (KWZD-M2K).
[2] “Endowments of the Living, 1851–1884,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. H, p. 53, Rudger Judd Clawson, 23 June 1873, microfilm 183407 (restricted access), FHL. 1880 U.S. Census, Salt Lake City 12th Ward, Salt Lake Co., Utah Territory, ED 51, p. 6.
[3] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, p. 14, MS 8912, CHL. Ronald W. Walker, “Growing Up in Early Utah: The Wasatch Literary Association, 1874–1878,” BYU Studies Quarterly 43, no. 1 (Jan. 2004): 5.
[4] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, pp. 11–12, MS 8912, CHL. Lawrence R. Flake, Prophets and Apostles of the Last Dispensation (Provo, UT: Religious Studies Center, Brigham Young University, 2001), 259–263.
[5] Stan Larson, ed., Prisoner for Polygamy: The Memoirs and Papers of Rudger Clawson (Urbana: University of Illinois, 1993), 1. Rudger Clawson, Papers, CHL.
[6] “Rudger Clawson,” Go Ye into All the World: Missionary Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary, accessed 8 May 2018).
[7] “Mormon Missionary Assassinated,” Salt Lake Herald, 22 July 1879, [3]. Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, pp. 1, 25–37, MS 8912, CHL.
[8] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. L, p. 351, Rudger J. Clawson and Florence Ann Dinwoodey, 3 Aug. 1882, microfilm 183402 (restricted access), FHL.
[9] “Sealings of Couples, Living and by Proxy, 1851–1889,” The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Endowment House, vol. L, p. 413, Rudger J. Clawson and Lydia Elizabeth Spencer, 29 Mar. 1883, microfilm 183402 (restricted access), FHL. 1900 U.S. Census, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT, ED 39, p. 5B, Rudger Clawson. 1910 U.S. Census, Salt Lake City, Salt Lake Co., UT, ED no. 29, p. 2387, Rudger Clawson. David S. and Roy Hoopes, The Making of a Mormon Apostle: The Story of Rudger Clawson (Lanham, MD: Madison Books, 1990), 68–69, 118.
[10] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, pp. 95–96, MS 8912, CHL. United States v. Clawson, 4 Utah 34 (1885).
[11] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, p. 279, MS 8912, CHL.
[12] Box Elder Stake, Box Elder Stake Manuscript History and Historical Reports, 1848–1945, 29 Apr. 1888, CHL.
[13] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, p. 382, MS 8912, CHL. Journal History of the Church, 10 Oct. 1898, CHL.
[14] Rudger Clawson, Autobiography, ca. 1926–1935, pp. 374–375, MS 8912, CHL.
[15] EBW, Diary, 22 June 1900 and 31 Jan. 1901.
[16] Stan Larson, ed., A Ministry of Meetings: The Apostolic Diaries of Rudger Clawson (Salt Lake City: Signature Books, 1993), 325–326, 337–340.
[17] “Rudger Clawson,” Go Ye into All the World: Missionary Database (https://history.churchofjesuschrist.org/missionary, accessed 8 May 2018). Missionary Department, Missionary Registers, 1860–1959, vol. D, p. 85, CHL. U.S. Passport Applications, 1795–1925, M1490, roll 108, issued 29 Apr. 1910, microfilm 1498054, FHL.
[18] Journal History of the Church, 10 Mar. 1921, CHL.
[19] “Utah Death Certificate Indexes,” database and images. Utah State Archives (https://archives.utah.gov/research/indexes, accessed 29 May 2018); from Utah Department of Health, Office of Vital Records and Statistics, series 81448, file no. 1165/1258, Rudger Clawson, 21 June 1943.