Estimated read time: 2-3 minutes
- BYU unearthed a 50-year-old time capsule as part of its sesquicentennial celebration on Thursday.
- Items included a $5 bill, a gavel from President Dallin H. Oaks, and more.
- Celebrations for BYU's 150th anniversary began in August and will run until June 2026.
PROVO — As Brigham Young University celebrates its sesquicentennial year, a part of that celebration includes looking back, and the school opened a time capsule buried in the cornerstone of the Harold B. Lee Library during Thursday's celebration.
What was inside?
While just 50 years separate today's students from those who sealed the last time capsule, much has changed. During the unboxing on Thursday morning, BYU noted on X that among the unearthed items was a "crisp $5 bill," joking that it "stretched a bit further back then." A tape measure was also included, a potential prediction the U.S. would have switched to the metric system by now.
Then-BYU President Dallin H. Oaks included a gavel that belonged to him; President Oaks was announced earlier this week as the new president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
Another highlight was a recording from BYU alumnus Harvey Fletcher, often called the "father of stereophonic sound" and the inventor of the first fully functional hearing aid. Fletcher died in 1981, several years after the time capsule was buried.
The capsule also contained letters from faculty and staff, and even a game-worn jersey from Elder S. Gifford Nielsen — former BYU quarterback and current general authority seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints — and a special centennial BYU flag that was designed for the 1975 celebration.
They couldn't forget a jar of cinnamon bears, a classic BYU treat that remains popular today.
More about BYU's 150th celebration
The BYU 150th commemorates the day the deed of trust was signed to found Brigham Young Academy on Oct. 16, 1875.
Festivities include a series of campus exhibits, lectures and musical performances highlighting BYU's history and mission. Celebrations began in August and will extend through June 2026.
In a statement shared by BYU, the university said:
"We are excited for this moment in time, and we look forward to experiencing it with all of you. Together we will celebrate and honor the unique light that BYU illuminates in the hearts and lives of our students, our faculty and staff, our alumni, and millions of God's children around the world."
