Women's Services

Lora

Lora Hilton eagerly took part in the 1940 freshman trek, wearing the traditional blue beanie. She "thoroughly enjoyed" sewing courses in the old Academy building, but did not enjoy racing to upper campus for religion class.

Living in the Amanda Knight Hall, Lora quickly emerged a social leader. At the end of her junior year, she was elected vice president of the student body. When the president left for World War II, students nominated Lora to take his place. Shortage of men complicated activity planning. "We tried to have a few dances, but they mostly flopped," Lora recalls. "Instead we had assemblies, musical programs." Army training units stationed on campus added zest to the events.

Lora married Ray S. Whiting the summer after her graduation. She taught junior high home economics until their first child's birth; she became secretary at Mapleton Elementary after their youngest son entered kindergarten. With prodding from her principal and help from her daughters, Lora returned to BYU for elementary teaching credentials. She looks back on 28 years of teaching with satisfaction: "School was a happy place to be."

Ray and Lora served as advisors to a singles ward, based in the BYU dorms. "That was a dream calling," she says. Recently widowed, she volunteers in a hospital gift shop and buys season tickets to BYU basketball, chauffeuring friends to the games.

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Lora