Campus photographer of 37 years, Mike Lewis, shares some of his favorite photos and the stories behind them.
Mike Lewis’ journey to Rexburg, Idaho, started one week after he graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Photography from Brigham Young University. In April 1987, he, his wife, and their two daughters drove from Provo to Rexburg for his sister’s wedding in the Idaho Falls Temple, and a few months later, they returned to Rexburg for good.
While Mike was in town, his sister’s in-laws, who were Ricks College employees, referred him to the college’s photographer at the time, Rod Bohm, who was looking for an intern. As the photographer sat at the interview with his portfolio and résumé in hand, his six-month pregnant wife went into premature labor. They rushed to the hospital for the birth of their son, who only lived half an hour.
Because they were in town for Mike’s sister’s wedding, they were blessed to have family in the area to support them. Another blessing was the hospital staff, who referred them to free funeral and burial services for their child. He considered it a tender mercy to get a job at Ricks College, as Rod Bohm passed Mike’s name to the Public Relations Department for an open photographer position. They found a home in Sugar City, ten miles from their son’s grave and with neighbors who had supported them through that difficult time.
With his approaching retirement, Mike looked back on that week, 37 years ago. “The Lord just works in a mysterious way. I was on the job hunt, but I never considered working for an institution. I thought I was going to go work at a photo studio and just help take portraits,” he said.
Back when photographs were captured with film cameras and developed in dark rooms, Mike covered Ricks’ sporting events and various departments on campus, ranging from cultural performances to architectural shots.
Mike recorded the history of Ricks College and its transition into Brigham Young University-Idaho. He witnessed first-hand the changes on campus. “I've seen campus grow tremendously. I haven't even counted how many buildings have gone up since I've been here,” he said.
He closely interacted with BYU-Idaho’s past eight presidents: Joe J. Christensen, Steven D. Bennion, David A. Bednar, interim president Bob Wilkes, Kim B. Clark, Clark G. Gilbert, Henry J. Eyring, and now Alvin F. Meredith III. Mike expressed how each president, with their different personality and attributes, has added to the university. “They've all had their roles, and I think the Merediths are in the right place, at the right time now,” he said.
Whether photographing a visit from President Gordon B. Hinckley or a teacher in their classroom, Mike has loved every aspect of the journey. He highlighted the connections he’s created with the people he met and worked with along the way, mentioning names of dozens of university employees, including supervisors, colleagues, and faculty members; from Rod Boam, the photographer who first interviewed him, to Stephen Mendenhall, the current manager of the Media Creation team, where Mike worked as the Photography Coordinator.
During this walk down memory lane, Mike sorted through a lifetime of photographs, revisiting the images that carry the most memorable stories of his career and legacy at BYU-Idaho.