Janette Hales Beckham

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Janette Callister Hales Beckham (commonly known as Janette C. Hales and Janette Hales Beckham) (b. 7 June 1933) was the tenth general president of the Young Women Organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church) from 1992 to 1997. She was also a member of the Utah State Legislature from 1988 to 1991.

Janette Callister was born in Springville, Utah and raised in Spanish Fork, Utah. She attended Brigham Young University on scholarship and graduated in 1969. While at BYU, she met her husband, Robert H. Hales. They were married in 1955 in the Salt Lake Temple. The couple lived in San Antonio, Texas, New York City, and San Francisco and raised five children. Robert Hales died in March 1988.

Shortly after her husband's death, Hales was appointed by Utah Governor Norman H. Bangerter to fill a vacancy in the Utah House of Representatives. In the November 1988 election, Hales was elected to the House as a Republican. Hales served in the 48th Utah State Legislature. She decided not to run for re-election in 1990 and stepped down after one term in January 1991.

In March 1990, when Elaine L. Jack was released as a counselor in the general presidency of the Young Women Organization of the LDS Church in order for her to become the new president of the Relief Society, Young Women president Ardeth G. Kapp selected Hales as her new counselor. Hales served in this capacity until 1992, when Kapp was released and Hales was selected as her successor.

During her tenure as general president of the Young Women, Hales was assisted by four counselors: Virginia H. Pearce, Patricia P. Pinegar, Bonnie D. Parkin, and Carol B. Thomas. Pinegar went on to serve as the general president of the LDS Church's Primary and Parkin went on to serve as the general president of the Relief Society. Hales was released in 1997 and was succeeded by Margaret D. Nadauld.

In 1995, while she was general president of the Young Women Organization, Hales married Raymond E. Beckham and changed her surname to Beckham.

Beckham was a member of the LDS Church's Olympic Coordinating Committee for the Salt Lake City Winter Olympics from 1998 to 2002. In 2004, Beckham became a member of the Community Relations Council of Utah Valley State College; she and her husband live in Provo, Utah.

[edit] References

• Janet Peterson and LaRene Gaunt (1993). Keepers of the Flame: Presidents of the Young Women (Salt Lake City: Deseret Book)
• “New Young Women General Presidency Called,” Ensign, May 1992, 106–107