In 1898, he was ordained to the office of a seventy and set
apart to do missionary work in connection with his studies in
Europe. He entered the University of Goettingen, Germany, and
after applying himself diligently to his studies he graduated
from that institution, with the degrees of A. M. Ph.D. in 1899.
For part of his time in Europe, Widtsoe lived in Switzerland.
The police wanted proof that he and his wife were married, and
since they had neglected to bring their wedding license they got
married a second time. In 1905 Widtsoe was dismissed from the
agricultural college as a result of political debates about its
future and President William J. Kerr's feeling that Widtsoe was
insufficiently supporting him. For a short time he was a
professor of agriculture at BYU, and is arguably the founding
father of Brigham Young University's college of biology and
agriculture. On BYU campus the John A. Widtsoe building is the
home of the College of Biology and Agriculture. He later served
as president of the Universi