Jay Monson's roots are firmly planted in Cache Valley. He is a direct descendent of Ira Allen, pioneer colonizer of many cities and towns in Utah, including Hyrum. Jay's mother grew up in Hyrum, and his maternal grand-parents are buried in the Hyrum Cemetery. Coming back to Cache Valley to attend Utah State University and to eventually settle here was literally "coming home" to Jay.
Jay and his wife Jane live in Logan. Although Jay was raised in Magna, Utah, and Jane in Holladay, they chose Cache Valley as the place to raise their family of 9 children–7 sons and 2 daughters. They currently have 29 grandchildren, with more anticipated.
Dr. Monson was a professor and administrator at Utah State University for 35 years in the area of Teacher Education. He also taught public school in Scottsdale Arizona and the Granite District in Utah. His degrees are from Utah State, University of Utah, and Arizona State University, with a year of post-doctoral work at New York University. Jane Monson is a graduate of the University of Utah. Jay was also an elected member of the Utah State Board of Education for 12 years and a Cache County Commissioner for two terms and then helped initiate the new County Council form of government, of which he served as the first Chair for two years. For 16 years he was a member of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Students. He is a former member of the LDS Church Curriculum Committee and has written lessons for both priesthood and Relief Society.
Jay served an LDS mission in New Zealand, and Jane (Brinton) Monson served in Scotland. Both have broad service in LDS church auxiliaries. Jay has been a bishop twice and a counselor in three stake presidencies. He was President of the Logan Utah LDS East Stake for 10 years prior to a mission call to serve with his wife. Jane has been a Primary President and was Stake Relief Society President prior to her husband's call as stake president.
For two years, the Monsons were Coordinators of the International Teacher Education Program for LDS Church schools, working with 8 other missionary couples and 300 teachers and administrators in church schools in the islands of Tonga, Samoa, Fiji, Kiribati, and New Zealand.
