Alonzo Potter
Encyclopedia
The Right Reverend Alonzo Potter (1800-1865) was an American
bishop
of the Episcopal Church in the United States who served as the third Bishop of Pennsylvania.
, on 6 July 1800. His ancestors, English Friends
(or Quakers), settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
, between 1640 and 1660; his father was a farmer, a Quaker, and in 1798 and in 1814 was a member of the New York Assembly. Alonzo Potter graduated from Union College
in 1818, and from 1821 to 1826 he was professor at Union of mathematics
and natural philosophy
.
of Union College
. After she died in 1839, in 1841 he married her cousin. Potter was rector
of St. Paul's, Boston
, from 1826 to 1831, when he became professor of moral and intellectual philosophy and political economy at Union. In 1838 Potter refused the post of assistant bishop of the eastern diocese (Maine
, New Hampshire
, Massachusetts
and Rhode Island
). He was vice-president of Union College from 1838 to 1845. After the suspension of Henry Ustick Onderdonk
(1789-1858) from the bishopric of Pennsylvania
, Potter was chosen to succeed him, and was consecrated on 23 September 1845.
s of priests in his diocese
. Throughout the 1850s Potter worked towards the building of a new hospital in Philadelphia. The cornerstone was laid in 1860, and the facility was named the Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. The hospital continues in operation today under the name Episcopal Hospital. In 1861 he established the Philadelphia Divinity School. In 1842 with George B. Emerson (1797-1871) he published The School and the Schoolmaster
, which had a large circulation and great influence. In 1847, 1848, 1849 and 1853 he delivered five courses of lectures at the Lowell Institute
, Boston.
reform and frequently delivered a lecture on the Drinking Usages of Society (1852); he was an opponent of slavery
and published a reply to the pro-slavery arguments of Bishop John Henry Hopkins
(1792-1868) of Vermont
. He edited many reprints and collections of sermons and lectures, and wrote: Political Economy (with Johann Ludwig Tellkampf
, New York, 1840), The Principles of Science applied to the Domestic and Mechanic Arts (1841), Handbook for Readers and Students (1843), and Religious Philosophy (1870).
(1802-1887) was Episcopal Bishop
of New York
, created the Community of St. Mary
, and was the founder of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
.
Alonzo Potter's children were:
Owing to his failing health, Potter visited England
and France
in 1858. In April 1864 he sailed from New York for California
. Potter died on board ship in San Francisco harbor on 4 July 1865. His body was returned to Philadelphia and interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery
, alongside his wife.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Episcopal Church in the United States who served as the third Bishop of Pennsylvania.
Early life
Alonzo Potter was born at Beekman (now La Grange), Dutchess County, New YorkNew York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, on 6 July 1800. His ancestors, English Friends
Religious Society of Friends
The Religious Society of Friends, or Friends Church, is a Christian movement which stresses the doctrine of the priesthood of all believers. Members are known as Friends, or popularly as Quakers. It is made of independent organisations, which have split from one another due to doctrinal differences...
(or Quakers), settled in Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth, Rhode Island
Portsmouth is a town in Newport County, Rhode Island, United States. The population was 17,389 at the 2010 U.S. Census.-Geography:According to the United States Census Bureau, the town has a total area of , of which, of it is land and of it is water. Most of its land area lies on Aquidneck...
, between 1640 and 1660; his father was a farmer, a Quaker, and in 1798 and in 1814 was a member of the New York Assembly. Alonzo Potter graduated from Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
in 1818, and from 1821 to 1826 he was professor at Union of mathematics
Mathematics
Mathematics is the study of quantity, space, structure, and change. Mathematicians seek out patterns and formulate new conjectures. Mathematicians resolve the truth or falsity of conjectures by mathematical proofs, which are arguments sufficient to convince other mathematicians of their validity...
and natural philosophy
Natural philosophy
Natural philosophy or the philosophy of nature , is a term applied to the study of nature and the physical universe that was dominant before the development of modern science...
.
Career
In 1824 Alonzo Potter was ordained, and married a daughter of President Eliphalet NottEliphalet Nott
Eliphalet Nott , was a famed Presbyterian minister, inventor, educational pioneer, and long-term president of Union College, Schenectady, New York.-Life:...
of Union College
Union College
Union College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
. After she died in 1839, in 1841 he married her cousin. Potter was rector
Rector
The word rector has a number of different meanings; it is widely used to refer to an academic, religious or political administrator...
of St. Paul's, Boston
Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston
The Cathedral Church of St. Paul, Boston is the historic cathedral church of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts. Located at 138 Tremont Street near Downtown Crossing, directly across from Boston Common and Park Street Station, the cathedral is adjacent to the diocesan offices. The current dean...
, from 1826 to 1831, when he became professor of moral and intellectual philosophy and political economy at Union. In 1838 Potter refused the post of assistant bishop of the eastern diocese (Maine
Maine
Maine is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States, bordered by the Atlantic Ocean to the east and south, New Hampshire to the west, and the Canadian provinces of Quebec to the northwest and New Brunswick to the northeast. Maine is both the northernmost and easternmost...
, New Hampshire
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
and Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
). He was vice-president of Union College from 1838 to 1845. After the suspension of Henry Ustick Onderdonk
Henry Ustick Onderdonk
Henry Ustick Onderdonk was the second Episcopal bishop of Pennsylvania.-Early life:Onderdonk was born in New York City. He studied at Columbia University, receiving his degree in 1805, and then traveled to Britain for further education, receiving his medical degree from the University of Edinburgh...
(1789-1858) from the bishopric of Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania
The Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is a U.S. state that is located in the Northeastern and Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States. The state borders Delaware and Maryland to the south, West Virginia to the southwest, Ohio to the west, New York and Ontario, Canada, to the north, and New Jersey to...
, Potter was chosen to succeed him, and was consecrated on 23 September 1845.
In Pennsylvania
In 1846 he established the western and northeastern convocationConvocation
A Convocation is a group of people formally assembled for a special purpose.- University use :....
s of priests in his diocese
Diocese
A diocese is the district or see under the supervision of a bishop. It is divided into parishes.An archdiocese is more significant than a diocese. An archdiocese is presided over by an archbishop whose see may have or had importance due to size or historical significance...
. Throughout the 1850s Potter worked towards the building of a new hospital in Philadelphia. The cornerstone was laid in 1860, and the facility was named the Hospital of the Protestant Episcopal Church in Philadelphia. The hospital continues in operation today under the name Episcopal Hospital. In 1861 he established the Philadelphia Divinity School. In 1842 with George B. Emerson (1797-1871) he published The School and the Schoolmaster
Schoolmaster
A schoolmaster, or simply master, once referred to a male school teacher. This usage survives in British public schools, but is generally obsolete elsewhere.The teacher in charge of a school is the headmaster...
, which had a large circulation and great influence. In 1847, 1848, 1849 and 1853 he delivered five courses of lectures at the Lowell Institute
Lowell Institute
The Lowell Institute is an educational foundation in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A., providing for free public lectures, and endowed by the bequest of $250,000 left by John Lowell, Jr., who died in 1836. Under the terms of his will 10% of the net income was to be added to the principal, which in...
, Boston.
Work and publications
He advocated temperanceTemperance movement
A temperance movement is a social movement urging reduced use of alcoholic beverages. Temperance movements may criticize excessive alcohol use, promote complete abstinence , or pressure the government to enact anti-alcohol legislation or complete prohibition of alcohol.-Temperance movement by...
reform and frequently delivered a lecture on the Drinking Usages of Society (1852); he was an opponent of slavery
Slavery
Slavery is a system under which people are treated as property to be bought and sold, and are forced to work. Slaves can be held against their will from the time of their capture, purchase or birth, and deprived of the right to leave, to refuse to work, or to demand compensation...
and published a reply to the pro-slavery arguments of Bishop John Henry Hopkins
John Henry Hopkins
John Henry Hopkins was the first bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Vermont and was the eighth Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-Early life and career:...
(1792-1868) of Vermont
Vermont
Vermont is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state ranks 43rd in land area, , and 45th in total area. Its population according to the 2010 census, 630,337, is the second smallest in the country, larger only than Wyoming. It is the only New England...
. He edited many reprints and collections of sermons and lectures, and wrote: Political Economy (with Johann Ludwig Tellkampf
Johann Ludwig Tellkampf
Johann Ludwig Tellkampf was a German scholar and politician who taught in Germany and the United States.-Biography:...
, New York, 1840), The Principles of Science applied to the Domestic and Mechanic Arts (1841), Handbook for Readers and Students (1843), and Religious Philosophy (1870).
Family
His youngest brother Horatio PotterHoratio Potter
The Right Reverend Horatio Potter , was an Episcopal Bishop in the Diocese of New York.The youngest brother of Bishop Alonzo Potter, he was born near Beekman , Dutchess County, New York on 9 February 1802, to Quaker farmers Joseph and Anne Potter...
(1802-1887) was Episcopal Bishop
Bishop
A bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
, created the Community of St. Mary
Community of St. Mary
The Community of St. Mary is an Anglican religious order of nuns with three independent houses located in Greenwich, New York, Sewanee, Tennessee, and Mukwonago, Wisconsin...
, and was the founder of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine in New York City
New York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
.
Alonzo Potter's children were:
- Clarkson Nott PotterClarkson Nott PotterClarkson Nott Potter was an American civil engineer, then a practising lawyer in New York City, and in 1869-1875 and in 1877-1881 a Democratic member of the United States House of Representatives. He was President of the American Bar Association from 1881 to 1882.-Family:Potter was the son of...
(1825-1882) was a Democratic member of the National House of RepresentativesUnited States House of RepresentativesThe United States House of Representatives is one of the two Houses of the United States Congress, the bicameral legislature which also includes the Senate.The composition and powers of the House are established in Article One of the Constitution...
after the Civil War. - Robert Brown PotterRobert Brown PotterRobert Brown Potter was a United States lawyer and a Union Army general in the American Civil War.-Early life:...
(1829–1887) was a United States General in the American Civil War. - Henry Codman PotterHenry Codman PotterHenry Codman Potter was a bishop of the Episcopal Church of the United States. He was the seventh Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of New York.-Life:...
(1835-1908) succeeded Horatio Potter as BishopBishopA bishop is an ordained or consecrated member of the Christian clergy who is generally entrusted with a position of authority and oversight. Within the Catholic Church, Eastern Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox Churches, in the Assyrian Church of the East, in the Independent Catholic Churches, and in the...
of the Episcopal Diocese of New YorkEpiscopal Diocese of New YorkThe Episcopal Diocese of New York is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, encompassing the boroughs of Manhattan, the Bronx, and Staten Island in New York City, and the New York state counties of Westchester, Rockland, Dutchess, Orange, Putnam, Sullivan, and...
in 1887. - Edward Tuckerman PotterEdward Tuckerman PotterEdward Tuckerman Potter was an American architect best known for designing the 1871 Mark Twain House in Hartford, Connecticut. With his half-brother William Appleton Potter, he also designed Nott Memorial Hall at his alma mater, Union College, Schenectady, New York...
(1831-1904) was an architect who designed the Nott MemorialNott MemorialThe Nott Memorial is an elaborate 16-sided stone-masonry building which serves as both architectural and physical centerpiece of Union College in Schenectady, New York...
at Union CollegeUnion CollegeUnion College is a private, non-denominational liberal arts college located in Schenectady, New York, United States. Founded in 1795, it was the first institution of higher learning chartered by the New York State Board of Regents. In the 19th century, it became the "Mother of Fraternities", as...
. - William Appleton PotterWilliam Appleton PotterWilliam Appleton Potter was an American architect who designed numerous buildings for Princeton University, as well as municipal offices and churches. He served as a Supervising Architect of the Treasury from 1874 to 1877....
(1842–1909) was an American architectArchitectAn architect is a person trained in the planning, design and oversight of the construction of buildings. To practice architecture means to offer or render services in connection with the design and construction of a building, or group of buildings and the space within the site surrounding the...
who designed numerous buildings, including the Church of the Presidents (New Jersey)Church of the Presidents (New Jersey)The Church of the Presidents is a former Episcopal chapel on the Jersey Shore where seven United States presidents worshiped. It was visited by presidents Chester A. Arthur, James Garfield, Ulysses S. Grant, Benjamin Harrison, Rutherford Hayes, William McKinley, and Woodrow Wilson...
in Elberon, New JerseyElberon, New JerseyElberon is an unincorporated area that is part of Long Branch in Monmouth County, New Jersey, United States. The area is served as United States Postal Service ZIP code 07740....
. - Eliphalet Nott Potter, a publisher.
- Francis Hunter Potter, a musician and writer.
- Maria Louisa Potter, wife of sculptor Launt ThompsonLaunt ThompsonLaunt Thompson , American sculptor, born in Abbeyleix, Ireland. Due to the potato famine occurring in Ireland at the time, he emigrated to the United States in 1847 with his widowed mother, and they settled in Albany, New York. There, he found work as a handyman.-Biography:After studying anatomy...
.
Owing to his failing health, Potter visited England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
in 1858. In April 1864 he sailed from New York for California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. Potter died on board ship in San Francisco harbor on 4 July 1865. His body was returned to Philadelphia and interred at Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery
Laurel Hill Cemetery, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, is the second major garden or rural cemetery in the United States. It was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1998, one of only a few cemeteries to receive the distinction....
, alongside his wife.
External links
- Documents by Alonzo Potter from Project CanterburyProject CanterburyProject Canterbury is an online archive of material related to the history of Anglicanism. It was founded by Richard Mammana, Jr. in 1999, and is hosted by the non-profit Society of Archbishop Justus...
- www.alonzopotter.com