George Ashton Oldham
Encyclopedia
George Ashton Oldham was the third Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany
in the United States
from 1929 to 1950, during the turbulent times of The Great Depression and World War II
. He was also notable as the primary author of the catechism
used in the Episcopal Church USA for decades until 1979. Now largely forgotten, Oldham was a major religious leader for several decades in the middle of the 20th and a serious candidate for presiding bishop
.
, and attended Cornell University
, where he was an active debate
r, and graduated with an A.B. in 1902.
One source claims he graduated in 1905, but this can not be confirmed, and is refuted by other, more reliable sources. He served as a chaplain
at Columbia University
while in seminary
in 1906. In 1908, he graduated from the General Theological Seminary
with his bachelor's degree
in divinity
.
Oldham was married to Emily Pierrepont Gould (born March 24, 1884, died n.d.), of a very old and wealthy family.
.
In 1924, Oldham made a major sermon
, entitled "America First", at the Washington National Cathedral
. However, it was not necessarily made in support of the controversial "America First
" movement:
His sermon on "The church's responsibility for world peace" was also widely published. He was a keynote speaker at the 1931 dedication of the War Memorial in Ithaca, New York
, place of his alma mater
, Cornell.
Oldham was an organizer of a conference on Anglo-Catholicism
in Albany. He was also active in ecumenism
with the Roman Catholic Church
, long before that became popular.
He was installed in 1929 in the cathedra
in the choir
at the Cathedral
of All Saints, as the 3rd Bishop of Albany. That would be a terribly unlucky year to begin any ministry, as the Great Depression was to start with the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
Oldham wrote the Catechism Today: Instructions on the Church, the catechism
used in the Episcopal Church USA for decades until 1979.
He also wrote a book entitled "The Fighting Church."
He was very active in Episcopal Church activities, from at least 1932. In 1937, he was a serious candidate for election as Presiding Bishop
. By the end of the war in 1945, he was acknowledged as a church leader. In 1947, Bishop and Mrs. Oldham attended a conference in Sydney, Australia, and on their way home from New Zealand
, the seaplane
pilot, in order "to avoid disaster was [forced] to jettison cargo
and passengers' luggage to lighten the load." Lost in "the Oldham luggage [was] ... the cope
the bishop had worn at his consecration...."
In 1949, he received an honorary degree from Hobart College
. The deanery
of the Cathedral of All Saints
is named Oldham House in his honor.
He retired as bishop in 1950 and died in 1963. He was replaced by Bishop Frederick L. Barry
, whose death he announced to a diocesan convention in 1960.
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 Diocese of Albany
Episcopal Diocese of Albany
The Episcopal Diocese of Albany is part of Province 2 of the Episcopal Church.-History:The Church of Englandarrived in 1674 with a chaplain assigned to the British military garrison at Albany, New York. In 1704 the Society for the Propagation of the Gospel sent two missionaries to the Mohawk...
in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
from 1929 to 1950, during the turbulent times of The Great Depression and World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
. He was also notable as the primary author of the catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
used in the Episcopal Church USA for decades until 1979. Now largely forgotten, Oldham was a major religious leader for several decades in the middle of the 20th and a serious candidate for presiding bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
.
Early life
Oldham grew up in Cleveland, OhioCleveland, Ohio
Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and is the county seat of Cuyahoga County, the most populous county in the state. The city is located in northeastern Ohio on the southern shore of Lake Erie, approximately west of the Pennsylvania border...
, and attended Cornell University
Cornell University
Cornell University is an Ivy League university located in Ithaca, New York, United States. It is a private land-grant university, receiving annual funding from the State of New York for certain educational missions...
, where he was an active debate
Debate
Debate or debating is a method of interactive and representational argument. Debate is a broader form of argument than logical argument, which only examines consistency from axiom, and factual argument, which only examines what is or isn't the case or rhetoric which is a technique of persuasion...
r, and graduated with an A.B. in 1902.
One source claims he graduated in 1905, but this can not be confirmed, and is refuted by other, more reliable sources. He served as a chaplain
Chaplain
Traditionally, a chaplain is a minister in a specialized setting such as a priest, pastor, rabbi, or imam or lay representative of a religion attached to a secular institution such as a hospital, prison, military unit, police department, university, or private chapel...
at Columbia University
Columbia University
Columbia University in the City of New York is a private, Ivy League university in Manhattan, New York City. Columbia is the oldest institution of higher learning in the state of New York, the fifth oldest in the United States, and one of the country's nine Colonial Colleges founded before the...
while in seminary
Seminary
A seminary, theological college, or divinity school is an institution of secondary or post-secondary education for educating students in theology, generally to prepare them for ordination as clergy or for other ministry...
in 1906. In 1908, he graduated from the General Theological Seminary
General Theological Seminary
The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church is a seminary of the Episcopal Church in the United States and is located in the Chelsea neighborhood of Manhattan in New York....
with his bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in divinity
Divinity
Divinity and divine are broadly applied but loosely defined terms, used variously within different faiths and belief systems — and even by different individuals within a given faith — to refer to some transcendent or transcendental power or deity, or its attributes or manifestations in...
.
Oldham was married to Emily Pierrepont Gould (born March 24, 1884, died n.d.), of a very old and wealthy family.
Work as bishop
Oldham was elected Bishop Coadjutor of Albany in 1922, to prepare for replacing Richard Henry NelsonRichard Henry Nelson
The Right Reverend Richard Henry Nelson was the second Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany in the United States from 1913 to 1929, as well as being Coadjutor from 1904 to 1913 under the first Bishop, William Croswell Doane....
.
In 1924, Oldham made a major sermon
Sermon
A sermon is an oration by a prophet or member of the clergy. Sermons address a Biblical, theological, religious, or moral topic, usually expounding on a type of belief, law or behavior within both past and present contexts...
, entitled "America First", at the Washington National Cathedral
Washington National Cathedral
The Washington National Cathedral, officially named the Cathedral Church of Saint Peter and Saint Paul, is a cathedral of the Episcopal Church located in Washington, D.C., the capital of the United States. Of neogothic design, it is the sixth-largest cathedral in the world, the second-largest in...
. However, it was not necessarily made in support of the controversial "America First
America First
America First may refer to:*America First Committee, a group that opposed entry of the United States into World War II*America First Credit Union, a credit union in Utah*America First Party , an isolationist political party...
" movement:
His sermon on "The church's responsibility for world peace" was also widely published. He was a keynote speaker at the 1931 dedication of the War Memorial in Ithaca, New York
Ithaca, New York
The city of Ithaca, is a city in upstate New York and the county seat of Tompkins County, as well as the largest community in the Ithaca-Tompkins County metropolitan area...
, place of his alma mater
Alma mater
Alma mater , pronounced ), was used in ancient Rome as a title for various mother goddesses, especially Ceres or Cybele, and in Christianity for the Virgin Mary.-General term:...
, Cornell.
Oldham was an organizer of a conference on Anglo-Catholicism
Anglo-Catholicism
The terms Anglo-Catholic and Anglo-Catholicism describe people, beliefs and practices within Anglicanism that affirm the Catholic, rather than Protestant, heritage and identity of the Anglican churches....
in Albany. He was also active in ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
with the Roman Catholic Church
Roman Catholic Church
The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the world's largest Christian church, with over a billion members. Led by the Pope, it defines its mission as spreading the gospel of Jesus Christ, administering the sacraments and exercising charity...
, long before that became popular.
He was installed in 1929 in the cathedra
Cathedra
A cathedra or bishop's throne is the chair or throne of a bishop. It is a symbol of the bishop's teaching authority in the Catholic Church and the Orthodox Church, and has in some sense remained such in the Anglican Communion and in Lutheran churches...
in the choir
Choir
A choir, chorale or chorus is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform.A body of singers who perform together as a group is called a choir or chorus...
at the Cathedral
Cathedral
A cathedral is a Christian church that contains the seat of a bishop...
of All Saints, as the 3rd Bishop of Albany. That would be a terribly unlucky year to begin any ministry, as the Great Depression was to start with the Stock Market Crash of 1929.
Oldham wrote the Catechism Today: Instructions on the Church, the catechism
Catechism
A catechism , i.e. to indoctrinate) is a summary or exposition of doctrine, traditionally used in Christian religious teaching from New Testament times to the present...
used in the Episcopal Church USA for decades until 1979.
He also wrote a book entitled "The Fighting Church."
He was very active in Episcopal Church activities, from at least 1932. In 1937, he was a serious candidate for election as Presiding Bishop
Presiding Bishop
The Presiding Bishop is an ecclesiastical position in some denominations of Christianity.- Evangelical Lutheran Church in America :The Presiding Bishop of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America is the chief ecumenical officer of the church, and the leader and caretaker for the bishops of the...
. By the end of the war in 1945, he was acknowledged as a church leader. In 1947, Bishop and Mrs. Oldham attended a conference in Sydney, Australia, and on their way home from New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...
, the seaplane
Seaplane
A seaplane is a fixed-wing aircraft capable of taking off and landing on water. Seaplanes that can also take off and land on airfields are a subclass called amphibian aircraft...
pilot, in order "to avoid disaster was [forced] to jettison cargo
Cargo cult
A cargo cult is a religious practice that has appeared in many traditional pre-industrial tribal societies in the wake of interaction with technologically advanced cultures. The cults focus on obtaining the material wealth of the advanced culture through magic and religious rituals and practices...
and passengers' luggage to lighten the load." Lost in "the Oldham luggage [was] ... the cope
Cope
The cope is a liturgical vestment, a very long mantle or cloak, open in front and fastened at the breast with a band or clasp. It may be of any liturgical colour....
the bishop had worn at his consecration...."
In 1949, he received an honorary degree from Hobart College
Hobart and William Smith Colleges
Hobart and William Smith Colleges, located in Geneva, New York, are together a liberal arts college offering Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Science and Master of Arts in Teaching degrees. In athletics, however, the two schools compete with separate teams, known as the Hobart Statesmen and the...
. The deanery
Deanery
A Deanery is an ecclesiastical entity in both the Roman Catholic Church and the Church of England. A deanery is either the jurisdiction or residence of a Dean.- Catholic usage :...
of the Cathedral of All Saints
Cathedral of All Saints
The Cathedral of All Saints, Albany, New York is the central church of the Episcopal See of the Albany and the seat of the Episcopal Bishop of Albany...
is named Oldham House in his honor.
He retired as bishop in 1950 and died in 1963. He was replaced by Bishop Frederick L. Barry
Frederick L. Barry
The Right Reverend Frederick Lehrle Barry was the fourth Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Albany in the United States from 1950 to 1960, during which he re-built a diocese.-Early life:...
, whose death he announced to a diocesan convention in 1960.
External links
- Bibliographic directory 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...
- Cathedral of All Saints web site
- Episcopal Diocese of Albany official web site
See also
- List of Episcopal bishops (U.S.)