Harry Sherman Longley
Encyclopedia
Harry Sherman Longley was a 20th century bishop
in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served the Diocese of Iowa
as suffragan bishop
from 1912–1917, coadjutor bishop
from 1917–1929, and diocesan bishop from 1929-1943. Longley was the first suffragan and coadjutor bishop in Iowa, and the first bishop to resign the office. He is the only bishop of the diocese to serve in three positions.
to John Thomas and Maria Elizabeth (Fulton) Longley. He married Hattie Eliza Minkler in Waterford, New York on September 17, 1894. He was educated at St. Stephen’s College (now Bard College
, a division of Columbia University
) where he received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees. He did his seminary training at the General Theological Seminary
in New York
. He also received two honorary degrees from GTS: a Doctor of Divinity
in 1912 and Doctor of Sacred Theology
in 1920.
Longley was a 33rd degree Mason
. He had served as Grand Chaplain of the New York State Lodge.
After he was ordained he served parishes in Troy, New York
, Milford, Massachusetts
and Binghamton, New York
. He was serving at St. Mark’s Church in Evanston, Illinois
when he was elected suffragan bishop of Iowa.
who was the Bishop of Montana
and Presiding Bishop
, Theodore Nevin Morrison
of Iowa, and Arthur L. Williams of Nebraska
. He was the 261st Episcopal bishop consecrated in the United States. He was elected Bishop Coadjutor on May 21, 1917.
Bishop Longley served as bishop from just before the outbreak of World War I
, through the Great Depression
and during the first part of World War II
. Unlike the silence of Iowa's first bishop, Henry Washington Lee
during the American Civil War
, Bishop Longley spoke out about the importance of patriotism and support for both of the World Wars.
Bishop Morrison divided the Episcopal ministry in the diocese when Longley was the suffragan and coadjutor bishop. Morrison, who resided in Davenport
oversaw the parishes in the diocese while Longley resided in Des Moines and oversaw the missions.
He succeeded to the office of Bishop of Iowa upon the death of Bishop Morrison on December 27, 1929. He laid the cornerstone for St. John’s Church in Ames
to take care of the pastoral needs of the students at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University
). He established a mission to take care of the pastoral needs of African Americans in Des Moines. In 1931 a permanent location for the diocese's campground was established near Clear Lake
. The same year he announced the closing of several missions and the disposal of their buildings which were in bad shape.
. His funeral was held in St. John’s Church in Charleston, where his son was the rector.
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...
in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served the Diocese of Iowa
Episcopal Diocese of Iowa
The Episcopal Diocese of Iowa is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which covers all of Iowa. It is in Province VI. Its offices are in Des Moines, and it has two cathedrals: The Cathedral Church of St...
as suffragan bishop
Suffragan bishop
A suffragan bishop is a bishop subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop. He or she may be assigned to an area which does not have a cathedral of its own.-Anglican Communion:...
from 1912–1917, coadjutor bishop
Coadjutor bishop
A coadjutor bishop is a bishop in the Roman Catholic or Anglican churches who is designated to assist the diocesan bishop in the administration of the diocese, almost as co-bishop of the diocese...
from 1917–1929, and diocesan bishop from 1929-1943. Longley was the first suffragan and coadjutor bishop in Iowa, and the first bishop to resign the office. He is the only bishop of the diocese to serve in three positions.
Early life & Ministry
Longley was born in Cohoes, New YorkCohoes, New York
Cohoes is an incorporated city located at the northeast corner of Albany County in the US state of New York. It is called the "Spindle City" because of the importance of textile production to its growth. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 16,168...
to John Thomas and Maria Elizabeth (Fulton) Longley. He married Hattie Eliza Minkler in Waterford, New York on September 17, 1894. He was educated at St. Stephen’s College (now Bard College
Bard College
Bard College, founded in 1860 as "St. Stephen's College", is a small four-year liberal arts college located in Annandale-on-Hudson, New York.-Location:...
, a division of 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...
) where he received both a bachelor’s and a master’s degrees. He did his seminary training at 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....
in 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...
. He also received two honorary degrees from GTS: a Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity
Doctor of Divinity is an advanced academic degree in divinity. Historically, it identified one who had been licensed by a university to teach Christian theology or related religious subjects....
in 1912 and Doctor of Sacred Theology
Doctor of Sacred Theology
The Doctor of Sacred Theology is the final theological degree in the pontifical university system of the Catholic Church....
in 1920.
Longley was a 33rd degree Mason
Freemasonry
Freemasonry is a fraternal organisation that arose from obscure origins in the late 16th to early 17th century. Freemasonry now exists in various forms all over the world, with a membership estimated at around six million, including approximately 150,000 under the jurisdictions of the Grand Lodge...
. He had served as Grand Chaplain of the New York State Lodge.
After he was ordained he served parishes in Troy, New York
Troy, New York
Troy is a city in the US State of New York and the seat of Rensselaer County. Troy is located on the western edge of Rensselaer County and on the eastern bank of the Hudson River. Troy has close ties to the nearby cities of Albany and Schenectady, forming a region popularly called the Capital...
, Milford, Massachusetts
Milford, Massachusetts
Milford is a town in Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. It had a population of 27,999 at the 2010 census.For geographic and demographic information on the census-designated place Milford, constituting the center of the town, please see the article Milford ,...
and Binghamton, New York
Binghamton, New York
Binghamton is a city in the Southern Tier of New York in the United States. It is near the Pennsylvania border, in a bowl-shaped valley at the confluence of the Susquehanna and Chenango Rivers...
. He was serving at St. Mark’s Church in Evanston, Illinois
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston is a suburban municipality in Cook County, Illinois 12 miles north of downtown Chicago, bordering Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, and Wilmette to the north, with an estimated population of 74,360 as of 2003. It is one of the North Shore communities that adjoin Lake Michigan...
when he was elected suffragan bishop of Iowa.
Diocese of Iowa
Rev. Longley was consecrated on October 23, 1912. He was consecrated by Bishops Daniel Sylvester TuttleDaniel Sylvester Tuttle
Daniel Sylvester Tuttle was ordained a bishop of the Episcopal Church in 1866. His first assignment was as Bishop of Montana, a missionary field that included Montana, Utah, and Idaho.-Biography:...
who was the Bishop of Montana
Episcopal Diocese of Montana
The Episcopal Diocese of Montana is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Montana....
and 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...
, Theodore Nevin Morrison
Theodore Nevin Morrison
Theodore Nevin Morrison was a 20th century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He was Bishop of Iowa from 1898 to 1929.-Early life & Ministry:...
of Iowa, and Arthur L. Williams of Nebraska
Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska
The Episcopal Diocese of Nebraska is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Nebraska, except for two congregations which are in the Santee Mission of the Episcopal Diocese of South Dakota. It is in Province VI. Its cathedral, Trinity...
. He was the 261st Episcopal bishop consecrated in the United States. He was elected Bishop Coadjutor on May 21, 1917.
Bishop Longley served as bishop from just before the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
, through the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
and during the first part of 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...
. Unlike the silence of Iowa's first bishop, Henry Washington Lee
Henry Washington Lee
Henry Washington Lee was a 19th century bishop in the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served as the first Bishop of Iowa from 1854-1874...
during the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, Bishop Longley spoke out about the importance of patriotism and support for both of the World Wars.
Bishop Morrison divided the Episcopal ministry in the diocese when Longley was the suffragan and coadjutor bishop. Morrison, who resided in Davenport
Davenport, Iowa
Davenport is a city located along the Mississippi River in Scott County, Iowa, United States. Davenport is the county seat of and largest city in Scott County. Davenport was founded on May 14, 1836 by Antoine LeClaire and was named for his friend, George Davenport, a colonel during the Black Hawk...
oversaw the parishes in the diocese while Longley resided in Des Moines and oversaw the missions.
He succeeded to the office of Bishop of Iowa upon the death of Bishop Morrison on December 27, 1929. He laid the cornerstone for St. John’s Church in Ames
Ames, Iowa
Ames is a city located in the central part of the U.S. state of Iowa in Story County, and approximately north of Des Moines. The U.S. Census Bureau designates that Ames, Iowa metropolitan statistical area as encompassing all of Story County, and which, when combined with the Boone, Iowa...
to take care of the pastoral needs of the students at Iowa State College (now Iowa State University
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology, more commonly known as Iowa State University , is a public land-grant and space-grant research university located in Ames, Iowa, United States. Iowa State has produced astronauts, scientists, and Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, along with a host of...
). He established a mission to take care of the pastoral needs of African Americans in Des Moines. In 1931 a permanent location for the diocese's campground was established near Clear Lake
Clear Lake, Iowa
Clear Lake is a city in Cerro Gordo County, Iowa, United States. The population was 8,161 at the 2000 census. The city is named for the large lake on which it is located. It is the home of a number of marinas, state parks and tourism-related businesses. Clear Lake is also a major stop on Interstate...
. The same year he announced the closing of several missions and the disposal of their buildings which were in bad shape.
Later life & Death
He served the Diocese of Iowa for a total of 31 years until the end of 1943 when he was required to retire, having reach the age of 72 (in 1940). The rules requiring bishops' retirement at 72 became effective at the Church's General Convention in October 1943. He died on April 5, 1944 in Charleston, West VirginiaCharleston, West Virginia
Charleston is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of West Virginia. It is located at the confluence of the Elk and Kanawha Rivers in Kanawha County. As of the 2010 census, it has a population of 51,400, and its metropolitan area 304,214. It is the county seat of Kanawha County.Early...
. His funeral was held in St. John’s Church in Charleston, where his son was the rector.