Angus Dun
Encyclopedia
Angus Dun was a noted United States clergyman and author, who served as the 4th Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
in Washington, DC.
). He was born with deformed hands and feet, and spent most of his childhood shuttling from hospital to hospital. At the age of 11, he was paralyzed by polio. Complications led to the amputation of one of his legs. Despite his handicaps, he prepared for college at The Albany Academy
in Albany, New York. He graduated from Yale University
in 1914 with a B.A.
degree. At Yale, he was a member of Elihu (secret society)
and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Religion had been a casual interest for him until when at Yale he came under the influence of Dr. Henry B. Wright, Professor of Theology. Although he had grown up in the Dutch Reformed Church
, he joined the Episcopal Church and decided to become a priest. He graduated from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1917 with a S.T.B. (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) degree. He was ordained a deacon May 17, 1917, and a priest November 20, 1917, by the Right Rev. William Lawrence
, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
. He was married to Catherine Whipple Pew, daughter of Brig. Gen. William A. and Alice (Huntington) Pew of Salem, Massachusetts, June 22, 1916 in Salem. They had two sons.
and of its mission in Forge Village (now St. Mark's Church in Westford, Massachusetts). The nature of his work here was altered by the fact that the United States had declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Several miles from the church, 5000 acres (20 km²) of wood lots and fields were almost immediately transformed into a complete city for 10,000 men with barracks and training buildings, named Camp Devens (later known as Fort Devens
. Construction, commenced on June 19 by the largest labor force ever assembled in the United States, raced at the rate of 10.4 new buildings every day. By September 4, the military base was ready and the first draft inductees arrived. On September 15, 1917, the Reverend Angus Dun and the Reverend Dr. Endicott Peabody
, headmaster at Groton School
, conducted the first services, sponsored by the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA
), for the newly-arrived men. In the course of the first year, over 60,000 inductees were processed. Rev. Dun's principal work was as a civilian chaplain to the service men; the parish assisted him as they could. During the war, union services of the Federated, Unitarian, and St. Andrew's parishes were held at the YMCA on West Main Street in Ayer. After what must been an exhausting year and a half as vicar, he left in the spring of 1919 to continue his studies at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh.
From 1920 to 1940, he was an instructor, assistant professor, and professor of theology at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts
. From 1940-1944, he was dean of the School. He was known for his very strong pacifist views. In a November 1922 sermon he stated, "The time may come when patriotism and Christ
will stand face to face and men will have to choose which they will follow. If the Christian Church does not develop men with the courage to choose Christ, mankind will find no abiding peace and the church will lose its soul." He was also known for his distinctly Modernist beliefs. In January 1924, he co-signed a letter sent to alumni of the Episcopal Theological School proposing that the creeds be reconsidered-- "The Church is greater than the creeds. The central faith in God as He is found in Christ, upon which the Church is built, is not destroyed or diminished by doubts concerning the method of Christ's birth, of His return to God or His future judgement. The Church made the creeds. The creeds did not make the Church."
of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington
. He was consecrated at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, D.C. (now better known as Washington National Cathedral
) on April 19 1944 in a service led by 10 bishops, including the Archbishop of York. During the 18 years of his episcopate, Bishop Dun confirmed more than 31,000 people, ordained 105 deacons and 91 priests, and visited two and sometimes three parishes every Sunday. Most important, he was a strong proponent of the ecumenical movement. He served for 10 years on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches
, founded in Amsterdam in 1948. He was named an Honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He retired from his position as Bishop May 6, 1962 at the age of 70.
ANGUS DUN
BISHOP OF WASHINGTON
1944-1962
LEADER IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AND FRIEND OF OTHER FAITHS
STATESMAN IN THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
TEACHER AUTHOR AND ADMINISTRATOR
HIS PROPHETIC VISION OF GOD'S WORD
HIS INTEGRITY PERSONAL COURAGE
AND AFFIRMATION OF LIFE GAVE
COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO US ALL
In an editorial about his life, The Washington Post wrote:
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 Washington
Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Bishop of Washington in the United States. The territory comprises the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Charles, St. Mary's, Prince George's and Montgomery...
in Washington, DC.
Early life
Angus Dun, son of Henry W. and Sarah R. (Hazard) Dun, was born in New York City, New York. His father was associated with a cousin, Robert G. Dun, in the credit-rating firm of R. G. Dun & Co. (later merged to become Dun & BradstreetDun & Bradstreet
Dun & Bradstreet is a Fortune 500 public company headquartered in Short Hills, New Jersey, USA that provides information on businesses and corporations for use in credit decisions, B2B marketing and supply chain management...
). He was born with deformed hands and feet, and spent most of his childhood shuttling from hospital to hospital. At the age of 11, he was paralyzed by polio. Complications led to the amputation of one of his legs. Despite his handicaps, he prepared for college at The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy
The Albany Academy is an independent college preparatory day school for boys in Albany, New York, USA, enrolling students from Preschool to Grade 12. It was established in 1813 by a charter signed by Mayor Philip Schuyler Van Rensselaer and the city council of Albany...
in Albany, New York. He graduated from Yale University
Yale University
Yale University is a private, Ivy League university located in New Haven, Connecticut, United States. Founded in 1701 in the Colony of Connecticut, the university is the third-oldest institution of higher education in the United States...
in 1914 with a B.A.
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree. At Yale, he was a member of Elihu (secret society)
Elihu (secret society)
Elihu, founded in 1903, is the sixth oldest secret society at Yale University, New Haven, CT. While similar to Skull and Bones, Scroll and Key and Wolf's Head societies in charter and function, Elihu favors privacy over overt secrecy...
and was elected to Phi Beta Kappa. Religion had been a casual interest for him until when at Yale he came under the influence of Dr. Henry B. Wright, Professor of Theology. Although he had grown up in the Dutch Reformed Church
Dutch Reformed Church
The Dutch Reformed Church was a Reformed Christian denomination in the Netherlands. It existed from the 1570s to 2004, the year it merged with the Reformed Churches in the Netherlands and the Evangelical Lutheran Church in the Kingdom of the Netherlands to form the Protestant Church in the...
, he joined the Episcopal Church and decided to become a priest. He graduated from Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1917 with a S.T.B. (Bachelor of Sacred Theology) degree. He was ordained a deacon May 17, 1917, and a priest November 20, 1917, by the Right Rev. William Lawrence
William Lawrence
-English:*Sir William Lawrence, 1st Baronet , physician; prolific author and philosopher; Serjeant Surgeon to the Queen*William Lawrence , Liberal Member of Parliament for City of London...
, Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts
Episcopal Diocese of MassachusettsThe Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America....
. He was married to Catherine Whipple Pew, daughter of Brig. Gen. William A. and Alice (Huntington) Pew of Salem, Massachusetts, June 22, 1916 in Salem. They had two sons.
Vicar and professor
Soon after graduating from Episcopal Theological School, he became vicar at St. Andrew's Church in Ayer, MassachusettsAyer, Massachusetts
Ayer is a town in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. Originally part of Groton, it was incorporated February 14, 1871 and became a major commercial railroad junction. The town was home to Camp Stevens, a training camp for Massachusetts volunteers during the American Civil War...
and of its mission in Forge Village (now St. Mark's Church in Westford, Massachusetts). The nature of his work here was altered by the fact that the United States had declared war on Germany on April 6, 1917. Several miles from the church, 5000 acres (20 km²) of wood lots and fields were almost immediately transformed into a complete city for 10,000 men with barracks and training buildings, named Camp Devens (later known as Fort Devens
Fort Devens
Fort Devens is an active United States military installation in the towns of Ayer and Shirley, in Middlesex County and Harvard in Worcester County in the U.S. state of Massachusetts. It was named after jurist and Civil War general Charles Devens. The nearby Devens Reserve Forces Training Area is...
. Construction, commenced on June 19 by the largest labor force ever assembled in the United States, raced at the rate of 10.4 new buildings every day. By September 4, the military base was ready and the first draft inductees arrived. On September 15, 1917, the Reverend Angus Dun and the Reverend Dr. Endicott Peabody
Endicott Peabody
Endicott "Chub" Peabody was the 62nd Governor of Massachusetts from January 3, 1963 to January 7, 1965.-Early life:...
, headmaster at Groton School
Groton School
Groton School is a private, Episcopal, college preparatory boarding school located in Groton, Massachusetts, U.S. It enrolls approximately 375 boys and girls, from the eighth through twelfth grades...
, conducted the first services, sponsored by the Young Men's Christian Association (YMCA
YMCA
The Young Men's Christian Association is a worldwide organization of more than 45 million members from 125 national federations affiliated through the World Alliance of YMCAs...
), for the newly-arrived men. In the course of the first year, over 60,000 inductees were processed. Rev. Dun's principal work was as a civilian chaplain to the service men; the parish assisted him as they could. During the war, union services of the Federated, Unitarian, and St. Andrew's parishes were held at the YMCA on West Main Street in Ayer. After what must been an exhausting year and a half as vicar, he left in the spring of 1919 to continue his studies at the Universities of Oxford and Edinburgh.
From 1920 to 1940, he was an instructor, assistant professor, and professor of theology at Episcopal Theological School in Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Cambridge is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States, in the Greater Boston area. It was named in honor of the University of Cambridge in England, an important center of the Puritan theology embraced by the town's founders. Cambridge is home to two of the world's most prominent...
. From 1940-1944, he was dean of the School. He was known for his very strong pacifist views. In a November 1922 sermon he stated, "The time may come when patriotism and Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
will stand face to face and men will have to choose which they will follow. If the Christian Church does not develop men with the courage to choose Christ, mankind will find no abiding peace and the church will lose its soul." He was also known for his distinctly Modernist beliefs. In January 1924, he co-signed a letter sent to alumni of the Episcopal Theological School proposing that the creeds be reconsidered-- "The Church is greater than the creeds. The central faith in God as He is found in Christ, upon which the Church is built, is not destroyed or diminished by doubts concerning the method of Christ's birth, of His return to God or His future judgement. The Church made the creeds. The creeds did not make the Church."
Bishop
On November 23, 1943, the Very Rev. Angus Dun was elected the fourth BishopBishop
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 Washington
Episcopal Diocese of Washington
The Episcopal Diocese of Washington is the ecclesiastical territory or diocese of the Episcopal Bishop of Washington in the United States. The territory comprises the District of Columbia and the Maryland counties of Charles, St. Mary's, Prince George's and Montgomery...
. He was consecrated at the Cathedral Church of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, D.C. (now better known as 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...
) on April 19 1944 in a service led by 10 bishops, including the Archbishop of York. During the 18 years of his episcopate, Bishop Dun confirmed more than 31,000 people, ordained 105 deacons and 91 priests, and visited two and sometimes three parishes every Sunday. Most important, he was a strong proponent of the ecumenical movement. He served for 10 years on the Central Committee of the World Council of Churches
World Council of Churches
The World Council of Churches is a worldwide fellowship of 349 global, regional and sub-regional, national and local churches seeking unity, a common witness and Christian service. It is a Christian ecumenical organization that is based in the Ecumenical Centre in Geneva, Switzerland...
, founded in Amsterdam in 1948. He was named an Honorary Commander of the British Empire (CBE) by Queen Elizabeth II in 1953. He retired from his position as Bishop May 6, 1962 at the age of 70.
Death and tributes
The Right Rev. Angus Dun died August 12, 1971 in Washington, D.C. Funeral services were held at the Cathedral of St. Peter and St. Paul in Washington, D.C., where a delegation of eight bishops, including the Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church, the Most Rev. John E. Hines, led the clerical and lay mourners. His ashes were later interred in a niche in the wall of Bethlehem Chapel in the Cathedral. The carved inscription reads:ANGUS DUN
BISHOP OF WASHINGTON
1944-1962
LEADER IN THE EPISCOPAL CHURCH
AND FRIEND OF OTHER FAITHS
STATESMAN IN THE ECUMENICAL MOVEMENT
TEACHER AUTHOR AND ADMINISTRATOR
HIS PROPHETIC VISION OF GOD'S WORD
HIS INTEGRITY PERSONAL COURAGE
AND AFFIRMATION OF LIFE GAVE
COURAGE AND STRENGTH TO US ALL
In an editorial about his life, The Washington Post wrote:
Books
He was the author of nine books, including "King's Cross: Meditations on the Seven Last Words," 1926; "Meanings of Unity," 1937; "Studies in Church Unity," 1938; "We Believe: A Simple Exposition of the Creeds," 1938; "Not By Bread Alone." 1942; "Prospecting for A United Church," 1948; and "The Saving Person," 1957.Sources
- The Clerical Directory of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the USA 1968 (New York: The Church Hymnal Corporation, 1968).
- Harvard Alumni Directory - A Catalogue of Former Students Now Living: Including Graduates and Non-Graduates, and the Holders of Honorary Degrees (Cambridge: Harvard Alumni Association, 1919), 204.
- Mrs. Frank Silas Bennett, History of St. Andrew's Church: Ayer, Groton, Forge Village 1892-1942 (Ayer, Massachusetts: St. Andrew's Church, 1944), 18.
- Burton Lindheim, "A Liberal Episcopalian," New York Times, New York, 13 August 1971, 32.
- William R. MacKaye, "Bishop Dun of Washington Dies," The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., 13 August 1971, C4.
- [Anonymous], "Angus Dun,"The Washington Post, Washington, D.C., 15 August 1971, B6.