Benjamin Wistar Morris
Encyclopedia
Benjamin Wistar Morris was the second Bishop
of the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
, which at the time incorporated the present-day Episcopal Dioceses of Olympia
, Spokane
, and Eastern Oregon
.
, one of the first colonists in Pennsylvania
, Morris was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
, which had been founded by his grandfather and namesake, the first Benjamin Wistar Morris
. His father was Samuel Wells Morris
, a district court judge and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Morris graduated from General Theological Seminary
in New York City
in 1846, was ordained to the diaconate and subsequently to the priesthood on April 27, 1847. From 1847 to 1851 he was rector
of St. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Sunbury, Pennsylvania
. He subsequently served as rector of St. David's Episcopal Church, Manayunk Borough, Pennsylvania
and as assistant and subsequently rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania
. While serving at St. Luke's, Morris organized an effort to supply food, medicine, clothing, and bedding to sick and wounded troops at the Battle of Gettysburg
. On December 3, 1868 he was elected as the second missionary Bishop of Oregon, following Thomas Fielding Scott, who had died the previous year.
He received the degree of S. T. D. from Columbia University
in 1868, and also from the University of Pennsylvania
the same year.
, and arrived in Portland, Oregon
, on June 2, 1869. To reach Portland, Morris voyaged down the Atlantic coast
, crossed the isthmus of Panama
on foot, and boarded a ship sailing up the Pacific Coast
. He went on to serve one of the longest episcopates in the history of the Episcopal Church
. In 1869 he founded St. Helen's Hall Girls' School, now known as the Oregon Episcopal School
. In 1875 he founded Good Samaritan Hospital
in Portland at a cost of $10,000. Eighteen parishes in the current Diocese of Oregon
were founded by Morris during his tenure. By 1880 the missionary diocese of Oregon had grown too large for one bishop, and the missionary dioceses of Olympia
in Western Washington
and Spokane
in Eastern Washington
were formed. Morris remained bishop of the missionary diocese of Oregon, which was admitted as a Diocese
of the Episcopal Church
by General Convention
in 1889.
. Their son, Benjamin W. Morris, became a noted architect, designer of the interiors on the RMS Queen Mary
, the 1928 annex to the Morgan Library
, and the Bank of New York Building
, among others. Bishop Morris died in Portland in 1906 and is buried in Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland.
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 Oregon
Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon is a diocese of The Episcopal Church which consists of the western portion of the State of Oregon bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, the Cascade Range and the Oregon-California border. Major cities in the diocese are Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford...
, which at the time incorporated the present-day Episcopal Dioceses of Olympia
Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
, Spokane
Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in eastern Washington and North Idaho, United States. Its office and cathedral seat are in Spokane, Washington. The current Bishop is the Right Reverend James Waggoner, Jr....
, and Eastern Oregon
Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon
The Episcopal Diocese of Eastern Oregon is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America which has jurisdiction over Oregon east of the Cascade Mountains. It also it includes Klickitat County, Washington. It is in Province 8...
.
Background
A descendant of Anthony MorrisAnthony Morris (I)
Anthony Morris, Jr. was a brewer, Quaker preacher, judge, and mayor of Philadelphia....
, one of the first colonists in 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...
, Morris was born in Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Wellsboro, Pennsylvania
Wellsboro is a borough in Tioga County, Pennsylvania, 52 miles northwest of Williamsport. Early in the twentieth century, Wellsboro was the shipping point and trade center for a large area...
, which had been founded by his grandfather and namesake, the first Benjamin Wistar Morris
Benjamin Wistar Morris (colonist)
Benjamin Wistar Morris was the founder of Wellsboro, Pennsylvania. Samuel Wells Morris, Morris' son, was a member of the U.S. House of Representatives...
. His father was Samuel Wells Morris
Samuel Wells Morris
Samuel Wells Morris was a Democratic member of the U.S. House of Representatives from Pennsylvania.Samuel W. Morris was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of Benjamin Wistar Morris. He pursued an academic degree at Princeton College. He studied law, was admitted to the bar and commenced...
, a district court judge and member of the U.S. House of Representatives. Morris graduated from 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 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...
in 1846, was ordained to the diaconate and subsequently to the priesthood on April 27, 1847. From 1847 to 1851 he 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. Matthew's Episcopal Church in Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury, Pennsylvania
Sunbury is a city in Northumberland County, Pennsylvania, United States. The city is located on the east bank of the Susquehanna River, just downstream of the confluence of its main and West branches. The population was 9,905 at the 2010 census...
. He subsequently served as rector of St. David's Episcopal Church, Manayunk Borough, Pennsylvania
Manayunk, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Manayunk is a neighborhood in the northwestern section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in the United States. Located on the banks of the Schuylkill River, it contains the first canal begun in the United States . The area's name comes from the language of the Lenape Indians...
and as assistant and subsequently rector of St. Luke's Episcopal Church, Germantown, Pennsylvania
Germantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
. While serving at St. Luke's, Morris organized an effort to supply food, medicine, clothing, and bedding to sick and wounded troops at the Battle of Gettysburg
Battle of Gettysburg
The Battle of Gettysburg , was fought July 1–3, 1863, in and around the town of Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. The battle with the largest number of casualties in the American Civil War, it is often described as the war's turning point. Union Maj. Gen. George Gordon Meade's Army of the Potomac...
. On December 3, 1868 he was elected as the second missionary Bishop of Oregon, following Thomas Fielding Scott, who had died the previous year.
He received the degree of S. T. D. from 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...
in 1868, and also from the University of Pennsylvania
University of Pennsylvania
The University of Pennsylvania is a private, Ivy League university located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States. Penn is the fourth-oldest institution of higher education in the United States,Penn is the fourth-oldest using the founding dates claimed by each institution...
the same year.
Bishop of Oregon
Morris was consecrated December 3, 1868, in Philadelphia, PennsylvaniaPhiladelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
, and arrived in Portland, Oregon
Portland, Oregon
Portland is a city located in the Pacific Northwest, near the confluence of the Willamette and Columbia rivers in the U.S. state of Oregon. As of the 2010 Census, it had a population of 583,776, making it the 29th most populous city in the United States...
, on June 2, 1869. To reach Portland, Morris voyaged down the Atlantic coast
Atlantic Coast
The Atlantic Coast is any coast fronting the Atlantic Ocean. The term differentiates the coasts of countries or continents with coastlines on more than one body of water, such as North America, South America, Africa and Europe.-See also:*Indian Ocean...
, crossed the isthmus of Panama
Isthmus of Panama
The Isthmus of Panama, also historically known as the Isthmus of Darien, is the narrow strip of land that lies between the Caribbean Sea and the Pacific Ocean, linking North and South America. It contains the country of Panama and the Panama Canal...
on foot, and boarded a ship sailing up the Pacific Coast
Pacific Coast
A country's Pacific coast is the part of its coast bordering the Pacific Ocean.-The Americas:Countries on the western side of the Americas have a Pacific coast as their western border.* Geography of Canada* Geography of Chile* Geography of Colombia...
. He went on to serve one of the longest episcopates in the history of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
. In 1869 he founded St. Helen's Hall Girls' School, now known as the Oregon Episcopal School
Oregon Episcopal School
The Oregon Episcopal School is a private, coeducational college preparatory school in the Raleigh Hills suburb of Portland, Oregon.-History:...
. In 1875 he founded Good Samaritan Hospital
Legacy Good Samaritan Hospital & Medical Center
Legacy Good Samaritan Medical Center is a hospital in northwest Portland, Oregon, United States. Founded in 1875 by the Episcopal Diocese of Oregon, it is a part of the Legacy Health System...
in Portland at a cost of $10,000. Eighteen parishes in the current Diocese of Oregon
Episcopal Diocese of Oregon
The Episcopal Diocese of Oregon is a diocese of The Episcopal Church which consists of the western portion of the State of Oregon bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, the Cascade Range and the Oregon-California border. Major cities in the diocese are Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford...
were founded by Morris during his tenure. By 1880 the missionary diocese of Oregon had grown too large for one bishop, and the missionary dioceses of Olympia
Episcopal Diocese of Olympia
The Episcopal Diocese of Olympia, also known as the Episcopal Church in Western Washington, is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in Washington state west of the Cascade Range. It is one of 17 dioceses and an area mission that make up Province 8. The diocese started as a missionary district in 1853...
in Western Washington
Western Washington
Western Washington is a region of the United States defined as that part of Washington west of the Cascade Mountains.It is known as being far wetter in climate than the eastern portion of the state, which...
and Spokane
Episcopal Diocese of Spokane
The Episcopal Diocese of Spokane is a diocese of the Episcopal Church in eastern Washington and North Idaho, United States. Its office and cathedral seat are in Spokane, Washington. The current Bishop is the Right Reverend James Waggoner, Jr....
in Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington
Eastern Washington is the portion of the U.S. state of Washington east of the Cascade Range. The region contains the city of Spokane , the Tri-Cities, the Columbia River and the Grand Coulee Dam, the Hanford Nuclear Reservation and the fertile farmlands of the Yakima Valley and the...
were formed. Morris remained bishop of the missionary diocese of Oregon, which was admitted as a 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...
of the Episcopal Church
Episcopal Church (United States)
The Episcopal Church is a mainline Anglican Christian church found mainly in the United States , but also in Honduras, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, the British Virgin Islands and parts of Europe...
by General Convention
General Convention of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America
The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the Book of Common Prayer, and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate authority in the Episcopal Church. General Convention...
in 1889.
Family life
In 1856, Morris married Hannah Rodney, daughter of the Rev'd. John Rodney, who was then rector of St. Luke's, Germantown, PennsylvaniaGermantown, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Germantown is a neighborhood in the northwest section of the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, United States, about 7–8 miles northwest from the center of the city...
. Their son, Benjamin W. Morris, became a noted architect, designer of the interiors on the RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary
RMS Queen Mary is a retired ocean liner that sailed primarily in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1936 to 1967 for the Cunard Line...
, the 1928 annex to the Morgan Library
Morgan Library
The Morgan Library & Museum is a museum and research library in New York City, USA. It was founded to house the private library of J. P. Morgan in 1906, which included, besides the manuscripts and printed books, some of them in rare bindings, his collection of prints and drawings...
, and the Bank of New York Building
Bank of New York Building
One Wall Street, originally the Irving Trust Company Building, then the Bank of New York Building , and after 2007 the BNY Mellon Building, is a bank headquarters building which remains one of the finest Art-Deco-style skyscrapers in downtown Manhattan, New York City. It is located in the...
, among others. Bishop Morris died in Portland in 1906 and is buried in Lone Fir Cemetery in Portland.
See also
- Episcopal Diocese of OregonEpiscopal Diocese of OregonThe Episcopal Diocese of Oregon is a diocese of The Episcopal Church which consists of the western portion of the State of Oregon bordered by the Pacific Ocean, the Columbia River, the Cascade Range and the Oregon-California border. Major cities in the diocese are Portland, Salem, Eugene and Medford...
- List of Bishop Succession in the Episcopal ChurchSuccession of Bishops of the Episcopal Church in the United StatesThis list consists of the bishops in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America, an independent province of the Anglican Communion. This shows the historic succession of the episcopate within this denomination.-Key to chart:...
External links
- Documents by Morris, with photographs 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...