Ethelbert Talbot
Encyclopedia
Ethelbert Talbot was the fifteenth presiding bishop
of the Episcopal Church
. He is credited with inspiring Pierre de Coubertin
to coin the phrase, "The important thing in the Olympic Games
is not winning but taking part, for the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."
on October 9, 1848. He was the son of John Alnut Talbot, a physician, and Alice Daly Talbot.
He graduated from Dartmouth
in 1870 and went directly to the General Theological Seminary
from which he graduated in 1873. He was ordained to the diaconate on June 29 and the priesthood on November 4 of that year. The next day he married Dora Frances Havery of Roanoke, Missouri. They later had one child, Anne. He immediately became rector
of St. James Church in Macon City, Missouri. He built several missions in nearby towns, and founded a school which became St. James Military Academy. It began as a boys' school, but a parallel girls' school was founded later.
In 1886, General Convention
elected him the first Missionary Bishop of Wyoming
and Idaho
. He was consecrated in Christ Church, St. Louis
on May 27, 1887. That year, the University of Missouri
awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law and General Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Sacred Theology. In 1888 Dartmouth followed with a Doctor of Divinity.
When he arrived in his see, there were only four clergy in each of the two states. In the ten years in the West, he established 38 churches and built St. Matthew's Cathedral in Laramie, Wyoming
. This was still the Old West and the story is told of his encounter with bandits while riding in a stage coach,
In 1891 he was elected Bishop of Georgia, but declined. On November 11, 1897 he was elected 3rd Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
, and installed on February 2, 1898. He set about planning for the division of the large diocese, and in 1904 the new Diocese of Harrisburg was established. Bishop Talbot remained Bishop of Central Pennsylvania and continued ministering in the area as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
following the re-naming of the diocese in 1909. He held the see concurrently with his position as Bishop of Wyoming until 1908.
In the summer of 1908, he attended the Lambeth Conference, a gathering in London of 247 Anglican bishops from all over the world. The meeting coincided with the Olympic Games. The games were very contentious, with many American protests against British rulings. Talbot was aware of this and it concerned him. He was invited to preach at St Paul's Cathedral
on July 19, a service to which athletes and officials of the games were specially invited. In his sermon, he said,
Pierre Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic movement, paraphrased Talbot in a speech the following Friday, "The importance of these Olympiads is not so much to win as to take part." The sentence has been paraphrased and modified over time, but remains an important part of the Olympic ideals.
Talbot remained Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem until 1927, obtaining the assistance of the Rt. Rev. Frank W. Starrett, who was elected Bishop Coadjutor in 1923. On February 18, 1924, upon the death of Alexander C. Garrett
, Talbot became the last Presiding Bishop to hold the post as a result of his seniority as a bishop. On January 1, 1926, John G. Murray
became the first elected Presiding Bishop, succeeding Talbot. Bishop Talbot resigned his post as Bishop of Bethlehem in favor of Bishop Starrett on September 15, 1927 and died on February 27, 1928 in Tuckahoe, New York
.
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...
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...
. He is credited with inspiring Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Coubertin
Pierre de Frédy, Baron de Coubertin was a French educationalist and historian, founder of the International Olympic Committee, and is considered the father of the modern Olympic Games...
to coin the phrase, "The important thing in the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
is not winning but taking part, for the essential thing in life is not conquering but fighting well."
Biography
Talbot was born in Fayette, MissouriFayette, Missouri
Fayette is a city in Howard County, Missouri, United States. The population was 2,793 at the 2000 census. It is the county seat of Howard County. It is in the Columbia, Missouri Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:...
on October 9, 1848. He was the son of John Alnut Talbot, a physician, and Alice Daly Talbot.
He graduated from Dartmouth
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
in 1870 and went directly to 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....
from which he graduated in 1873. He was ordained to the diaconate on June 29 and the priesthood on November 4 of that year. The next day he married Dora Frances Havery of Roanoke, Missouri. They later had one child, Anne. He immediately became 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. James Church in Macon City, Missouri. He built several missions in nearby towns, and founded a school which became St. James Military Academy. It began as a boys' school, but a parallel girls' school was founded later.
In 1886, 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...
elected him the first Missionary Bishop of Wyoming
Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming
The Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over the state of Wyoming, except for one congregation in western Wyoming which is included in the Episcopal Diocese of Idaho. It was established in 1887 and is in Province VI....
and Idaho
Episcopal Diocese of Idaho
The Episcopal Diocese of Idaho is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over Idaho south of the Salmon River. It also includes one congregation in Wyoming. It is in Province 8 and its cathedral, St. Michael's Episcopal Cathedral, is in Boise, as are...
. He was consecrated in Christ Church, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
on May 27, 1887. That year, the University of Missouri
University of Missouri
The University of Missouri System is a state university system providing centralized administration for four universities, a health care system, an extension program, five research and technology parks, and a publishing press. More than 64,000 students are currently enrolled at its four campuses...
awarded him an honorary Doctor of Law and General Theological Seminary, a Doctor of Sacred Theology. In 1888 Dartmouth followed with a Doctor of Divinity.
When he arrived in his see, there were only four clergy in each of the two states. In the ten years in the West, he established 38 churches and built St. Matthew's Cathedral in Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie, Wyoming
Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 30,816 at the . Located on the Laramie River in southeastern Wyoming, the city is west of Cheyenne, at the junction of Interstate 80 and U.S. Route 287....
. This was still the Old West and the story is told of his encounter with bandits while riding in a stage coach,
“Surely you wouldn’t rob a poor bishop?” said Talbot.
“Did you say you were a bishop?” asked the bandit.
“Yes, just a poor bishop.”
“What church?”
“The Episcopal.”
“The hell you are! Why that’s the church I belong to! Go along, driver.”
In 1891 he was elected Bishop of Georgia, but declined. On November 11, 1897 he was elected 3rd Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania
The Episcopal Diocese of Central Pennsylvania is one of the Dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America.-External links:*...
, and installed on February 2, 1898. He set about planning for the division of the large diocese, and in 1904 the new Diocese of Harrisburg was established. Bishop Talbot remained Bishop of Central Pennsylvania and continued ministering in the area as Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem
The Episcopal Diocese of Bethlehem covers fourteen counties in Pennsylvania to the north and west of Philadelphia. The bishop is Paul V. Marshall. The cathedral is the Cathedral Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem. The pro-cathedral is St Stephen's, Wilkes-Barre.-History:The first Anglican services...
following the re-naming of the diocese in 1909. He held the see concurrently with his position as Bishop of Wyoming until 1908.
In the summer of 1908, he attended the Lambeth Conference, a gathering in London of 247 Anglican bishops from all over the world. The meeting coincided with the Olympic Games. The games were very contentious, with many American protests against British rulings. Talbot was aware of this and it concerned him. He was invited to preach at St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral
St Paul's Cathedral, London, is a Church of England cathedral and seat of the Bishop of London. Its dedication to Paul the Apostle dates back to the original church on this site, founded in AD 604. St Paul's sits at the top of Ludgate Hill, the highest point in the City of London, and is the mother...
on July 19, a service to which athletes and officials of the games were specially invited. In his sermon, he said,
“We have just been contemplating the great Olympic Games. What does it mean? It means that young men of robust physical life have come from all parts of the world. It does mean, I think, as someone has said, that this era of internationalism as seen in the Stadium has an element of danger. Of course, it is very true, as he says, that each athlete strives not only for the sake of sport, but for the sake of his country. Thus a new rivalry is invented. If England be beaten on the river, or America outdistanced on the racing path, or that American has lost the strength which she once possessed. Well, what of it? The only safety after all lies in the lesson of the real Olympia - that the Games themselves are better than the race and the prize. St. Paul tells us how insignificant is the prize, Our prize is not corruptible, but incorruptible, and though only one may wear the laurel wreath, all may share the equal joy of the contest. All encouragement, therefore, be given to the exhilarating - I might also say soul-saving - interest that comes in active and fair and clean athletic sports.” (emphasis added)
Pierre Coubertin, the father of the modern Olympic movement, paraphrased Talbot in a speech the following Friday, "The importance of these Olympiads is not so much to win as to take part." The sentence has been paraphrased and modified over time, but remains an important part of the Olympic ideals.
Talbot remained Bishop of the Diocese of Bethlehem until 1927, obtaining the assistance of the Rt. Rev. Frank W. Starrett, who was elected Bishop Coadjutor in 1923. On February 18, 1924, upon the death of Alexander C. Garrett
Alexander Charles Garrett
Alexander Charles Garrett was an American Episcopal bishop, born in Ireland. He graduated from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1855, was curate of East Worldham, Hampshire, England , and until 1869 served as a missionary in British Columbia. In 1870 he became rector of St...
, Talbot became the last Presiding Bishop to hold the post as a result of his seniority as a bishop. On January 1, 1926, John G. Murray
John Gardner Murray
John Gardner Murray was the sixteenth presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church. He was the first person elected to the position rather than succeeding to it automatically as the oldest bishop when his predecessor died.Murray was born in Lonaconing, Allegany County, Maryland. His parents were both...
became the first elected Presiding Bishop, succeeding Talbot. Bishop Talbot resigned his post as Bishop of Bethlehem in favor of Bishop Starrett on September 15, 1927 and died on February 27, 1928 in Tuckahoe, New York
Tuckahoe, New York
Tuckahoe is the name of some places in the U.S. state of New York:*Tuckahoe, Suffolk County, New York*Tuckahoe, Westchester County, New York...
.