Junius Ralph Magee
Encyclopedia
Junius Ralph Magee was a Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church
and The Methodist Church, elected in 1932.
, the son of John Calvin and Jane Amelia (Cole) Magee. Junius married Harriet Ammie Keeler 10 September 1902. They had two children: J. Homer and Dorothy J. Mrs. Magee died in October 1943.
, earning the Ph.B. degree in 1904. He then entered the Boston University School of Theology
, earning the S.T.B. degree in 1910. Junius was a member of the honorary fraternities Pi Gamma Mu
and Pi Kappa Delta
.
: Rustin Ave. in Sioux City
(1902–04); Paullina
(1904–07). Rev. Magee then served these appointments in Massachusetts
: Falmouth
(1907–11); First Church, Taunton
(1911–14); Daniel Dorchester Memorial Church, Boston
(1914–19); St. Mark's Church, Brookline
(1919–21). Rev. Magee then transferred to Washington state, where he served these appointments: First Church, Seattle
(1921–28); then Superintendent of the Seattle District (1929–32). Rev. Magee was elected a delegate to General Conferences in 1928 and 1932.
(1932–39). In the newly-formed Methodist Church, Bishop Magee was assigned the Des Moines Area (1939–44), followed by the Chicago
Area (1944- ).
of the Board of Pensions of The Methodist Church, Inc. in Illinois
, and of the Board of Education of the Church. He served as a member of the Board of Missions, the Board of Lay Activities, and the Commission on Overseas Relief.
In St. Paul, Bishop Magee served as the President of Hamline University
, 1933-34. In Seattle he served on the Mayor's Commission on Unemployment (1931). In Chicago he served on the Mayor's V-E Day Committee.
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 Methodist Episcopal Church
Methodist Episcopal Church
The Methodist Episcopal Church, sometimes referred to as the M.E. Church, was a development of the first expression of Methodism in the United States. It officially began at the Baltimore Christmas Conference in 1784, with Francis Asbury and Thomas Coke as the first bishops. Through a series of...
and The Methodist Church, elected in 1932.
Birth and Family
He was born 3 June 1880 in Maquoketa, IowaMaquoketa, Iowa
Maquoketa is a city in Clinton and Jackson counties in the U.S. state of Iowa. Located on the Maquoketa River, it is the county seat of Jackson County....
, the son of John Calvin and Jane Amelia (Cole) Magee. Junius married Harriet Ammie Keeler 10 September 1902. They had two children: J. Homer and Dorothy J. Mrs. Magee died in October 1943.
Education
Junius was educated at the Iowa State Teachers College, earning the B.Di. degree in 1901. He continued his education at Morningside CollegeMorningside College
Morningside College is a private, liberal arts college affiliated with the United Methodist Church located in Sioux City, Iowa. Founded in 1894 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, Morningside College is a private, four-year, co-educational liberal arts institution. Morningside has 21 buildings on a ...
, earning the Ph.B. degree in 1904. He then entered the Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology
Boston University School of Theology is the oldest theological seminary of American Methodism and the founding school of Boston University, the largest private research university in New England. It is one of thirteen theological schools maintained by the United Methodist Church...
, earning the S.T.B. degree in 1910. Junius was a member of the honorary fraternities Pi Gamma Mu
Pi Gamma Mu
Pi Gamma Mu or ΠΓΜ is the oldest and preeminent honor society in the social sciences. It is also the only interdisciplinary social science honor society. It serves the various social science disciplines which seek to understand and explain human behavior and social relationships as well as their...
and Pi Kappa Delta
Pi Kappa Delta
Pi Kappa Delta is a Forensics Honor Society for undergraduate university students and a professional organization for graduates, typically university Speech and Debate Coaches....
.
Honorary Degrees
Bishop Magee was awarded the LL.D. degree in 1931 by his alma mater, Morningside College. Upper Iowas University honored him with the D.D. degree in 1921. The College of Puget Sound awarded him the L.H.D. in 1932.Ordained Ministry
Rev. Magee was ordained in the M.E. Church in 1906. He served the following appointments in IowaIowa
Iowa is a state located in the Midwestern United States, an area often referred to as the "American Heartland". It derives its name from the Ioway people, one of the many American Indian tribes that occupied the state at the time of European exploration. Iowa was a part of the French colony of New...
: Rustin Ave. in Sioux City
Sioux City, Iowa
Sioux City is a city in Plymouth and Woodbury counties in the western part of the U.S. state of Iowa. The population was 82,684 in the 2010 census, a decline from 85,013 in the 2000 census, which makes it currently the fourth largest city in the state....
(1902–04); Paullina
Paullina, Iowa
As of the census of 2000, there were 1,124 people, 508 households, and 322 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,061.6 people per square mile . There were 547 housing units at an average density of 1,003.3 per square mile . The racial makeup of the city was 99.47% White, 0.18%...
(1904–07). Rev. Magee then served these appointments in Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
: Falmouth
Falmouth, Massachusetts
Falmouth is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States; Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 31,531 at the 2010 census....
(1907–11); First Church, Taunton
Taunton, Massachusetts
Taunton is a city in Bristol County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the seat of Bristol County and the hub of the Greater Taunton Area. The city is located south of Boston, east of Providence, north of Fall River and west of Plymouth. The City of Taunton is situated on the Taunton River...
(1911–14); Daniel Dorchester Memorial Church, Boston
Boston
Boston is the capital of and largest city in Massachusetts, and is one of the oldest cities in the United States. The largest city in New England, Boston is regarded as the unofficial "Capital of New England" for its economic and cultural impact on the entire New England region. The city proper had...
(1914–19); St. Mark's Church, Brookline
Brookline, Massachusetts
Brookline is a town in Norfolk County, Massachusetts, United States, which borders on the cities of Boston and Newton. As of the 2010 census, the population of the town was 58,732.-Etymology:...
(1919–21). Rev. Magee then transferred to Washington state, where he served these appointments: First Church, Seattle
Seattle, Washington
Seattle is the county seat of King County, Washington. With 608,660 residents as of the 2010 Census, Seattle is the largest city in the Northwestern United States. The Seattle metropolitan area of about 3.4 million inhabitants is the 15th largest metropolitan area in the country...
(1921–28); then Superintendent of the Seattle District (1929–32). Rev. Magee was elected a delegate to General Conferences in 1928 and 1932.
Episcopal Ministry
Upon his election to the Episcopacy, Bishop Magee was assigned to the St. Paul Episcopal AreaEpiscopal Area
An Episcopal Area in the United Methodist Church is a basic unit of this denomination. It is a region presided over by a resident bishop that is similar to a diocese in other Christian denominations. Each annual conference in the UMC is within a single episcopal area; some episcopal areas...
(1932–39). In the newly-formed Methodist Church, Bishop Magee was assigned the Des Moines Area (1939–44), followed by the Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
Area (1944- ).
Service to the Greater Church and Community
As Bishop Magee also served as PresidentPresident
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
of the Board of Pensions of The Methodist Church, Inc. in Illinois
Illinois
Illinois is the fifth-most populous state of the United States of America, and is often noted for being a microcosm of the entire country. With Chicago in the northeast, small industrial cities and great agricultural productivity in central and northern Illinois, and natural resources like coal,...
, and of the Board of Education of the Church. He served as a member of the Board of Missions, the Board of Lay Activities, and the Commission on Overseas Relief.
In St. Paul, Bishop Magee served as the President of Hamline University
Hamline University
-Red Wing location :Hamline was named in honor of Leonidas Lent Hamline, a bishop of the Methodist Church whose interest in the frontier led him to donate $25,000 toward the building of an institution of higher learning in what was then the territory of Minnesota. Today, a statue of Bishop Hamline...
, 1933-34. In Seattle he served on the Mayor's Commission on Unemployment (1931). In Chicago he served on the Mayor's V-E Day Committee.