The Reverend Doctor Massey Hamilton Shepherd, jr (March 14, 1913 – February 19, 1990) was ordained as a priest in the Episcopal Church in 1941. He was born in Wilmington, NC the son of Alice Louise Gladstone Melville and Massey Hamilton Shepherd, sr. He had an older sister. He was married and had one daughter.
In 1928, he finished at the top of his class at Columbia High School at fifteen in Columbia, SC. Less than four years later, he received both an undergraduate and a graduate degree simultaneously from the University of South Carolina

University of South Carolina

The University of South Carolina is a public, co-educational research university located in Columbia, South Carolina, United States, with 7 surrounding satellite campuses. Its historic campus covers over in downtown Columbia not far from the South Carolina State House...

 in Classical Studies. He was one of the few Americans and Protestants honored with participation in Vatican II in the mid-twentieth century. With Marion J. Hatchett

Marion J. Hatchett

Marion Josiah Hatchett was an Episcopal priest, scholar, and one of the primary liturgists who shaped 1979 Book of Common Prayer.Born in Monroe, South Carolina, Hatchett was the son of a United Methodist minister. In December 1946 he was confirmed as an Episcopalian while a student at Wofford...

, he became one of the significant framers of the 1979 Book of Common Prayer. He received one of his doctorates from the University of Chicago

University of Chicago

The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, USA. It was founded by the American Baptist Education Society with a donation from oil magnate and philanthropist John D. Rockefeller and incorporated in 1890...

. He had six doctoral degees.
He was instrumental in the success of the Sewanee Church Music Conference which began in July 1951 at The University of the South: "Regarding Massey Shepherd, Richard White (who served as Registrar for 13 years) related: “He was probably the finest liturgist in the country. He could talk for fifty minutes (the length of the classes) on the Prayer Book, the psalms, the structure of the service, etc. with no notes and never searched for a word. He was even invited to the Vatican to participate in discussions on liturgy.” http://www.frogmusic.com/sewaneeconf/a-brief-history.html
Before Dr. Shepherd's retirement, he taught for many years at the Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Church Divinity School of the Pacific

Church Divinity School of the Pacific is one of the eleven seminaries of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is located in Berkeley, California, and is a member of the Graduate Theological Union...

, Berkley, CA. He is buried in Tennessee next to his beloved wife Gaby.
He was the author of over eighty publications including The Living Liturgy (Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...

, 1946), The Oxford American Prayer Book Commentary (Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press

Oxford University Press is the largest university press in the world. It is a department of the University of Oxford and is governed by a group of 15 academics appointed by the Vice-Chancellor known as the Delegates of the Press. They are headed by the Secretary to the Delegates, who serves as...

, 1950), and The Worship of the Church (Seabury Press, 1952).