Robert Shaw Sturgis Whitman
Encyclopedia
The Reverend Robert Shaw Sturgis Whitman (July 27, 1915 – February 9, 2010) was a distinguished priest of the Episcopal Church
, born in New York City
. He lived, preached and served his congregation at Trinity Church in Lenox, Massachusetts
. His later years of retirement were spent in Guilford, Connecticut
with his wife, Eleanor English.
s. His grandfather, Dr. Royal Whitman, invented the mechanism used in the first hip replacement
and wrote a pioneering text on orthopedic surgery
that was influential in the field.
, Whitman went on to study at Harvard University
. In what was, at the time, a humiliating turn, he was kicked out after his first semester for failing an advanced-level history course he was placed in. Disgraced, he returned to New York and took work as a messenger
boy for a carpet company and a Wall Street
bank.
It was at a party in New York that Whitman met the then secretary of labor
, Frances Perkins
. The two became friends and Perkins wound up getting Whitman a job in D.C., at the Department of Labor
. Though again, it was a small post as a messenger boy.
Perkins and Whitman stayed in contact and it was after Whitman revealed his interest in the ministry that Perkins encouraged him to follow his interest by attending seminary. Whitman did, going on to graduate from the Berkeley Divinity School
in New Haven, Connecticut
. Whitman was later quoted as saying, "I guess when I think about it, I’ve been a messenger boy my entire life!"
to the U.S. Army
in the Philippines before taking a position as associate rector
of Bruton Parish Church
in Williamsburg, Virginia
, where he also served as chaplain to Episcopal students at the College of William and Mary
.
The Massachusetts’ Berkshires served as the backdrop for Reverend Whitman’s substantive ministry. Whitman served as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church
in Lenox, Massachusetts
for 31 years before retiring on July 27, 1981. He later returned to the ministry, however, as rector of St. Martin’s Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
.
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...
, born 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...
. He lived, preached and served his congregation at Trinity Church in Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
. His later years of retirement were spent in Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford, Connecticut
Guilford is a town in New Haven County, Connecticut, United States, that borders Madison, Branford, North Branford and Durham, and is situated on I-95 and the coast. The population was 21,398 at the 2000 census...
with his wife, Eleanor English.
Family
Both Whitman’s father and grandfather were prominent New York surgeonSurgeon
In medicine, a surgeon is a specialist in surgery. Surgery is a broad category of invasive medical treatment that involves the cutting of a body, whether human or animal, for a specific reason such as the removal of diseased tissue or to repair a tear or breakage...
s. His grandfather, Dr. Royal Whitman, invented the mechanism used in the first hip replacement
Hip replacement
Hip replacement is a surgical procedure in which the hip joint is replaced by a prosthetic implant. Hip replacement surgery can be performed as a total replacement or a hemi replacement. Such joint replacement orthopaedic surgery generally is conducted to relieve arthritis pain or fix severe...
and wrote a pioneering text on orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery
Orthopedic surgery or orthopedics is the branch of surgery concerned with conditions involving the musculoskeletal system...
that was influential in the field.
Education
After spending his formative years in ManhattanManhattan
Manhattan is the oldest and the most densely populated of the five boroughs of New York City. Located primarily on the island of Manhattan at the mouth of the Hudson River, the boundaries of the borough are identical to those of New York County, an original county of the state of New York...
, Whitman went on to study at Harvard University
Harvard University
Harvard University is a private Ivy League university located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, United States, established in 1636 by the Massachusetts legislature. Harvard is the oldest institution of higher learning in the United States and the first corporation chartered in the country...
. In what was, at the time, a humiliating turn, he was kicked out after his first semester for failing an advanced-level history course he was placed in. Disgraced, he returned to New York and took work as a messenger
Courier
A courier is a person or a company who delivers messages, packages, and mail. Couriers are distinguished from ordinary mail services by features such as speed, security, tracking, signature, specialization and individualization of express services, and swift delivery times, which are optional for...
boy for a carpet company and a Wall Street
Wall Street
Wall Street refers to the financial district of New York City, named after and centered on the eight-block-long street running from Broadway to South Street on the East River in Lower Manhattan. Over time, the term has become a metonym for the financial markets of the United States as a whole, or...
bank.
It was at a party in New York that Whitman met the then secretary of labor
United States Secretary of Labor
The United States Secretary of Labor is the head of the Department of Labor who exercises control over the department and enforces and suggests laws involving unions, the workplace, and all other issues involving any form of business-person controversies....
, Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins
Frances Perkins , born Fannie Coralie Perkins, was the U.S. Secretary of Labor from 1933 to 1945, and the first woman appointed to the U.S. Cabinet. As a loyal supporter of her friend, Franklin D. Roosevelt, she helped pull the labor movement into the New Deal coalition...
. The two became friends and Perkins wound up getting Whitman a job in D.C., at the Department of Labor
United States Department of Labor
The United States Department of Labor is a Cabinet department of the United States government responsible for occupational safety, wage and hour standards, unemployment insurance benefits, re-employment services, and some economic statistics. Many U.S. states also have such departments. The...
. Though again, it was a small post as a messenger boy.
Perkins and Whitman stayed in contact and it was after Whitman revealed his interest in the ministry that Perkins encouraged him to follow his interest by attending seminary. Whitman did, going on to graduate from the Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School
Berkeley Divinity School, founded in 1854, is an official seminary of the Episcopal Church, based in New Haven, Connecticut. The seminary was originally founded as a middle-way between the Anglo-Catholic leaning General Theological Seminary in New York, and the Evangelical-leaning Virginia...
in New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven, Connecticut
New Haven is the second-largest city in Connecticut and the sixth-largest in New England. According to the 2010 Census, New Haven's population increased by 5.0% between 2000 and 2010, a rate higher than that of the State of Connecticut, and higher than that of the state's five largest cities, and...
. Whitman was later quoted as saying, "I guess when I think about it, I’ve been a messenger boy my entire life!"
Ministry
From 1946-1949 Reverend Whitman served as a chaplainMilitary chaplain
A military chaplain is a chaplain who ministers to soldiers, sailors, airmen, marines and other members of the military. In many countries, chaplains also minister to the family members of military personnel, to civilian noncombatants working for military organizations and to civilians within the...
to the U.S. Army
United States Army
The United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
in the Philippines before taking a position as associate 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 Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church
Bruton Parish Church is located in the restored area of Colonial Williamsburg in Williamsburg, Virginia, USA. It was established in 1674 in the Virginia Colony, and remains an active Episcopal parish.-History of Bruton Parish Church:...
in Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg, Virginia
Williamsburg is an independent city located on the Virginia Peninsula in the Hampton Roads metropolitan area of Virginia, USA. As of the 2010 Census, the city had an estimated population of 14,068. It is bordered by James City County and York County, and is an independent city...
, where he also served as chaplain to Episcopal students at the College of William and Mary
College of William and Mary
The College of William & Mary in Virginia is a public research university located in Williamsburg, Virginia, United States...
.
The Massachusetts’ Berkshires served as the backdrop for Reverend Whitman’s substantive ministry. Whitman served as rector of Trinity Episcopal Church
Trinity Episcopal Church (Lenox, Massachusetts)
Trinity Episcopal Church is an historic Episcopal church building at 102 Walker Street in Lenox, Massachusetts.The church was built in 1888 and added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1996....
in Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox, Massachusetts
Lenox is a town in Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. Set in Western Massachusetts, it is part of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area. The population was 5,077 at the 2000 census. Where the town has a border with Stockbridge is the site of Tanglewood, summer...
for 31 years before retiring on July 27, 1981. He later returned to the ministry, however, as rector of St. Martin’s Church in Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield, Massachusetts
Pittsfield is the largest city and the county seat of Berkshire County, Massachusetts, United States. It is the principal city of the Pittsfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area which encompasses all of Berkshire County. Its area code is 413. Its ZIP code is 01201...
.