Warren Akin Candler
Encyclopedia
Warren Akin Candler was an American
Bishop
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South
, elected in 1898. He was the tenth president of Emory University
.
, the tenth of eleven children born to Samuel and Martha Bernetta Beall Candler. Samuel was a prosperous merchant and planter. Their children were raised in a devout atmosphere.
Candler attended Emory College
in Oxford, Georgia
, from 1874 to 1877. There he discovered his religious vocation and quite a talent for preaching. As a result he made the M.E. Church, South the center of his life. Following college, Warren married Sarah Antoinette "Nettie" Curtright. The couple had five children, three of whom lived to adulthood.
, Candler served several churches in northwest Georgia
. In 1882, along with Bishop George Foster Pierce
of the M.E. Church, South, and Bishop Lucius Holsey of the Colored (now Christian
) M.E. Church, and others, Candler helped found Paine Institute (now Paine College
) in Augusta, Georgia
. Paine's mission was the higher education of African Americans. As a longtime member of Paine's Board of Trustees, Candler supported the hiring of African Americans to teach, thus helping to create a racially integrated faculty, unusual in the post-Civil War South.
From 1886 until 1888 Rev. Candler served in Nashville, Tennessee
as the Assistant Editor of the Nashville Christian Advocate
, the primary periodical of the M.E. Church, South. In this capacity he supported at least some of the goals of the evangelical Holiness Association, though also fearing it might become divisive.
His next assignment was as the tenth President of Emory College. The students nicknamed him "Shorty." He advanced firmly conservative views at Emory. For example, he phased out technological training, implementing a liberal arts curriculum. He also improved the school's finances and increased the size of its faculty.
enterprises among other denominational matters.
Bishop Candler also served as spiritual advisor to his brother, Asa Griggs Candler
, founder of the Coca-Cola Company. As such, Warren encouraged Asa's support of church causes, particularly Emory. Indeed, the creation of Emory University
in Atlanta was enabled largely through the financial backing of Asa.
, Nashville, Tennessee
, lost influence over that institution. After an unsuccessful 1910 lawsuit to regain their authority, the M.E. Church, South decided instead to establish two new educational institutions, which would be under their control.
The first of these new Methodist educational institutions was Southern Methodist University
in Dallas, Texas
. The other was to be located somewhere east of the Mississippi River
. The Candler brothers combined their influence and resources to win this role for Emory College. Indeed, Asa wrote a check for $1 million to defray the expenses of moving Emory's campus from Oxford to land he donated in his Druid Hills development in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta.
Bishop Candler became the first Chancellor
of the new Emory University in 1914. As such he fought for traditional values, forbidding such activities as dramatics clubs and intercollegiate athletics. In addition to the School of Theology, Emory established Law and Medical Schools, and opened a University Hospital, as well. Candler's hope of establishing a School of Education, however, never came to fruition.
Bishop Candler expended great efforts raising funds for Emory. Indeed, though he expressed his desire to retire as Chancellor in 1918, he did not step down until 1922. He remained active as a University Trustee until 1937.
superiority, Candler also spoke out very strongly against lynching
, for example. In his writings, Candler espoused a paternalistic relationship toward African Americans, and believed that Southern whites had both an obligation to support the education of a "better" class of African American leaders in the South, and to prevent more radical voices from taking the lead in this area. Candler was a member and later President of the Board of Trustees at the historically black Paine College
in Augusta, GA, which opened in 1882 under the auspices of Methodist Church South. While not a critic of the American economic system, per se, he did oppose the power of trusts and condemned covetousness in general. A supporter of the traditional Christian creed, he also sought to mitigate the conflict between science and religion. Candler was also outspoken in his opposition to women's suffrage.
and M.E. Church, South. These two denominations divided in 1844 over the issues of slavery and episcopal prerogative. Nevertheless, proponents of reunification persuaded the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South, to establish a rule requiring the retirement of Bishops who had reached the age of seventy-two. This rule removed Candler and another opponent of reunification in 1934, thus paving the way to reunification in 1939.
Nevertheless, Candler continued to write, and announced his intention to "preach until I die." He received many honors and gestures of public affection throughout his Episcopal career, including the gift of a Franklin
sedan. Warren Akin Candler died 25 September 1941 in Atlanta, Georgia
, being buried in a cemetery adjacent to the Emory campus. Nettie, his wife of more than sixty years, died two years later.
Emory's Candler School of Theology
is named in honor of him. Candler College a prestigious high school located in Havana Cuba was also named in his honor.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
Bishop
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, South
Methodist Episcopal Church, South
The Methodist Episcopal Church, South, or Methodist Episcopal Church South, was the so-called "Southern Methodist Church" resulting from the split over the issue of slavery in the Methodist Episcopal Church which had been brewing over several years until it came out into the open at a conference...
, elected in 1898. He was the tenth president of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
.
Early life
He was born in Villa Rica, GeorgiaVilla Rica, Georgia
Villa Rica is a city in Carroll and Douglas Counties in the U.S. state of Georgia. The population was 4,134 at the 2000 census. By the 2010 census, the population had grown to 13,956. The estimated growth was around 211.34%...
, the tenth of eleven children born to Samuel and Martha Bernetta Beall Candler. Samuel was a prosperous merchant and planter. Their children were raised in a devout atmosphere.
Candler attended Emory College
Emory College
Emory College may refer to:* , an academic division of Emory University, located in DeKalb County, Georgia, USA, in the Atlanta area* Oxford College of Emory University, a two-year residential college of Emory University located in Oxford, Georgia, USA....
in Oxford, Georgia
Oxford, Georgia
Oxford is a city in Newton County, Georgia, in the United States. As of the 2000 census, the city population was 1,892. It is the location of Oxford College of Emory University. The entire town is also designated as a shrine of the United Methodist Church. Additionally, Confederate soldiers are...
, from 1874 to 1877. There he discovered his religious vocation and quite a talent for preaching. As a result he made the M.E. Church, South the center of his life. Following college, Warren married Sarah Antoinette "Nettie" Curtright. The couple had five children, three of whom lived to adulthood.
Ministerial career
As a young pastorPastor
The word pastor usually refers to an ordained leader of a Christian congregation. When used as an ecclesiastical styling or title, this role may be abbreviated to "Pr." or often "Ps"....
, Candler served several churches in northwest Georgia
Georgia (U.S. state)
Georgia is a state located in the southeastern United States. It was established in 1732, the last of the original Thirteen Colonies. The state is named after King George II of Great Britain. Georgia was the fourth state to ratify the United States Constitution, on January 2, 1788...
. In 1882, along with Bishop George Foster Pierce
George Foster Pierce
George Foster Pierce was an American bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South elected in 1854.-Birth and family:He was born on 3 February 1811 in Greene County, Georgia. George Foster was the son of the Rev. Lovick Pierce, a Pastor and a Chaplain in the War of 1812. Rev. Lovick Pierce was...
of the M.E. Church, South, and Bishop Lucius Holsey of the Colored (now Christian
Christian Methodist Episcopal Church
The Christian Methodist Episcopal Church is a historically black denomination within the broader context of Methodism. The group was organized in 1870 when several black ministers, with the full support of their white counterparts in the former Methodist Episcopal Church, South, met to form an...
) M.E. Church, and others, Candler helped found Paine Institute (now Paine College
Paine College
Paine College is a private Historically Black college located in Augusta, Georgia.-Mission:The Mission of Paine College, a church-related private institution, is to provide a liberal arts education of the highest quality that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social...
) in Augusta, Georgia
Augusta, Georgia
Augusta is a consolidated city in the U.S. state of Georgia, located along the Savannah River. As of the 2010 census, the Augusta–Richmond County population was 195,844 not counting the unconsolidated cities of Hephzibah and Blythe.Augusta is the principal city of the Augusta-Richmond County...
. Paine's mission was the higher education of African Americans. As a longtime member of Paine's Board of Trustees, Candler supported the hiring of African Americans to teach, thus helping to create a racially integrated faculty, unusual in the post-Civil War South.
From 1886 until 1888 Rev. Candler served in Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
as the Assistant Editor of the Nashville Christian Advocate
Nashville Christian Advocate
The Nashville Christian Advocate was a weekly newspaper of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. It served as the central organ of the denomination as well as the official paper of the Tennessee Conference. It was the largest and most influential of the Methodist newspapers in the South. It was...
, the primary periodical of the M.E. Church, South. In this capacity he supported at least some of the goals of the evangelical Holiness Association, though also fearing it might become divisive.
His next assignment was as the tenth President of Emory College. The students nicknamed him "Shorty." He advanced firmly conservative views at Emory. For example, he phased out technological training, implementing a liberal arts curriculum. He also improved the school's finances and increased the size of its faculty.
Episcopal career
Candler was elected a Bishop by the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South in 1898. As Bishop he became concerned with missionaryMissionary
A missionary is a member of a religious group sent into an area to do evangelism or ministries of service, such as education, literacy, social justice, health care and economic development. The word "mission" originates from 1598 when the Jesuits sent members abroad, derived from the Latin...
enterprises among other denominational matters.
Bishop Candler also served as spiritual advisor to his brother, Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler
Asa Griggs Candler was an American business tycoon who made his fortune selling Coca-Cola. He also served as the 44th Mayor of Atlanta, Georgia from 1916 to 1919...
, founder of the Coca-Cola Company. As such, Warren encouraged Asa's support of church causes, particularly Emory. Indeed, the creation of Emory University
Emory University
Emory University is a private research university in metropolitan Atlanta, located in the Druid Hills section of unincorporated DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. The university was founded as Emory College in 1836 in Oxford, Georgia by a small group of Methodists and was named in honor of...
in Atlanta was enabled largely through the financial backing of Asa.
Emory University
Emory's creation came about when Bishop Candler and some of his colleagues, members of the Board of Trustees of Vanderbilt UniversityVanderbilt University
Vanderbilt University is a private research university located in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, the university is named for shipping and rail magnate "Commodore" Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provided Vanderbilt its initial $1 million endowment despite having never been to the...
, Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville, Tennessee
Nashville is the capital of the U.S. state of Tennessee and the county seat of Davidson County. It is located on the Cumberland River in Davidson County, in the north-central part of the state. The city is a center for the health care, publishing, banking and transportation industries, and is home...
, lost influence over that institution. After an unsuccessful 1910 lawsuit to regain their authority, the M.E. Church, South decided instead to establish two new educational institutions, which would be under their control.
The first of these new Methodist educational institutions was Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University
Southern Methodist University is a private university in Dallas, Texas, United States. Founded in 1911 by the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, SMU operates campuses in Dallas, Plano, and Taos, New Mexico. SMU is owned by the South Central Jurisdiction of the United Methodist Church...
in Dallas, Texas
Dallas, Texas
Dallas is the third-largest city in Texas and the ninth-largest in the United States. The Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex is the largest metropolitan area in the South and fourth-largest metropolitan area in the United States...
. The other was to be located somewhere east of the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
. The Candler brothers combined their influence and resources to win this role for Emory College. Indeed, Asa wrote a check for $1 million to defray the expenses of moving Emory's campus from Oxford to land he donated in his Druid Hills development in the eastern suburbs of Atlanta.
Bishop Candler became the first Chancellor
Chancellor (education)
A chancellor or vice-chancellor is the chief executive of a university. Other titles are sometimes used, such as president or rector....
of the new Emory University in 1914. As such he fought for traditional values, forbidding such activities as dramatics clubs and intercollegiate athletics. In addition to the School of Theology, Emory established Law and Medical Schools, and opened a University Hospital, as well. Candler's hope of establishing a School of Education, however, never came to fruition.
Bishop Candler expended great efforts raising funds for Emory. Indeed, though he expressed his desire to retire as Chancellor in 1918, he did not step down until 1922. He remained active as a University Trustee until 1937.
Theological writing
For three decades Candler wrote a column in the Atlanta Journal. He also wrote many articles for religious publications, and fifteen books on biographical and religious topics. His thinking reflected traditionalism tempered by religious idealism. Although he wrote of his belief in Anglo-SaxonBritish people
The British are citizens of the United Kingdom, of the Isle of Man, any of the Channel Islands, or of any of the British overseas territories, and their descendants...
superiority, Candler also spoke out very strongly against lynching
Lynching
Lynching is an extrajudicial execution carried out by a mob, often by hanging, but also by burning at the stake or shooting, in order to punish an alleged transgressor, or to intimidate, control, or otherwise manipulate a population of people. It is related to other means of social control that...
, for example. In his writings, Candler espoused a paternalistic relationship toward African Americans, and believed that Southern whites had both an obligation to support the education of a "better" class of African American leaders in the South, and to prevent more radical voices from taking the lead in this area. Candler was a member and later President of the Board of Trustees at the historically black Paine College
Paine College
Paine College is a private Historically Black college located in Augusta, Georgia.-Mission:The Mission of Paine College, a church-related private institution, is to provide a liberal arts education of the highest quality that emphasizes academic excellence, ethical and spiritual values, social...
in Augusta, GA, which opened in 1882 under the auspices of Methodist Church South. While not a critic of the American economic system, per se, he did oppose the power of trusts and condemned covetousness in general. A supporter of the traditional Christian creed, he also sought to mitigate the conflict between science and religion. Candler was also outspoken in his opposition to women's suffrage.
Methodist reunification
Not unlike several members of the Episcopacy (particularly in the South), Bishop Candler opposed the reunification of the M.E.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 M.E. Church, South. These two denominations divided in 1844 over the issues of slavery and episcopal prerogative. Nevertheless, proponents of reunification persuaded the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South, to establish a rule requiring the retirement of Bishops who had reached the age of seventy-two. This rule removed Candler and another opponent of reunification in 1934, thus paving the way to reunification in 1939.
Nevertheless, Candler continued to write, and announced his intention to "preach until I die." He received many honors and gestures of public affection throughout his Episcopal career, including the gift of a Franklin
Franklin (automobile)
The Franklin Automobile Company was a manufacturer of automobiles in the United States between 1902 and 1934 in Syracuse, New York. Herbert H. Franklin, the founder, began his career in the metal die casting business before establishing his automobile enterprise.Franklin founded the H. H. Franklin...
sedan. Warren Akin Candler died 25 September 1941 in Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta, Georgia
Atlanta is the capital and most populous city in the U.S. state of Georgia. According to the 2010 census, Atlanta's population is 420,003. Atlanta is the cultural and economic center of the Atlanta metropolitan area, which is home to 5,268,860 people and is the ninth largest metropolitan area in...
, being buried in a cemetery adjacent to the Emory campus. Nettie, his wife of more than sixty years, died two years later.
Emory's Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology
Candler School of Theology, Emory University, is one of 13 seminaries of the United Methodist Church. Founded in 1914, the school was named after Warren Akin Candler, a former President and Chancellor of Emory University and a Bishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South...
is named in honor of him. Candler College a prestigious high school located in Havana Cuba was also named in his honor.
Written works
- Christus Auctor: A Manual of Christian Evidences (1900)
- Wesley and his Work (1912)
- Kingdom of God's Dear Son (1921)
- Life of Thomas Coke (1923)
- Current Comments on Timely Topics (1926)
- Bishop Charles Betts Galloway: A Prince of Preachers and Christian Statesman (1927)
- Christ and the Creed (1927)
- Easter Meditations (1930)
- Young J. Allen: The Man Who Seeded China (1931)
Biographies
- Bauman, Mark K., Warren Akin Candler: The Conservative as Idealist, Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1981.
- Kemp, Kathryn W., "Warren Akin Candler," The New Georgia Encyclopedia, The Georgia Humanities Council and The University of Georgia Press, 2004-06. retrieved 2 May 2006
External links
- Emory History | Presidents | Candler at emoryhistory.emory.edu
- New Georgia Encyclopedia Warren Akin Candler