David Ritchie Thornberry (June 11, 1911 – June 27, 1995) was the sixth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Wyoming The Episcopal Church in 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 ...

from 1969 to 1977.

Early life and education

Thornberry was born in

Rawlins, Wyoming Rawlins is a city in Carbon County, Wyoming, Carbon County, Wyoming, United States. The population was 8,221 at the United States Census, 2020, 2020 census. It is the county seat of Carbon County. It was named for Union Army, Union General John Aa ...

on June 11, 1911, to the Reverend David Wilson Thornberry and Ann Frances Odin Hulbert. He was educated at the public schools of

Laramie, Wyoming Laramie is a city in and the county seat of Albany County, Wyoming, United States. The population was estimated 32,711 in 2019, making it the third-largest city in Wyoming after Cheyenne and Casper. Located on the Laramie River in southeast ...

, where the family had moved in 1913 after his father became Dean of St Matthew's Cathedral. He studied at the

University of Wyoming The University of Wyoming (UW) is a public land-grant research university in Laramie, Wyoming. It was founded in March 1886, four years before the territory was admitted as the 44th state, and opened in September 1887. The University of Wyoming ...

, and then at

Kenyon College Kenyon College is a private liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio. It was founded in 1824 by Philander Chase. Kenyon College is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Kenyon has 1,708 undergraduates enrolled. Its 1,000-acre campus is ...

from where he graduated in 1933 with a

Bachelor of Arts Bachelor of arts (BA or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts degree course is generally completed in three or four year ...

. Later, he enrolled at Bexley Hall, where he trained for the priesthood. He transferred to the Episcopal Theological Seminary, graduating in 1936 with a Bachelor of Divinity. Thornberry was awarded a Doctor of Divinity from Kenyon in 1957.

Ordained ministry

Thornberry was ordained deacon on June 14, 1936, and priest on April 24, 1937, by Bishop

Henry Hobson Henry Wise Hobson II (May 16, 1891 - February 10, 1983), was the bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio. When he was consecrated at the age of 38 in 1930, he was the youngest Episcopal bishop in the United States, and at his death, he ...

of Southern Ohio. Between 1936 and 1940, he served as curate at Christ Church in

Dayton, Ohio Dayton () is the sixth-largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County. A small part of the city extends into Greene County. The 2020 U.S. census estimate put the city population at 137,644, while Greater D ...

, subsequently vicar of St Mark's Church in

Harrison, Ohio Harrison is a city in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The city is located in the Cincinnati-Northern Kentucky metropolitan area. The population was 9,897 at the 2010 census, and was estimated in 2019 to be 11,896. History Harrison was l ...

between 1938 and 1940. He married Virginia Lee Morrissett on November 23, 1940, and eventually had two children. Thornberry was appointed rector of Grace Church in

Cincinnati Cincinnati ( ) is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located at the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line wit ...

in 1940, and remained so until 1952 when he was appointed Archdeacon of Southern Ohio. Between 1965 and 1969, he was rector of Christ Church in

Shaker Heights, Ohio Shaker Heights is a city in Cuyahoga County, Ohio, United States. As of the 2020 Census, the city population was 29,439. Shaker Heights is an inner-ring streetcar suburb of Cleveland, abutting the eastern edge of the city's limits. In July 1911, a ...

Bishop of Wyoming

Thornberry was elected Bishop of Wyoming in 1969, and was consecrated on May 1, 1969, by Presiding Bishop John E. Hines. He served in Wyoming till his retirement on October 31, 1977. He died at his home in Readmond Township, Michigan on June 27, 1995."Retired Bishop of Wyoming Dies"
''

The Living Church ''The Living Church'' is a magazine based in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, providing commentary and news on the Episcopal Church and the wider Anglican Communion. In continuous publication since 1878, it has generally been identified with the Anglo-Catho ...

'', August 6, 1995. Retrieved on 21 April 2021.

References

1911 births 1995 deaths University of Wyoming alumni People from Rawlins, Wyoming 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Wyoming 20th-century American clergy {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub