Ernest A. Lyon (October 22, 1860 – July 17, 1938) was an
African-American
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an Race and ethnicity in the United States, ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American ...
minister, educator and diplomat.
Early life and education
Lyon was born on October 22, 1860, in on the coast of Belize,
British Honduras
British Honduras was a British Crown colony on the east coast of Central America, south of Mexico, from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony, renamed Belize in June 1973, to Emmanuel Lyon and Ann F. Bending.
As a child, Lyon attended an English school in
Belize
Belize (; bzj, Bileez) is a Caribbean and Central American country on the northeastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a wate ...
.
His father died when he was young.
Lyon "became a Christian by experience October 24, 1875."
Lyon immigrated to the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territorie ...
in mid 1870s to increase his education opportunities.
For three years he attended the
Gilbert Industrial Institute Gilbert may refer to:
People and fictional characters
*Gilbert (given name), including a list of people and fictional characters
*Gilbert (surname), including a list of people
Places Australia
* Gilbert River (Queensland)
* Gilbert River (South A ...
in
La Teche
LA most frequently refers to Los Angeles, the second largest city in the United States.
La, LA, or L.A. may also refer to:
Arts and entertainment Music
* La (musical note), or A, the sixth note
* "L.A.", a song by Elliott Smith on ''Figure ...
,
Louisiana
Louisiana , group=pronunciation (French: ''La Louisiane'') is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It is the 20th-smallest by area and the 25th most populous of the 50 U.S. states. Louisiana is borde ...
.
In 1880, Lyon attended
Straight University
Straight University, after 1915 Straight College, was a historically black college that operated between 1868 and 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After struggling with financial difficulties, it was merged with New Orleans University to form ...
. From 1881 to 1883, he attended the Gilbert Seminary while serving as the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Baldwin, later called Winston.
It was here that he met his first wife, Abbie J. Wright who reluctantly married Lyon in a wedding officiated by Rev. W.D. Godman, the president of Gilbert Seminary.
Lyon graduated with A.B. degree in the
classics
Classics or classical studies is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, classics traditionally refers to the study of Classical Greek and Roman literature and their related original languages, Ancient Greek and Latin. Classics ...
from
New Orleans University
New Orleans University was a historically black college that operated between 1873 and 1934 in New Orleans. It was founded by the Methodist Episcopal Church and affiliated with a number of preparatory schools located in various parts of the stat ...
in 1888.
He later earned an A.M. degree in
theology
Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing the ...
from
Union Theological Seminary.
Lyon has a D.D. degree from
Wiley College
Wiley College is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the oldest predominantly black col ...
and a L.L.D from
University of Liberia
The University of Liberia (UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia Coll ...
.
Career
1882–1900: Career beginnings
Lyon joined the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1882.
The next year, in 1883, Lyon became the first charge in La Teche.
In 1894, he "was appointed Sunday School Agent of the Louisiana Conference."
He also served as the Conference statistical secretary and the reserve delegate of the General conference for several years.
He was an editor of the Sunday school column in the ''Southwestern Christian Advocate''.
By 1895, Lyon was the "special agent of the Freedman's Aid and Southern Educational Society."
Later he served as a pastor in multiple churches in
including the Mallalieu Methodist Episcopal Church in 1886, the Thompson Church in 1889, and the Simpson Church in 1891.
In 1896, he was the pastor of St. Mark's Church in
New York City
New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the List of United States cities by population, most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the L ...
.
Lyon was a member of the New York City Missionary and Church Extension Society.
While pastor of St. Mark's Church, Lyon was the only African American among 300 members of the
New York Conference
New is an adjective referring to something recently made, discovered, or created.
New or NEW may refer to:
Music
* New, singer of K-pop group The Boyz (South Korean band), The Boyz
Albums and EPs
* New (album), ''New'' (album), by Paul McCartn ...
.
As an ardent
Republican
Republican can refer to:
Political ideology
* An advocate of a republic, a type of government that is not a monarchy or dictatorship, and is usually associated with the rule of law.
** Republicanism, the ideology in support of republics or agains ...
, Lyon was appointed as an auxiliary member of the
Republican National Committee
The Republican National Committee (RNC) is a U.S. political committee that assists the Republican Party of the United States. It is responsible for developing and promoting the Republican brand and political platform, as well as assisting in fu ...
in 1884.
In this role, all matters about the "colored vote" in the
Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
were referred to him.
In 1890, Lyon was appointed by the
RNC as a member of the advisory board.
1901–1902: Foundation of Maryland school for colored youths and Morgan College
In 1901, Lyon was the pastor of the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church in
Baltimore, Maryland
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
That same year he worked as the professor of church history at
Morgan College
Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...
.
He was among the founders of the
, a school for African-American youth in
North Laurel, Maryland
North Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, United States. The published population was 4,474 at the 2010 census. This population was substantially less than the CDP's population in 2000, and was the result of an er ...
.
He later served as the first president of the school.
1903–1910: Politics and U.S. Ambassador to Liberia
The civil rights leader
Booker T. Washington
Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, orator, and adviser to several presidents of the United States. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the dominant leader in the African-American c ...
recommended Lyon to President
Theodore Roosevelt
Theodore Roosevelt Jr. ( ; October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), often referred to as Teddy or by his initials, T. R., was an American politician, statesman, soldier, conservationist, naturalist, historian, and writer who served as the 26t ...
, who appointed him U.S. Minister and Consul General to
Liberia
Liberia (), officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to its north, Ivory Coast to its east, and the Atlantic Ocean ...
in 1903.
He served in this capacity until 1910. Following his diplomatic service, he returned to Baltimore to become the minister of Ames Methodist Episcopal Church.
1911–death
Lyon was "member committee" for the
Negro Historical and Industrial Association which "invited President
Woodrow Wilson
Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was an American politician and academic who served as the 28th president of the United States from 1913 to 1921. A member of the Democratic Party, Wilson served as the president of ...
to deliver address on opening day of 50th anniversary exposition and celebration of
emancipation
Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure economic and social rights, political rights or equality, often for a specifically disenfranchis ...
at
Fort Lee,
Virginia
Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...
."
Lyons was one of ten people to represent the intellectual contributions of
African Americans
African Americans (also referred to as Black Americans and Afro-Americans) are an ethnic group consisting of Americans with partial or total ancestry from sub-Saharan Africa. The term "African American" generally denotes descendants of ens ...
in an international lecture course hosted by the
Maryland State Department of Education
Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is a division of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The agency oversees public school districts, which are 24 local school systems—one for each of Maryland's 23 counties plus one ...
in Baltimore.
In 1915, his office was located at 141 West Hill Street, Baltimore, Maryland.
Personal life
Lyon was first married to singer Abbie J. Wright in 1883. Together they had three children,
Maud Amelia, Annie Belle, and Ernest Harrison Monroe.
In 1903, Lyon married Clara Florida Bacchus (1878-?) of
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington ( Lenape: ''Paxahakink /'' ''Pakehakink)'' is the largest city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish settlement in North America. It lies at the confluence of the Christina ...
.
He was married for a third time on March 28, 1912, to Marie Wright of
Baltimore
Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...
.
In 1915, Lyon resided in
Laurel, Maryland
Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River. While the city limits are entirely in northern Prince George's County, outlying developments extend into Anne Arunde ...
.
He died of
lobar pneumonia
Lobar pneumonia is a form of pneumonia characterized by inflammatory exudate within the intra-alveolar space resulting in consolidation that affects a large and continuous area of the lobe of a lung.
It is one of three anatomic classifications o ...
on July 17, 1938, at the
Johns Hopkins Hospital
The Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, located in Baltimore, Maryland, U.S. It was founded in 1889 using money from a bequest of over $7 million (1873 mo ...
.
Works consulted
*William Davis Godman, A. H. Dexter Godman, Ines A. Godman. 1893. ''Gilbert Academy and Agricultural College, Winsted, Louisiana: Sketches and Incidents''.
*William Edward Burghardt Du Bois. 1917. ''The Crisis'', Volumes 15–18 (p. 29).
*Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston. 1910. ''The Negro in the New World''.
*John William Leonard, Albert Nelson Marquis (eds). ''Who's Who in America'', Volume 4.
*''The Journal of Negro History''.
*''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography'', Volume 14. 1910.
*''Accomplished: African American Women in Victorian America'', 2014, BIG BYTE BOOKS
*1900 United States Federal Census
References
Footnotes
External links
*
U.S. Ambassador to Liberia: Ernest Lyon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Ernest
1860 births
1930 deaths
American people of Belizean descent
American consuls
African-American Methodist clergy
American Methodist clergy
African-American academics
African-American educators
Belizean emigrants to the United States
Belizean expatriates in the United States
Ambassadors of the United States to Liberia
20th-century American diplomats
British Honduras people
19th-century American educators
20th-century American educators
19th-century Methodist ministers
20th-century Methodist ministers
University of Liberia alumni
Wiley College alumni
Dillard University alumni
Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni
People from Laurel, Maryland
People from Howard County, Maryland
Religious leaders from Baltimore
Educators from Maryland
Morgan State University faculty
Religious leaders from Louisiana
People in 19th-century Louisiana
People from New Orleans
Educators from Louisiana
Theodore Roosevelt administration personnel
Taft administration personnel
Founders of schools in the United States
African-American founders
Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland
Straight University alumni