Frederick Warren Putnam, Jr. (June 17, 1917June 7, 2007) was the first
Episcopal bishop
A bishop is an ordained clergy member who is entrusted with a position of authority and oversight in a religious institution.
In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance of dioceses. The role or office of bishop is c ...
of the
Navajoland Area Mission
The Navajoland Area Mission, also known as the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, is an Area Mission of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is in Province 8 and its diocesan offices are located in Farmington, New Mexico.
Establ ...
. He also served as
Suffragan Bishop of Oklahoma and
Assistant Bishop in Minnesota.
Early life and education
Putnam was born on June 17, 1917, in
Red Wing, Minnesota
Red Wing is a city in Goodhue County, Minnesota, United States, along the upper Mississippi River. The population was 16,547 at the 2020 census. It is the county seat of Goodhue County.
This city is named for early 19th-century Dakota Sioux c ...
, to Frederick Warren Putnam and Margaret Bunting. He studied at the
University of Minnesota
The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...
and graduated 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 ...
in 1939. He also earned a
Bachelor of Divinity from
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary
Seabury-Western Theological Seminary (SWTS) was a seminary of the Episcopal Church, located in Evanston, Illinois.
It ceased operations as a residential seminary granting the Master of Divinity degree in May 2010, and in January 2012 it moved ...
in 1942, and was awarded a
Doctor of Divinity in 1963. He was also a postgraduate student at the
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
between 1946 and 1947.
Ordained ministry
Putnam was ordained
deacon
A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian churches, such as the Catholic Chur ...
in March 1942 by Bishop
Frank McElwain
Frank Arthur McElwain (December 14, 1875 – September 19, 1957) was a Bishop of Minnesota in The Episcopal Church.
Early life and education
McElwain was born on December 14, 1875 in Warsaw, New York, the son of James Frank McElwain and Mary S ...
of Minnesota and
priest
A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in partic ...
on October 5, 1942, by Coadjutor Bishop
Stephen Keeler of Minnesota at
St Mark's Cathedral. He married Helen Kathryn Prouse on September 24, 1942, and together had three sons. He was priest-in-charge of the Church of the Good Shepherd in
Windom, Minnesota
Windom is a city in Cottonwood County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 4,646 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Cottonwood County and is situated in the Coteau des Prairies.
Although it is a small, rural farming commu ...
and St John's Church in
Worthington, Minnesota
Worthington is a city in and the county seat of Nobles County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 13,947 at the time of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census.
The city's site was first settled in the 1870s as Okabena Station on ...
between 1942 and 1943, and then rector of
Trinity Church in
Iowa City, Iowa
Iowa City, offically the City of Iowa City is a city in Johnson County, Iowa, United States. It is the home of the University of Iowa and county seat of Johnson County, at the center of the Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Area. At the tim ...
and chaplain at
Iowa State University
Iowa State University of Science and Technology (Iowa State University, Iowa State, or ISU) is a public land-grant research university in Ames, Iowa. Founded in 1858 as the Iowa Agricultural College and Model Farm, Iowa State became one of the ...
from 1943 to 1947. In 1947, he became rector of St Matthew's Church in
Evanston, Illinois
Evanston ( ) is a city, suburb of Chicago. Located in Cook County, Illinois, United States, it is situated on the North Shore along Lake Michigan. Evanston is north of Downtown Chicago, bordered by Chicago to the south, Skokie to the west, ...
, while in 1960, he transferred to
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 397,532. The Wichita metro area had a population of 647,610 in 2020. It is located in ...
to serve as rector of St James' Church, where he remained until 1963.
Episcopacy
In November 1962, Putnam was elected Suffragan Bishop of Oklahoma and was consecrated bishop on May 20, 1963, at the
Municipal Auditorium in
Oklahoma City
Oklahoma City (), officially the City of Oklahoma City, and often shortened to OKC, is the capital and largest city of the U.S. state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, it ranks 20th among United States cities in population, a ...
by
Robert R. Brown of Arkansas. He remained in Oklahoma until 1979 when he was elected as the first resident bishop of the
Navajoland Area Mission
The Navajoland Area Mission, also known as the Episcopal Church in Navajoland, is an Area Mission of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. It is in Province 8 and its diocesan offices are located in Farmington, New Mexico.
Establ ...
. He was installed on January 27, 1979. He strived to promote civil, women's, and Native American rights. He then retired in 1982 and served as Assistant Bishop in the
Diocese of Minnesota. He died on June 7, 2007, in
Edina, Minnesota
Edina ( ) is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States and a first-ring suburb of Minneapolis. The population was 53,494 at the 2020 census, making it the 18th most populous city in Minnesota.
Edina began as a small farming and mil ...
.
References
1917 births
2007 deaths
People from Red Wing, Minnesota
Episcopal bishops of Minnesota
20th-century American Episcopalians
Episcopal bishops of Oklahoma
Episcopal bishops of Navajoland
20th-century American clergy
General Theological Seminary alumni
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