Hayward Seller Ablewhite (September 11, 1887 – July 1964) was an American bishop. He was the bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Marquette, now the

Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan The Episcopal Diocese of Northern Michigan is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America (TEC) with canonical jurisdiction in the Upper Peninsula of Michigan. History Initially part of the Episcopal Diocese of Michigan, ...

, serving from 1929 to 1939. He was convicted of

embezzlement Embezzlement is a crime that consists of withholding assets for the purpose of conversion of such assets, by one or more persons to whom the assets were entrusted, either to be held or to be used for specific purposes. Embezzlement is a type ...

and served nine months in prison in 1939.

Early life and education

Ablewhite was born on September 11, 1887, in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland ( ), officially the City of Cleveland, is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County. Located in the northeastern part of the state, it is situated along the southern shore of Lake Erie, across the U.S. ...

, the son of James B. Ablewhite and Annie Seller. He was educated at University School in Cleveland, before studying 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 se ...

from where he 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 years ...

. He also enrolled at

Bexley Hall Bexley Hall was an Episcopal seminary from 1824 until April 27, 2013, when it federated with Seabury-Western Theological Seminary as Bexley Hall Seabury-Western Theological Seminary Federation, also known as 'Bexley Seabury For three years, Bexl ...

, the divinity school of Kenyon College, and earned his

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD or BDiv; la, Baccalaureus Divinitatis) is a postgraduate academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology ...

in 1915. He was awarded a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (D.D. or DDiv; la, Doctor Divinitatis) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity. In the United Kingdom, it is considered an advanced doctoral degree. At the University of Oxford, doctors of divinity are ran ...

in 1930. Ablewhite married Inez Fillmore on June 17, 1915.

Ordained ministry

Ablewhite was ordained deacon in 1915 by Bishop

William Andrew Leonard William Andrew Leonard (July 15, 1848 - September 21, 1930) was an American author and prelate of the Episcopal Church, who served as the fourth Bishop of Ohio from 1889 till 1930. Early life and education Leonard was born on July 15, 1848, in ...

of Ohio, and priest in 1916 by Bishop

Boyd Vincent Boyd Vincent (May 18, 1845 – January 14, 1935) was a bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio from 1889 to 1929. Biography Vincent was born in Erie, Pennsylvania, on May 18, 1845, the son of Bethuel Boyd Vincent, a banker, and Sarah An ...

of Southern Ohio. He served as curate at the Church of the Advent in

Cincinnati, Ohio 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 ...

, between 1915 and 1917, and then rector of the Church of the Good Shepherd in

Columbus, Ohio Columbus () is the state capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Ohio. With a 2020 census population of 905,748, it is the 14th-most populous city in the U.S., the second-most populous city in the Midwest, after Chicago, and t ...

, between 1917 and 1919. In 1919, he became rector of St James' Church in Piqua, Ohio, while in 1926, he became rector of St Philip's Church in St. Louis. In 1928, he was chosen to be the Dean of St Paul's Cathedral in

Marquette, Michigan Marquette ( ) is a city in Marquette County in the U.S. state of Michigan. The population was 20,629 at the 2020 United States Census, which makes it the largest city in the Upper Peninsula. Marquette serves as the seat of government of Marquett ...

Bishop

During a special diocesan convention held in Grace Church, Ishpeming, Michigan, on December 17, 1929, Ablewhite was elected Bishop of Marquette on the second ballot. He was consecrated on March 25, 1930, in St Paul's Cathedral by Bishop Hugh L. Burleson of South Dakota. On June 2, 1937, the diocese changed its name to Northern Michigan, hence Ablewhite became the first bishop to be styles as the Bishop of Northern Michigan.

Embezzlement and imprisonment

On March 23, 1939, Ablewhite resigned his bishopric after $99,000 shortage was recorded in the accounts of the Diocese of Northern Michigan. He was indicted with defalcation and embezzlement in October 1939 and was sentenced with a sentence of one to ten years in prison. He was released after serving nine months in state prison in

Jackson, Michigan Jackson is the only city and county seat of Jackson County in the U.S. state of Michigan. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 33,534, down from 36,316 at the 2000 census. Located along Interstate 94 and U.S. Route 127, it is approxi ...

."Ablewhite Arrives at Jackson Prison"
'' Green Bay Press-Gazette'', 11 October 1939, Green Bay, WIS. Retrieved on 3 November 2020.

References

External links

Hayward S. Ablewhite collection, 1840-1928
{{DEFAULTSORT:Ablewhite, Hayward S. 1887 births 1964 deaths Kenyon College alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Northern Michigan