James Milton Richardson (January 8, 1913 - March 24, 1980) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Texas from 1965 to 1980. A graduate of

Emory University Emory University is a private research university in Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1836 as "Emory College" by the Methodist Episcopal Church and named in honor of Methodist bishop John Emory, Emory is the second-oldest private institution of ...

, the

University of Georgia , mottoeng = "To teach, to serve, and to inquire into the nature of things.""To serve" was later added to the motto without changing the seal; the Latin motto directly translates as "To teach and to inquire into the nature of things." , establ ...

, and Virginia Theological Seminary, he was consecrated on February 10, 1965.

Early life and education

Richardson was born in Sylvester, Georgia on January 8, 1913, the son of James Milton Richardson and Palacia Stewart. He was educated at the Lanier Middle School in Buford, Georgia. He then studied at the

, graduating 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 ...

in 1934 and then at

from where he earned a

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 1936 and a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( la, Magister Artium or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA, M.A., AM, or A.M.) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Tho ...

in 1942. He also graduated from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1938. He was awarded an honorary

Doctor of Laws A Doctor of Law is a degree in law. The application of the term varies from country to country and includes degrees such as the Doctor of Juridical Science (J.S.D. or S.J.D), Juris Doctor (J.D.), Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.), and Legum Doctor (LL. ...

from John Marshall Law School in 1948, and 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 ...

from the Episcopal Theological Seminary in

Kentucky Kentucky ( , ), officially the Commonwealth of Kentucky, is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States and one of the states of the Upper South. It borders Illinois, Indiana, and Ohio to the north; West Virginia and Virginia to ...

in 1960, the University of the South in 1961, the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1965, and the

Seminary of the Southwest Seminary of the Southwest (formally the Episcopal Theological Seminary of the Southwest and informally SSW) is an Episcopal seminary in Austin, Texas. It is one of nine accredited seminaries of the Episcopal Church in the United States. Seminar ...

in 1976. He married Eugenia Preston Brooks on June 14, 1940, and together they had four children.

Ordained ministry

Richardson 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 Churc ...

on July 17, 1938 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 particu ...

on July 9, 1939 by Bishop

Henry J. Mikell Henry Judah Mikell (August 4, 1873 - February 20, 1942) was the second bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta from 1917 till 1942. Background Henry Judah Mikell, served as Bishop for the Episcopal Diocese of Atlanta from 1917 - 1942. During ...

of Atlanta. He initially served as minister in charge of St Timothy's Church in

Atlanta, Georgia Atlanta ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is the seat of Fulton County, the most populous county in Georgia, but its territory falls in both Fulton and DeKalb counties. With a population of 498,715 ...

between 1938 and 1940, and then as assistant rector of St Luke's Church in

from 1940 to 1943. He was elected rector of St Luke's in 1943 and remained there until 1952, when he became Dean of Christ Church Cathedral in

Houston, Texas Houston (; ) is the most populous city in Texas, the most populous city in the Southern United States, the fourth-most populous city in the United States, and the sixth-most populous city in North America, with a population of 2,304,580 in ...

Bishop

During the 115th Annual Council of the Diocese of Texas on December 4, 1964, Richardson was elected Bishop of Texas. He was consecrated bishop on February 10, 1965 by in Christ Church Cathedral. His episcopacy saw an increase in the number of

Episcopalians Anglicanism is a Western Christian tradition that has developed from the practices, liturgy, and identity of the Church of England following the English Reformation, in the context of the Protestant Reformation in Europe. It is one of th ...

in the diocese. He died in office on March 24, 1980 in

."Richardson, James Milton"
''Texas State Historical Association'', 1976. Retrieved on May 21, 2022.

References

External links

Texas State Historical Association biography
1913 births 1980 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Texas 20th-century American clergy {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub