John James Gravatt Jr (October 3, 1881 – October 14, 1965) was the second Bishop of Upper South Carolina in The Episcopal Church.

Early life and education

Gravatt was born on October 3, 1881, in

Hampton, Virginia Hampton () is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), Commonwealth of Virginia in the United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, 2020 census, the population was 137,148. It is the List ...

, the son of the Reverend John James Gravatt and India Wray Jones. He was educated at the University of Virginia, from where he earned his Bachelor of Arts in 1903. After that, he enrolled at the Virginia Theological Seminary and graduated with 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 1908. 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 ...

from the Virginia Seminary in 1933, and another from the University of the South in 1939.

Ordained ministry

Gravatt was ordained deacon in June 1908 by Bishop

George William Peterkin George William Peterkin (March 21, 1841 – September 22, 1916) was the first Bishop of West Virginia in the Episcopal Church in the United States. Early life Born in Clear Spring, Washington County, Maryland as first child of Rev. Joshua Pe ...

of West Virginia, and priest in June 1909 by Bishop

Robert Atkinson Gibson Robert Atkinson Gibson (July 9, 1846 – February 17, 1919) was the sixth Episcopal bishop of Virginia. Biography Early life Robert Atkinson Gibson was born in Petersburg, Virginia to the founder and long-time rector of Grace Church, Rev. Churc ...

of Virginia. He served as secretary to the Christian Missionary Association from 1908 till 1909 and secretary to the Student Board of Missions between 1909 and 1911. In 1911, he became rector of Slaughter Parish in

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, while in 1913 he became rector of the Church of the Ascension in

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. During this time, he also served as chaplain in the US Army stationed in France during WWI. Between 1919 and 1939, he served as rector of Trinity Church in

Staunton, Virginia Staunton ( ) is an independent city (United States), independent city in the Commonwealth (U.S. state), U.S. Commonwealth of Virginia. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population was 25,750. In Virginia, independent cities a ...

Episcopacy

On January 10, 1939, during a special convention of the Diocese of Upper South Carolina, held in Trinity Church, Gravatt was elected as the second Bishop of Upper South Carolina on the fourth ballot. He was consecrated on May 5, 1939, by Presiding Bishop

Henry St. George Tucker Henry St. George Tucker may refer to: * Henry St George Tucker (financier) (1771–1851), Bermudian financier and official of the East India Company * Henry St. George Tucker Sr. (1780–1848), U.S. representative from Virginia * Henry St. George ...

, and co-consecrated by his uncle William Loyall Gravatt of West Virginia. He retired in 1953 and died on October 14, 1965, in

Lexington, Virginia Lexington is an independent city in the Commonwealth of Virginia. At the 2020 census, the population was 7,320. It is the county seat of Rockbridge County, although the two are separate jurisdictions. The Bureau of Economic Analysis combines ...

due to coronary problems.

Family

Gravatt married Helen Stevens on April 19, 1922, and together had a son who died a day after he was born, and a daughter who lived till 2014. Gravatt remarried after Helen's death in 1947. He married Anna Louise Bourne Wayland, known as Nancy, on February 24, 1960. His uncle was the second Bishop of West Virginia, William Loyall Gravatt.

References

1881 births 1965 deaths Episcopal bishops of South Carolina People from Hampton, Virginia University of Virginia alumni Virginia Theological Seminary alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Upper South Carolina {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub