Thomas Casady (June 6, 1881 – September 9, 1958) was the third missionary bishop of Oklahoma and the first diocesan bishop of the Diocese of Oklahoma in the Episcopal Church.

Early life and education

Casady was born in

Des Moines, Iowa Des Moines () is the capital and the most populous city in the U.S. state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small part of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines, ...

, the son of banker Simon Casady and Sarah Conarroe Casady (Griffiths) and grandson of Iowa state senator Phineas M. Casady. He graduated from the

University of Iowa The University of Iowa (UI, U of I, UIowa, or simply Iowa) is a public research university in Iowa City, Iowa, United States. Founded in 1847, it is the oldest and largest university in the state. The University of Iowa is organized into 12 col ...

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 1902. In 1903 he entered

General Theological Seminary The General Theological Seminary of the Episcopal Church (GTS) is an Episcopal seminary in New York City. Founded in 1817, GTS is the oldest seminary of the Episcopal Church and the longest continuously operating Seminary in the Anglican Communi ...

and graduated in 1906. After he became bishop he received an honorary doctorate of sacred theology from General Seminary and an honorary doctorate of divinity from The University of the South,

Sewanee, Tennessee Sewanee () is a census-designated place (CDP) in Franklin County, Tennessee, United States. The population was 2,535 at the 2020 census. It is part of the Tullahoma, Tennessee Micropolitan Statistical Area. Sewanee is best known as the home of ...

Career and family

He was ordained deacon on June 27, 1906 by Bishop Arthur Llewellyn Williams of Nebraska and priest on February 10, 1907 by Bishop M. Edward Fawcett of Quincy. He was initially a deacon at St Mary's Church in

Oelwein, Iowa Oelwein is a city in Fayette County, Iowa, United States. The population was 5,920 at the time of the 2020 census, a decrease of 11.5% from the 2000 census. The largest community in Fayette County, it is located at the junction of State Highways ...

, and then became rector of St Mark's Church in

. He also served as rector of Ascension Church in

Pueblo, Colorado Pueblo () is a home rule municipality that is the county seat and the most populous municipality of Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. The city population was 111,876 at the 2020 United States Census, making Pueblo the ninth most populo ...

between 1912 and 1920 and then as rector of All Saints' Church in

Omaha, Nebraska Omaha ( ) is the largest city in the U.S. state of Nebraska and the county seat of Douglas County. Omaha is in the Midwestern United States on the Missouri River, about north of the mouth of the Platte River. The nation's 39th-largest cit ...

from 1920 to 1927. On June 27, 1906, he married Frances LeBaron Kasson, a descendant of the colonial Massachusetts Governor William Bradford. They had six children: Simon Casady, Frances Cristabel Sherman, Reverend Phineas M. Casady, Reverend Mac Casady, Richard R. Casady, and Thomas Casady Jr.

Episcopacy

Casady was elected by the house of bishops to be the third Missionary Bishop of Oklahoma in June 1927. He was consecrated bishop on October 2, 1927, at All Saints' Church,

by Presiding Bishop John Gardner Murray. When the Diocese of Oklahoma was formed in 1938, Casady became its first diocesan bishop. The

Casady School Casady School is an independent, coeducational, college-preparatory school located in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, founded in 1947 by Bishop Thomas Casady and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma. Casady serves children in grades pre-kindergarten throug ...

was founded by Bishop Casady and the Episcopal Diocese of Oklahoma in 1947. In 1953, the W. R. Chilton Powell succeeded Casady as bishop of the diocese.

Consecrators

* John Gardner Murray, 16th presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church * Theodore Nevin Morrison, 3rd bishop of

Iowa Iowa () is a state in the Midwestern region of the United States, bordered by the Mississippi River to the east and the Missouri River and Big Sioux River to the west. It is bordered by six states: Wisconsin to the northeast, Illinois to th ...

* George Allan Beecher, 2nd bishop of Kearney (The Platte) Thomas Casady was the 355th

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 ...

consecrated for the Episcopal Church.

References

External links