William Appleton Lawrence (May 21, 1889 - December 21, 1968) was the third

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 ca ...

of the

Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America in the five western counties of Massachusetts. Formed from a division of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts, it was officia ...

(1937–57). His father, William Lawrence, was the seventh Bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts The Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts is one of the nine original dioceses of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. History Massachusetts was founded by Puritans who did not accept such aspects of the Church of England as bish ...

(1893–1927).

Early life and family

Lawrence was born on May 21, 1889, in

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. As part of the Boston metropolitan area, the cities population of the 2020 U.S. census was 118,403, making it the fourth most populous city in the state, behind Boston, ...

, the son of the Bishop of Massachusetts William Lawrence and Julia Cunningham. He was the grandson of the notable abolitionist

Amos Adams Lawrence Amos Adams Lawrence (July 31, 1814August 22, 1886) was an American businessman, philanthropist, and social activist. He was a key figure in the United States abolitionist movement in the years leading up to the Civil War and the growth of the E ...

and a member of an influential "

Boston Brahmin The Boston Brahmins or Boston elite are members of Boston's traditional upper class. They are often associated with Harvard University; Anglicanism; and traditional Anglo-American customs and clothing. Descendants of the earliest English colonis ...

" family, founded by his great-great-grandfather and American revolutionary Samuel Lawrence. His great-grandfather was the noted philanthropist

Amos Lawrence Amos Lawrence (April 22, 1786 – December 31, 1852) was an American merchant and philanthropist. Biography Amos Lawrence was born in Groton, Massachusetts. Lawrence attended elementary school in Groton and briefly attended the Groton Academy. ...

. Lawrence's brother,

Frederic C. Lawrence Frederic Cunningham Lawrence (May 22, 1899 – April 16, 1989) was a suffragan bishop of the Diocese of Massachusetts (1956–1968). Early life and education Lawrence was born on May 22, 1899, in Cambridge, Massachusetts, the son of Bis ...

, was

suffragan bishop A suffragan bishop is a type of bishop in some Christian denominations. In the Anglican Communion, a suffragan bishop is a bishop who is subordinate to a metropolitan bishop or diocesan bishop (bishop ordinary) and so is not normally jurisdiction ...

of the Episcopal Diocese of Massachusetts (1956–68).

Education and career

Lawrence graduated from

Harvard College Harvard College is the undergraduate college of Harvard University, an Ivy League research university in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1636, Harvard College is the original school of Harvard University, the oldest institution of higher lea ...

, as was the tradition in his family. He attended the Union Theological Seminary and the Episcopal Theological Seminary. He also studied at

Lawrence College Lawrence University is a private liberal arts college and conservatory of music in Appleton, Wisconsin. Founded in 1847, its first classes were held on November 12, 1849. Lawrence was the second college in the U.S. to be founded as a coeducation ...

Appleton, Wisconsin Appleton ( mez, Ahkōnemeh) is a city in Outagamie, Calumet, and Winnebago counties in the U.S. state of Wisconsin. One of the Fox Cities, it is situated on the Fox River, southwest of Green Bay and north of Milwaukee. Appleton is the c ...

from where he graduated with a Doctor of Divinity in 1929.

Priest

Lawrence was ordained by his father, deacon on June 7, 1914, and priest in 1915. He was curate of Grace Church in

Lawrence, Massachusetts Lawrence is a city located in Essex County, Massachusetts, United States, on the Merrimack River. At the 2020 census, the city had a population of 89,143. Surrounding communities include Methuen to the north, Andover to the southwest, and Nort ...

until 1916 when he became rector of St Stephen's Church in

Lynn, Massachusetts Lynn is the eighth-largest municipality in Massachusetts and the largest city in Essex County. Situated on the Atlantic Ocean, north of the Boston city line at Suffolk Downs, Lynn is part of Greater Boston's urban inner core. Settled by E ...

. In 1926 he went to

Providence, Rhode Island Providence is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Rhode Island. One of the oldest cities in New England, it was founded in 1636 by Roger Williams, a Reformed Baptist theologian and religious exile from the Massachusetts Bay ...

to become rector of Grace Church.

Bishop

On October 21, 1936, Lawrence was elected as the third bishop to the Diocese of Western Massachusetts. He was consecrated on January 13, 1937, by his father Bishop William Lawrence and the Presiding Bishop

James De Wolf Perry James DeWolf Perry (October 3, 1871 – March 20, 1947) was an American Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal clergyman and prelate. He was the 7th Episcopal Diocese of Rhode Island, Bishop of Rhode Island (1911–1946) and the 18th Presid ...

. In 1938, Lawrence created the first diocesan council and recommended that lay employees be included under social security. Then, in 1946, he established Camp Bement, which was closed by the diocese in 2009. In his retirement, Lawrence developed what is known today as the Clergy Deployment Office. He was also active in civil rights, ecumenical and world peace causes. Lawrence retired in 1957. He died on December 21, 1968."Bishop William Lawrence Dies at Age 79"
''Episcopal News Service'', 27 January 1969. Retrieved on 09 November 2018.

References

External links

Episcopal Diocese of Western Massachusetts
- official website Appleton family Harvard College alumni Anglican pacifists Harvard Divinity School alumni 1889 births 1968 deaths 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Western Massachusetts {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub