Edgar Amos Love (September 10, 1891 – May 1, 1974) was an American educator, minister, and activist.

Early life

Edgar Amos Love was born September 10, 1891, in Harrisonburg, Virginia. His father, the Rev. Julius C. Love, was a widely respected minister in the

Methodist Episcopal Church The Methodist Episcopal Church (MEC) was the oldest and largest Methodist denomination in the United States from its founding in 1784 until 1939. It was also the first religious denomination in the US to organize itself on a national basis. In ...

. His mother, Susie Love (''née'' Carr), was also a licensed minister and the first woman to graduate from

Morgan College Morgan State University (Morgan State or MSU) is a public historically black research university in Baltimore, Maryland. It is the largest of Maryland's historically black colleges and universities (HBCUs). In 1867, the university, then known a ...

. Due to the pastoral obligations of his father, Edgar spent portions of his childhood in parts of

Maryland Maryland ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It shares borders with Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware and the Atlantic Ocean to ...

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a state in the Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States, between the Atlantic Coast and the Appalachian Mountains. The geography and climate of the Commonwealth ar ...

, and

West Virginia West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian, Mid-Atlantic and Southeastern regions of the United States.The Census Bureau and the Association of American Geographers classify West Virginia as part of the Southern United States while the B ...

. He was one of seven children.

Education

Love graduated from the Academy of

(

Baltimore Baltimore ( , locally: or ) is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland, fourth most populous city in the Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic, and List of United States cities by popula ...

) in 1909 and earned his Bachelor of Arts degree from

Howard University Howard University (Howard) is a Private university, private, University charter#Federal, federally chartered historically black research university in Washington, D.C. It is Carnegie Classification of Institutions of Higher Education, classifie ...

in 1913. In 1916 Love attained his Bachelor of Divinity degree from the Howard Divinity School, after which he matriculated to the

Boston University School of Theology Boston University School of Theology (BUSTH) is the oldest theological seminary of American Methodism and the founding school of Boston University, the largest private research university in New England. It is one of thirteen theological school ...

, obtaining his Bachelor of Sacred Theology in 1918.

Founding of Omega Psi Phi

On November 17, 1911, Love and two other Howard students,

Oscar James Cooper Dr. Oscar James Cooper (1888–1972) was a physician and African-American cultural leader. He is known for cofounding Omega Psi Phi in Washington, D.C., the first fraternity founded by students at a historically black college. In Philadelphia, P ...

and Frank Coleman, established Omega Psi Phi Fraternity, Inc. They enlisted the guidance of

Ernest Everett Just Ernest Everett Just (August 14, 1883 – October 27, 1941) was a pioneering African-American biologist, academic and science writer. Just's primary legacy is his recognition of the fundamental role of the cell surface in the development of organis ...

to assist them in their endeavor. Omega Psi Phi Fraternity was the first black fraternity founded on a black campus. The young men selected Manhood, Scholarship, Perseverance, and Uplift as their Cardinal Principles. Love was a charter member for Howard's Alpha Chapter on December 15, 1911 and served two non-consecutive terms as Grand Basileus (President).

Career

During

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

, Love spent fourteen months overseas, serving as a chaplain in the

United States Army The United States Army (USA) is the land warfare, land military branch, service branch of the United States Armed Forces. It is one of the eight Uniformed services of the United States, U.S. uniformed services, and is designated as the Army o ...

. Upon honorable discharge he became a professor at Morgan College for two years, devoting additional time as the school's athletic director. It is in this time that Love met and married Virginia L. Ross on June 16, 1923. Their union would produce one son, Jon E. Love. After leaving Morgan, Love upheld the tradition of his parents and embarked on a career as a Methodist minister. He guided various congregations in Pennsylvania, West Virginia, and Maryland; the most prominent being John Wesley Church in

. In 1933 Love was tapped as District Superintendent of the Washington Conference of the Methodist Church. This, along with his appointment to lead the Methodist Department of Negro Work in 1940, proved to be a stepping stone to his election on June 22, 1952 as

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 ...

of the segregated Central Conference (Baltimore area) of the Methodist Church. Bishop Love presided in this capacity for twelve years. He emerged from retirement from November, 1966 through June, 1967 to serve as Bishop of the Atlantic Coast Area, which at the time spanned churches in

Alabama (We dare defend our rights) , anthem = "Alabama" , image_map = Alabama in United States.svg , seat = Montgomery , LargestCity = Huntsville , LargestCounty = Baldwin County , LargestMetro = Greater Birmingham , area_total_km2 = 135,765 ...

Florida Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...

Georgia Georgia most commonly refers to: * Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia * Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States Georgia may also refer to: Places Historical states and entities * Related to the ...

, and

Mississippi Mississippi () is a state in the Southeastern region of the United States, bordered to the north by Tennessee; to the east by Alabama; to the south by the Gulf of Mexico; to the southwest by Louisiana; and to the northwest by Arkansas. Miss ...

Civic Life and Professional Affiliations

All the while maintaining his leadership in the Methodist church, Bishop Love was a trustee for numerous black colleges and universities, including his beloved Morgan. He also served on the Maryland Inter-Racial Commission under Gov. Albert C. Ritchie. In addition to his life membership in the NAACP, Bishop Love belonged to a variety of professional societies, including the Prince Hall Free Masons (having been a founding member of Corinthian Lodge #18 in Washington, D.C.),

Sigma Pi Phi Sigma Pi Phi (), also known as The Boulé, founded in 1904, is the oldest fraternity for African Americans among those named with Greek letters. The fraternity does not have collegiate chapters and is designed for professionals at mid-career or o ...

, the Benevolent and Improved Benevolent Protective Order of Elks of the World, Frontiers Clubs of America, and the American Legion.

Death

Bishop Love died May 1, 1974 in Baltimore, Maryland at the age of 82."Bishop Love, last founder of Omega, dead at age 82." ''Baltimore Afro-American'', May 11, 1974. p.3.