Henry Wise Hobson II (May 16, 1891 - February 10, 1983), was the bishop for the

Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio The Episcopal Diocese of Southern Ohio is the diocese of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America with jurisdiction over 40 counties in southern Ohio Ohio () is a U.S. state, state in the Midwestern United States, Midwestern regio ...

. When he was consecrated at the age of 38 in 1930, he was the youngest Episcopal bishop in the United States, and at his death, he was the oldest bishop in the Episcopal Church. He was also involved with the founding of Forward Movement Publications at the Episcopal Church.

Early life

Hobson was born in

Denver, Colorado Denver () is a consolidated city and county, the capital, and most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Its population was 715,522 at the 2020 census, a 19.22% increase since 2010. It is the 19th-most populous city in the Unit ...

on May 16, 1891, the son of Henry Wise Hobson I & Katherine Sophia Thayer. He graduated from Phillips Academy, Andover, Massachusetts in 1910 and

Yale University Yale University is a Private university, private research university in New Haven, Connecticut. Established in 1701 as the Collegiate School, it is the List of Colonial Colleges, third-oldest institution of higher education in the United Sta ...

in 1914. He was an officer in the infantry 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 ...

and was awarded the

Distinguished Service Cross The Distinguished Service Cross (D.S.C.) is a military decoration for courage. Different versions exist for different countries. *Distinguished Service Cross (Australia) The Distinguished Service Cross (DSC) is a military decoration awarded to ...

for his heroism in France, after being wounded twice. After the war he entered the

Episcopal Divinity School The Episcopal Divinity School (EDS) is a theological school in New York City that trains students for service with the Episcopal Church. It is affiliated with the Union Theological Seminary. Students who enroll in the EDS at Union Anglican st ...

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, and graduated in 1920.

Ordained ministry

Hobson was ordained deacon on December 5, 1919 by Samuel G. Babcock, Suffragan Bishop of Massachusetts, and then priest on June 15, 1920 by Bishop William Lawrence of Massachusetts. After ordination he became assistant minister at St John's Church in

Waterbury, Connecticut Waterbury is a city in the U.S. state of Connecticut on the Naugatuck River, southwest of Hartford and northeast of New York City. Waterbury is the second-largest city in New Haven County, Connecticut. According to the 2020 US Census, in 20 ...

between 1920 and 1921. He then became the rector of All Saints' Church in

Worcester, Massachusetts Worcester ( , ) is a city and county seat of Worcester County, Massachusetts, United States. Named after Worcester, England, the city's population was 206,518 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, making it the second-List of cities i ...

in 1921. On January 28, 1930, Hobson was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Southern Ohio, during the fifty-sixth annual convention of the diocese. He was consecrated on May 1, 1930 in Christ Church by Bishop Boyd Vincent, former Bishop of Southern Ohio. He then succeeded as diocesan bishop on October 13, 1931, upon the death of Bishop Reese.

Family

His son Henry Wise Hobson III married Elizabeth Mary Balch in 1941. His daughter Margery Thayer Hobson married Gerard Thomas on February 13, 1955. Henry Wise Hobson died on February 10, 1983.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Hobson, Henry Wise 1891 births 1983 deaths Clergy from Denver Phillips Academy alumni Yale University alumni Episcopal Divinity School alumni American military personnel of World War I 20th-century American Episcopalians Episcopal bishops of Southern Ohio 20th-century American clergy