He had parallel careers in ministry and writing. He’s listed in Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who Among North American Authors (pen name Edwin Cullison), and his poetry is in more than 300 publications including anthologies and congressional records. His byline usually includes “Edwin" or "E"; rare occurrences of "Edward" might be due to error and/or name interchangeability (https://www.familysearch.org/en/wiki/Ireland_Naming_Customs).
Background
Clarence Flynn was born in a log cabin(1) in Greene County, IN, the son of John Wesley and Matilda Caroline (Cullison) Flynn. He hailed from Park, IN(2), a small town in Greene County about six miles east of Bloomfield.
(1) The Rotarian. Vol 73 No. 4. Chicago: Rotary International, Oct 1948. p. 5
(2) Mirage. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1911. p. 211
Other supporting source:
Index to the Memoirs in the Annual Conference Journals. GCAH Archives Center Catalog. Archives & History: General Commission on Archives and History. The United Methodist Church. n.d. (https://catalog.gcah.org)
Education
While at Earlham he participated in oratory(1), published poetry, and worked as a library assistant(2). At DePauw he participated in oratory(3a) (e.g. placed third with first in manuscript[3b], second place at tri-state contest[4]), published poetry, and held leadership positions in DePauw's Peace Association, Oratorical Association, and Y.M.C.A. Cabinet. He was a member of the Philosophy Club, Preacher's Club, and Phi Gamma Delta(5). He graduated in 1911 with a B.A.(6). After graduation he reached his goal of studying at Northwestern University(7,8).
(1) The title of a Dec 1905 contest piece was, "The Price of Union." The Earlham Sargasso of 1906. Vol 1. Richmond, IN: Earlham College, 1906. p. 93
(2) The Earlham College Bulletin: The Annual Catalog 1905-1906. Vol 3 No. 3. Richmond, IN: Board of Trustees, May 1, 1906. p. 9
(3a) The Sombrero. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1908. p. 71
[Note: 1908 is the only year the yearbook was given this title; Internet Archive titles it The Mirage. (DePauw University, A Pictorial History. Chapter Two: DePauw University, 1884-1918: Student Publications [https://library.depauw.edu/library/archives/ehistory/chapter2/publication.html#gsc.tab=0])
(3b) The Phi Gamma Delta. Vol 31 No. 4. Indianapolis: Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Feb 1909. p. 393
(4) The Phi Gamma Delta. Vol 33 No. 7. Louisville, KY: Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, May 1911. p. 696
(6) Weik, Jesse W. ed. Alumnal Record DePauw University. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1915. p. 310
[Note: References 3a and 3b have the suffix " '10" after Flynn's name, which was apparently his plan at the time. By way of verification, the 1910 Mirage doesn't include him in the senior class, states he was the 1908 peace representative for the Intercollegiate Peace Association, but for reasons unknown doesn't include his portrait among the juniors (class of 1911). (Mirage. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1910. p. 251). As a preacher in 1907 he was already in charge of the Putnamville Circuit. Add to that his ordination as a deacon in 1910, and one might speculate his religious duties impacted his college timeline.
(7) The Phi Gamma Delta. Vol 33 No. 7. p. 695
(8) The Phi Gamma Delta. Vol 34 No. 2. Cumberland, MD: Phi Gamma Delta Fraternity, Nov 1911. p. 210
Career
Rev. Flynn's ministry spans decades (college to 1940's), the country (California, Iowa, Indiana, New York), church hierarchy (preacher to district superintendent), and an array of leadership positions on committees, publication initiatives, et al. All the while, his writings continued to be published.
Achievements
1914: Elected Vice President of the Methodist Ministerial Association (Western Christian Advocate. Vol 80 No. 42. Cincinnati: Methodist Book Concern, Oct 21, 1914. p. 1205)
As of Sep 1920: officer on Deaconess Board and Board of Examiners (p. 7); President of Sunday School Society (p. 9); on committees: Hospitals and Deaconess Home, Sabbath and Amusements (p. 11); on State and Conference Council of the Indianapolis Area (Evansville) (p. 18). (Minutes of the Eighty-Ninth Session, Indiana Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, September 15-20, 1920. Vincennes, IN: the Conference, 1920.)
As of Sep 1921: officer on Deaconess Board and Board of Examiners (p. 165); President of Sunday School Society (p. 167); visitor for Illinois Woman’s College (p. 168); on committees: Children’s Home, Hospitals and Deaconess Home, Sabbath and Amusements (p. 169); on State and Conference Council of the Indianapolis Area (Evansville) and the special committee Distribution Groendyke Will (p. 170, 183). (Minutes of the Ninetieth Session, Indiana Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, September 14-19, 1921. Connersville, IN: the Conference, 1921.)
As of Sep 1922: Superintendent of Bloomington District (pp. 328, 339); on Church Board, Bloomington District (Bloomington), one of the superintendents on Deaconess Board, and on Commission on Finance (Bloomington District) (p. 329); among superintendents on Board of Foreign Missions (p. 330); on committees: Children’s Home, Hospitals and Deaconess Home (p. 333); on committee Sabbath and Amusements, the Conference Centenary Council (Bloomington district, Worthington), and the State and Conference Council of the Indianapolis Area (Bloomington) (p. 334). (Minutes of the Ninety-First Session, Indiana Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, September 13-18, 1922. Greensburg, IN: the Conference, 1922.)
As of Sep 1923: on Board of Education and Board of Examiners (p. 487); among trustees for Indiana Methodist Children’s Home at Greencastle (p. 490); on committee Children’s Home (p. 491); on committee Sabbath and Amusements, and to represent the Commission on Children's Home before the North West Indiana Conference (p. 492); on State Council, Bloomington District (Bloomington) (p. 493); preacher in Bloomington (First Church), thus far one year consecutive (p. 498). (Minutes of the Ninety-Second Session, Indiana Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, September 11-17, 1923. Evansville, IN: the Conference, 1923.)
1924: Chosen to give the invocation at IU-Bloomington's commencement (p. 360), and to pronounce the invocation at the centennial celebration of the opening of Indiana University (p. 379). (Indiana University Alumni Quarterly. Vol 11 No. 3. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Association of Alumni and Former Students, Jul 1924.)
As of Sep 1924: on Board of Education and Board of Examiners (p. 4, 25); visitor for DePauw University (p. 6); trustee for Evansville College, trustee for Indiana Methodist Children’s Home at Lebanon, and on committee Children’s Home (p. 7); on special committee for National Defense Test Day, and on State Council, Bloomington District (Bloomington) (p. 9). (Minutes of the Ninety-Third Session, Indiana Annual Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, September 10-15, 1924. Indianapolis, IN: the Conference, 1924.)
1925: Chosen to pronounce the benediction at the IU-Bloomington's commencement. (Indiana University Alumni Quarterly. Vol 12 No. 3. Alumni Association of Indiana University, Jul 1925. p. 324)
1926: Chosen to lead a convocation at IU(1) and give the invocation at IU-Bloomington's commencement(2). (1) Indiana University Bulletin: Indiana University Catalog. Vol 24 No. 9. Bloomington: Indiana University, Jun 15, 1926. p. 86, (2) Indiana University Alumni Quarterly. Vol 13 No. 3. Indianapolis: Indiana University Association of Alumni and Former Students, Jul 1926. p. 265
1927: Chosen to give the invocation at IU-Bloomington's commencement. (Indiana University Alumni Quarterly. Vol 14 No. 3. Bloomington, IN: Indiana University Association of Alumni and Former Students, Jul 1927. p. 307)
1928: Delegate (reserve) for Bloomington at national Delegated General Conference, and seated one day in primary delegate's absence. (Wade, Raymond J. and John M. Arters, eds. Journal of the Thirtieth Delegated General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Held in Kansas City, Missouri, May 1-May 29, 1928. New York: The Methodist Book Concern, 1928. pp. 24, 357)
(He was buried on Dec 20, 1926. (Indiana University Alumni...)
1926
Views
[ 1911 ] Took action to protect his ministry's area of responsibility, Broad Ripple, from the potential negative impacts of alcohol by filing an affidavit for a search warrant subsequently served by the marshal, resulting in the seizure of 112 gallons of beer. (The American Issue. Vol 6 No. 37. Westerville, OH: American Issue Publishing Col, Sep 12, 1911. p. 2) [ 1919 ] He was 1 of 20,000 clergymen to sign a petition for the independence of Armenia that was addressed to POTUS. (A Petition to His Excellency Woodrow Wilson. New York: The American Committee for the Independence of Armenia, Mar 1919. p. 36) [ 1930 ] One of many to sponsor the East Bay Regional Park Association's support for proposed park reservations under consideration at the time. (Olmsted Brothers and Ansel F. Hall. Report on Proposed Park Reservations for East Bay Cities (California). Berkeley, CA: Bureau of Public Administration, University of California, Dec 1930. p. 2) [ 1932 ] In a letter to the editor of "A Journalette of Prevenient Thought": "I feel very much interested in your undertaking. So far as I know, you are doing a piece of work representative of the thing I have been trying to do from the pulpit and with the pen for a good many years. I have followed this work with interest and will be glad to cooperate in it as opportunity affords.” (The Whisper. Montague, MI: Joseph A. Sadony, May 1932. p. 2)
Quotations:
"In trying to make science read like a fairy tale, one must not make a fairy tale of it." (Leete, Frederick D. Christianity in Science. New York: The Abingdon Press, 1928. p. 137)
Membership
Phi Gamma Delta, Pi Gamma Mu, Kiwanis(1); American Association for the Advancement of Science(2)
(1) Lawrence, Alberta, ed. Who’s Who Among North American Authors: Vol 5 1931-1932. Los Angeles: Golden Syndicate Publishing Co., 1931. p. 1089
(2) Who Was Who Among North American Authors 1921-1939. Vol 1 A-J, Gale Composite Biographical Dictionary Series No. 1. Detroit: An Omnigraphics Books, Gale Research Co., 1976. p.532
Personality
In the early 1940s he retired from pastoral duties and invested more time in writing. To gain some insight into what he may have faced as a writer, there's Margaret Nickerson Martin's letter to an editor regarding aspects of writing poetry and its publication at the time: The Author & Journalist. Vol 27 No. 6. Denver: Author & Journalist Publishing Co., Jun 1942. p. 4 (https://archive.org/details/sim_author-journalist_the-author-and-journalis_1942-06_27_6/page/4/mode/2up).
Quotes from others about the person
1906: "Flynn affords a splendid example of a young man working his way through school. He has entered the ministery [sic] and although a beginner has made a good impression in the sermons he has preached." An article about Flynn becoming the new night clerk at the Westcott Hotel in Richmond, also mentioning he had prior experience at the Elmora Hotel in Bloomfield. (The Richmond Palladium. Vol 31 No. 211. Richmond, IN: Palladium Printing Co., Aug 28, 1906. p. 1)
1907: “Affairs have progressed in general on Putnamville Circuit, a student charge near Greencastle, during the past year….the spiritual condition of the membership has been strengthened. The pastor, Clarence E. Flynn, is still a very young man and serving his first pastoral charge.” (Western Christian Advocate. Vol 73 No. 36. Cincinnati: Western Methodist Book Concern, Sep 4, 1907. p. 21)
1911: "a forceful writer, and his productions are characterized by beauty, music and dignity. As a speaker he is quiet and convincing.” (p. 133). And later it adds, "a peaceful Irishman." (p. 211) (Mirage. Greencastle, IN: DePauw University, 1911.)
1915: #1 of 3: “One of the most brilliant papers read this year before the Methodist Ministers’ Meeting was given on April 19 by the Rev. Clarence E. Flynn of Blaine Avenue Methodist Episcopal Church. The title of the paper was, 'The Bible as an Educational Subject.' (Jun 2, p. 545). #2 of 3: A poem he read as a tribute on a minister's 86th birthday is described as “exquisite” [note: middle initial “D” is a typographical error ] (Jun 16, p. 594). #3 of 3: “The [Blaine Avenue] church has made a record for itself under the leadership of the pastor, Clarence E. Flynn….” (Aug 18, p. 812). (Western Christian Advocate. Vol 81 No. 22 (Jun 2), No. 24 (jun 16), No. 33 (Aug 18). Cincinnati: Methodist Book Concern, 1915.)
1918: "Special acknowledgment is due.... To his loyalty, devotion, skill, acumen, and keen discernment the Educational-Jubilee, the Board of Education, the Educational Association, and the Church are under obligation." (Hancher, John William ed. and Flynn, Clarence Edwin assoc. ed. The Educational-Jubilee; A Chronicle and a Forecast. 2nd ed. Cincinnati: The Educational-Jubilee Commission of the Methodist Episcopal Church, 1918. p. 14)
1928: "Grateful recognition...in correcting proof and in confirming items of fact..." (Leete, Frederick D. Christianity in Science. 1928. p. 8)
1930: "Messages of consolation by ministers eminent for their services of solace" is the subtitle to an anthology on the topic of death and bereavement, in which the second chapter is written by Flynn. Later, the foreword has, "They who have contributed were invited to do so because of the regard in which they are held for their surpassing ministry of comfort." (The Light Shines Through. New York: The Abingdon Press, 1930. p. 8)
1935: "contributions of good writers—...Clarence E. Flynn...—to name just a few off-hand. Incidentally, if you belong to that group of writers who think there’s no competition in the religious publications for your work, you'll have another thought coming if you insist on sending out mediocre work." (Writer's Digest. Vol 15 No. 12. Cincinnati: Writer's Digest Publishing Co., Nov 1935. p. 32)
1938: "One of the highlights of the collection is a picture of Hippocrates with a poem dedicated to him written by Clarence Flynn." That is the concluding remark in a review of a private collection of Hippocrates-related items on loan to a local library. (The Florida Alligator. Vol 29 No. 17. Gainesville: Students of the University of Florida. Feb 12, 1938. p. 6)
1941: "and Clarence Edwin Flynn, a poet of national fame will be guests of honor." Flynn was one of two honored guests at the annual "Poet's Breakfast" of the Utah Writers' Roundup. (The Deseret News. Salt Lake City: July 19, 1941. p. 1)
1952: "strong leader", "remarkable pastorate", "writing remarkable poems." Words of Methodist Bishop Frederick D. Leete in his autobiography. (Adventures of a Traveling Preacher. 1952. pp. 208, 216, 230)
1964: Mr. Julian Metz, Executive Director of the Greater Charleston (S.C.) Chamber of Commerce, in a speech on the subject of George Washington, called Flynn "poet" before reciting an untitled poem describing an adequate man. Metz continues after the poem, "George Washington was such a man." Senator Strom Thurmond (S.C.) was so impressed after reading the speech that he had it printed into the congressional record. (Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Vol 110, Part 23 (Mar 2, 1964 to Oct 3, 1964), Appendix. Washington D.C.: Government Printing Office, Oct 3, 1964. pp. A1296-1297.)
Connections
He married and had one daughter. His wife preceded him in death.
Father:
John Wesley Flynn
Mother:
Matilda Caroline (Cullison) Flynn
Spouse:
Mayme (King) Flynn
Married: Oct 21, 1911
Died: Feb 15, 1942
Find a Grave Memorial ID 167419101, Maintained by A. P. Reed (contributor 48008650).(https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/167419101/mame_marie-flynn),
Daughter:
Nancy Caroline (Flynn) Kelsey
Born: Aug 31, 1912
Died: Nov 13, 2003
Find a Grave Memorial ID 157615570, Maintained by Mark Utley (contributor 47178748) (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/157615570/nancy_caroline-kelsey),
References
Find a Grave Memorial
Contains images of grave, obituary and a cousin's oral history. Find a Grave Memorial ID 167419100, maintained by A. P. Reed (contributor 48008650).
Who’s Who in America: A Biographical Dictionary of Notable Living Men and Women
Short bio as submitted by Flynn. Since he did not respond to future requests for information, he was declared "non-current" in: Who Was Who in America: A Companion Biographical Reference Work to Who’s Who in America [Volumes 22 to 26 inclusive (1943-1950)]. Vol 2. Chicago: The A. N. Marquis Co., 1950. p. 608 (https://archive.org/details/whowaswhoinameri0002vari/page/100/mode/2up?q=flynn)
Who's Who Among Among North American Authors
Links to vol 5 (1931-1932), which has same data as in vol 4 (1929-1930) but vol 5 includes daughter. He's in vol 6 (1933-1935) but haven't found viewable online source; it might contribute an address during his time in New York. (Lawrence, Alberta ed. Who's Who Among North American Authors. 1931-1932. Los Angeles: Golden Syndicate Publishing Co., 1931. p. 1089)
1931
Who Was Who Among North American Authors, 1921-1939
This volume has the latest entry for authors found in editor Alberta Lawrence's 7-volume series. (Who Was Who Among North American Authors 1921-1939. Vol 1 A-J, Gale Composite Biographical Dictionary Series No. 1. Detroit: An Omnigraphics Books, Gale Research Co., 1976. p.532)
1976
1950 Census
“Berkeley Inn” (“Hotel”) at 2501 Haste St [intersection w/ Telegraph Ave], room 204, lodger, last birthday=63, “wd”=widowed, born in IN, “working” “most of last week” “50 hours”, occupation=”writing” “for self”
DePauw University
, Honorary Doctor of Divinity [template's "studied at" may be erroneous here] (The Christian Advocate. Vol 99 No. 26. New York: The Methodist Book Concern, Jun 26, 1924. pp. 812-813)
Greencastle, IN
