Background

William Andrew Leonard was born at Southport, Connecticut, and died at Gambier, Ohio. His father was William Boardman Leonard, a banker, of Brooklyn, New York; his mother, Louisa Dimon Bulkley. The Leonards were among the earliest settlers of Taunton, Massachussets, where they carried on the smelting of iron from local ores; the Bulkleys were descended from Peter Bulkeley, a noted non-conformist divine who came to America in 1635 and founded Concord, Massachussets.

Education

William received his academic education at Phillips Academy, Andover, and at St. Stephen's College, Annandale, New York. He graduated at the Berkeley Divinity School in 1871.

Career

During the Civil War Leonard enlisted in the Union army, but, being under military age, was withdrawn by his father. He was ordained deacon of the Protestant Episcopal Church on May 31 of that year, and was advanced to the priesthood, July 21, 1872. He was assistant minister in Holy Trinity Church, Brooklyn, 1871-1872, and rector of the Church of the Redeemer, Brooklyn, 1872-1880. He founded the Brooklyn Free Library, and was chaplain of the 23rd Regiment, New York National Guard.

From 1880 to 1889 he was rector of St. John's Church, Washington, where he became a near friend of many men of national prominence. He declined elections as bishop of Washington Territory, 1880, and as assistant bishop of Southern Ohio, 1889; but in the latter year accepted election as assistant bishop of Ohio, and was consecrated October 12, 1889. Six days later, upon the resignation of Bishop Bedell, he became bishop of that diocese.

He was in charge of the Protestant Episcopal churches in Europe from 1897 to 1906, and was president of the Fifth Province of the Episcopal Church for ten years (1914 - 1924). Upon the death of the presiding bishop, J. G. Murray, in October 1929, he became by seniority acting presiding bishop until the election of Bishop C. P. Anderson to that office in the following November; and again, upon the death of Bishop Anderson in January 1930, he became acting presiding bishop until the election of Bishop James De Wolf Perry in March following. For many years he was a trustee of Western Reserve University, Cleveland, and of Lake Erie College, Painesville, Ohio.

Among his published works are: Via Sacra (1875); History of the Christian Church (1878), for Sunday Schools; A Faithful Life (1888); New York Church Club Lectures (1893); Witness of the American Church to Pure Christianity (1894); and a life of his grandfather, Stephen Banks Leonard (1909). He was devoutly religious, conservative in his views of theology and ritual, yet widely tolerant of differences of opinion and practice among his clergy; under him the diocese was singularly united and at peace.

Achievements

• Leonard's most prominent achievements in Ohio were the building of the cathedral in Cleveland, which was consecrated in 1907, and the strengthening of Kenyon College and its divinity school, Bexley Hall, at Gambier, which institutions he found in a feeble condition financially and administratively.

Works

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• book

  • A Brief History of the Christian Church (Classic Reprint)

    (Excerpt from A Brief History of the Christian Church Bat...)

  • Stephen Banks Leonard of Owego, Tioga County, New York

    (Unlike some other reproductions of classic texts (1) We h...)

  • Music in the western church: A lecture on the history of psalmody

    (Music in the western church - A lecture on the history of...)

  • Sermon

    (This is a pre-1923 historical reproduction that was curat...)

  • Via Sacra: Or, Footprints Of Christ. A Book For Holy Week...

    (This is a reproduction of a book published before 1923. T...)

  • Witness of the American Church to Pure Christianity Bedell Lectures for 1893

Personality

Leonard was a man of great personal dignity. He was yet exceedingly genial and hospitable.

Connections

In 1873 Leonard married Sarah Louisa Sullivan, of Brooklyn, who died in 1916.

Father:

William Boardman Leonard

banker

Mother:

Louisa Dimon Bulkley

Spouse:

Sarah Louisa Sullivan

References

• William Andrew Leonard: A Beloved Prelate Of The Old School
• Observances in Honor of the Thirtieth Anniversary of the Consecration to the Episcopate of William Andrew Leonard (Fourth Bishop of the Diocese of Ohio)