Ernest A. Lyon (October 22, 1860 – July 17, 1938) was an

African-American African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa. ...

minister, educator and diplomat.

Early life and education

Lyon was born on October 22, 1860, in on the coast of Belize,

British Honduras British Honduras was a Crown colony on the east coast of Central America — specifically located on the southern edge of the Yucatan Peninsula from 1783 to 1964, then a self-governing colony — renamed Belize from June 1973

to Emmanuel Lyon and Ann F. Bending. As a child, Lyon attended an English school in

Belize Belize is a country on the north-eastern coast of Central America. It is bordered by Mexico to the north, the Caribbean Sea to the east, and Guatemala to the west and south. It also shares a maritime boundary with Honduras to the southeast. P ...

. His father died when he was young. Lyon "became a Christian by experience October 24, 1875." Lyon immigrated to the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in mid 1870s to increase his education opportunities. For three years he attended the Gilbert Industrial Institute in La Teche,

Louisiana Louisiana ( ; ; ) is a state in the Deep South and South Central regions of the United States. It borders Texas to the west, Arkansas to the north, and Mississippi to the east. Of the 50 U.S. states, it ranks 31st in area and 25 ...

. In 1880, Lyon attended

Straight University Straight University (known as Straight College after 1915) was an American historically black college that operated between 1868 and 1934 in New Orleans, Louisiana. After struggling with financial difficulties, it was merged with New Orleans U ...

. From 1881 to 1883, he attended the Gilbert Seminary while serving as the pastor of the Methodist Episcopal Church, Baldwin, later called Winston. It was here that he met his first wife, Abbie J. Wright who reluctantly married Lyon in a wedding officiated by Rev. W.D. Godman, the president of Gilbert Seminary. Lyon graduated with A.B. degree in the

classics Classics, also classical studies or Ancient Greek and Roman studies, is the study of classical antiquity. In the Western world, ''classics'' traditionally refers to the study of Ancient Greek literature, Ancient Greek and Roman literature and ...

from

New Orleans University New Orleans University was a historically black college that operated between 1869 and 1935 in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It was founded by Freedmen's Aid Society and the Methodist Episcopal Church. It merged with Straight College in ...

in 1888. He later earned an A.M. degree in

theology Theology is the study of religious belief from a Religion, religious perspective, with a focus on the nature of divinity. It is taught as an Discipline (academia), academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itse ...

from

Union Theological Seminary Union Theological Seminary in the City of New York (shortened to UTS or Union) is a Private college, private ecumenical liberal Christian seminary in Morningside Heights, Manhattan, affiliated with Columbia University since 1928. Presently, Co ...

. Lyon has a D.D. degree from

Wiley College Wiley University (formerly Wiley College) is a private historically black college in Marshall, Texas. Founded in 1873 by the Methodist Episcopal Church's Bishop Isaac Wiley and certified in 1882 by the Freedman's Aid Society, it is one of the ...

and a L.L.D from

University of Liberia The University of Liberia (UL or LU in older versions of abbreviation) is a publicly funded institution of higher learning located in Monrovia, Liberia. Authorized by the national government in 1851, the university opened in 1862 as Liberia Coll ...

Career

1882–1900: Career beginnings

Lyon joined the Louisiana Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church in 1882. The next year, in 1883, Lyon became the first charge in La Teche. In 1894, he "was appointed Sunday School Agent of the Louisiana Conference." He also served as the Conference statistical secretary and the reserve delegate of the General conference for several years. He was an editor of the Sunday school column in the '' Southwestern Christian Advocate''. By 1895, Lyon was the "special agent of the Freedman's Aid and Southern Educational Society." Later he served as a pastor in multiple churches in

New Orleans New Orleans (commonly known as NOLA or The Big Easy among other nicknames) is a Consolidated city-county, consolidated city-parish located along the Mississippi River in the U.S. state of Louisiana. With a population of 383,997 at the 2020 ...

including the Mallalieu Methodist Episcopal Church in 1886, the Thompson Church in 1889, and the Simpson Church in 1891. In 1896, he was the pastor of St. Mark's Church in

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Lyon was a member of the New York City Missionary and Church Extension Society. While pastor of St. Mark's Church, Lyon was the only African American among 300 members of the New York Conference. As an ardent Republican, Lyon was appointed as an auxiliary member of the

Republican National Committee The Republican National Committee (RNC) is the primary committee of the Republican Party of the United States. Its members are chosen by the state delegations at the national convention every four years. It is responsible for developing and pr ...

in 1884. In this role, all matters about the "colored vote" in the

Eastern United States The Eastern United States, often abbreviated as simply the East, is a macroregion of the United States located to the east of the Mississippi River. It includes 17–26 states and Washington, D.C., the national capital. As of 2011, the Eastern ...

were referred to him. In 1890, Lyon was appointed by the

RNC RNC may refer to: Science and technology * Radio Network Controller, a governing element of a mobile phone network * Ribosome-nascent chain complex, in biology * Romanian National R&D Computer Network, registry for the .ro top-level domain * .rnc, ...

as a member of the advisory board.

1901–1902: Foundation of Maryland school for colored youths and Morgan College

In 1901, Lyon was the pastor of the John Wesley Methodist Episcopal Church in

Baltimore, Maryland Baltimore is the List of municipalities in Maryland, most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the List of United States ...

. That same year he worked as the professor of church history at Morgan College. He was among the founders of the Maryland Industrial and Agricultural Institute for Colored Youths, a school for African-American youth in

North Laurel, Maryland North Laurel is a census-designated place (CDP) in Howard County, Maryland, Howard County, Maryland, United States. The published population was 4,474 at the 2010 census. This population was substantially less than the CDP's population in 2000, an ...

. He later served as the first president of the school.

1903–1910: Politics and U.S. Ambassador to Liberia

The civil rights leader

Booker T. Washington Booker Taliaferro Washington (April 5, 1856November 14, 1915) was an American educator, author, and orator. Between 1890 and 1915, Washington was the primary leader in the African-American community and of the contemporary Black elite#United S ...

recommended Lyon to President

Theodore Roosevelt Theodore Roosevelt Jr. (October 27, 1858 – January 6, 1919), also known as Teddy or T.R., was the 26th president of the United States, serving from 1901 to 1909. Roosevelt previously was involved in New York (state), New York politics, incl ...

, who appointed him U.S. Minister and Consul General to

Liberia Liberia, officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country on the West African coast. It is bordered by Sierra Leone to Liberia–Sierra Leone border, its northwest, Guinea to Guinea–Liberia border, its north, Ivory Coast to Ivory Coast–Lib ...

in 1903. He served in this capacity until 1910. Following his diplomatic service, he returned to Baltimore to become the minister of Ames Methodist Episcopal Church.

1911–death: Liberian Consul General to the United States

In 1911, Lyon was appointed Liberian Consul General to the United States. He remained in this position until his death in 1938. During his tenure, Liberia paid off its World War I debt to the United States. Lyon was "member committee" for the Negro Historical and Industrial Association which "invited President

Woodrow Wilson Thomas Woodrow Wilson (December 28, 1856February 3, 1924) was the 28th president of the United States, serving from 1913 to 1921. He was the only History of the Democratic Party (United States), Democrat to serve as president during the Prog ...

to deliver address on opening day of 50th anniversary exposition and celebration of

emancipation Emancipation generally means to free a person from a previous restraint or legal disability. More broadly, it is also used for efforts to procure Economic, social and cultural rights, economic and social rights, civil and political rights, po ...

at Fort Lee,

Virginia Virginia, officially the Commonwealth of Virginia, is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Mid-Atlantic (United States), Mid-Atlantic regions of the United States between the East Coast of the United States ...

." Lyons was one of ten people to represent the intellectual contributions of

African Americans African Americans, also known as Black Americans and formerly also called Afro-Americans, are an American racial and ethnic group that consists of Americans who have total or partial ancestry from any of the Black racial groups of Africa ...

in an international lecture course hosted by the

Maryland State Department of Education Maryland State Department of Education (MSDE) is a division of the state government of Maryland in the United States. The agency oversees public school districts, which are 24 local school systems—one for each of Maryland's 23 counties plus on ...

in Baltimore. In 1915, his office was located at 141 West Hill Street, Baltimore, Maryland.

Personal life

Lyon was first married to singer Abbie J. Wright in 1883. Together they had three children, Maud Amelia, Annie Belle, and Ernest Harrison Monroe. In 1903, Lyon married Clara Florida Bacchus (1878-?) of

Wilmington, Delaware Wilmington is the List of municipalities in Delaware, most populous city in the U.S. state of Delaware. The city was built on the site of Fort Christina, the first Swedish colonization of the Americas, Swedish settlement in North America. It lie ...

. He was married for a third time on March 28, 1912, to Marie Wright of

Baltimore Baltimore is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Maryland. With a population of 585,708 at the 2020 census and estimated at 568,271 in 2024, it is the 30th-most populous U.S. city. The Baltimore metropolitan area is the 20th-large ...

. In 1915, Lyon resided in

Laurel, Maryland Laurel is a city in Maryland, United States, located midway between Washington, D.C., and Baltimore on the banks of the Patuxent River, in northern Prince George's County. Its population was 30,060 at the 2020 census. Founded as a mill town i ...

. He died of

lobar pneumonia Lobar pneumonia is a form of pneumonia characterized by inflammatory exudate within the intra-alveolar space resulting in consolidation that affects a large and continuous area of the lobe of a lung. It is one of three anatomic classifications ...

on July 17, 1938, at the

Johns Hopkins Hospital Johns Hopkins Hospital (JHH) is the teaching hospital and biomedical research facility of Johns Hopkins School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland. Founded in 1889, Johns Hopkins Hospital and its school of medicine are considered to be the foundin ...

Works consulted

*William Davis Godman, A. H. Dexter Godman, Ines A. Godman. 1893. ''Gilbert Academy and Agricultural College, Winsted, Louisiana: Sketches and Incidents''. *William Edward Burghardt Du Bois. 1917. ''The Crisis'', Volumes 15–18 (p. 29). *Sir Harry Hamilton Johnston. 1910. ''The Negro in the New World''. *John William Leonard, Albert Nelson Marquis (eds). ''Who's Who in America'', Volume 4. *''The Journal of Negro History''. *''The National Cyclopaedia of American Biography'', Volume 14. 1910. *''Accomplished: African American Women in Victorian America'', 2014, BIG BYTE BOOKS *1900 United States Federal Census

References

Footnotes

External links

*
U.S. Ambassador to Liberia: Ernest Lyon
{{DEFAULTSORT:Lyon, Ernest 1860 births 1938 deaths American people of Belizean descent Consuls for the United States African-American Methodist clergy 19th-century African-American educators Belizean emigrants to the United States Belizean expatriates in the United States Ambassadors of the United States to Liberia 20th-century American diplomats British Honduras people 19th-century American educators 20th-century American educators 19th-century American Methodist ministers 20th-century American Methodist ministers University of Liberia alumni Wiley University alumni Dillard University alumni Union Theological Seminary alumni People from Laurel, Maryland People from Howard County, Maryland Religious leaders from Baltimore Educators from Maryland Morgan State University faculty Religious leaders from Louisiana 19th-century people from Louisiana Diplomats from New Orleans Educators from Louisiana Theodore Roosevelt administration personnel Taft administration personnel Founders of American schools and colleges African-American founders Deaths from pneumonia in Maryland Straight University alumni 20th-century African-American academics 20th-century American academics 19th-century African-American academics 19th-century American academics