Andrew Thomas McCormick (1761 – April 27, 1841) was an

Episcopal Episcopal may refer to: *Of or relating to a bishop, an overseer in the Christian church *Episcopate, the see of a bishop – a diocese *Episcopal Church (disambiguation), any church with "Episcopal" in its name ** Episcopal Church (United States ...

clergyman and

Chaplain of the United States Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

. Historians sometimes render his name as ''Alexander Thomas McCormick,'' likely confusing him with his brother Alexander Hugh McCormick, but his tombstone reads "Andrew Thomas McCormick".

Early years

McCormick was born in County Donegal in

Ireland Ireland (, ; ; Ulster Scots dialect, Ulster-Scots: ) is an island in the North Atlantic Ocean, in Northwestern Europe. Geopolitically, the island is divided between the Republic of Ireland (officially Names of the Irish state, named Irelan ...

in 1761. He was brought up as a

Presbyterian Presbyterianism is a historically Reformed Protestant tradition named for its form of church government by representative assemblies of elders, known as "presbyters". Though other Reformed churches are structurally similar, the word ''Pr ...

. He came to the United States and became an Episcopalian. He was made a deacon by the Rt. Rev. Dr.

Thomas John Claggett Thomas John Claggett (October 2, 1743 – August 2, 1816) was the first bishop of the newly formed American Episcopal Church to be consecrated on American soil and the first bishop of the recently established (1780) Diocese of Maryland. Early ...

, Bishop of Maryland, on June 15, 1794. The date he was ordained as a priest is not on record.

Ministry

McCormick became assistant rector in Queen Anne Parish, ( St. Barnabas Church (Upper Marlboro, Maryland)),

Prince George's County, Maryland Prince George's County (often shortened to PG County or PG) is located in the U.S. state of Maryland bordering the eastern portion of Washington, D.C. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 U.S. census, the population was 967,201, making it ...

. In 1796, he took charge of a classical school in the new city of

Washington, D.C. Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly known as Washington or D.C., is the capital city and federal district of the United States. The city is on the Potomac River, across from Virginia, and shares land borders with ...

prior to the creation of a public school system. The Rev. George Ralph, his predecessor in the school, had recently resigned to take charge of the newly organized parish of Washington, known as Christ Church, Washington Parish. In 1798, Mr. McCormick helped Ralph establish the first Episcopal Church in Washington, Christ Church, and became assistant at it. It was opened in a converted barn. Many notable early residents attended services there, including Presidents Jefferson and John Quincy Adams. On May 4, 1806, he was elected rector, a position he would continue to fill through 1823. In 1807, the church moved to a larger brick structure near the Navy Yard.

John Quincy Adams John Quincy Adams (; July 11, 1767 – February 23, 1848) was the sixth president of the United States, serving from 1825 to 1829. He previously served as the eighth United States secretary of state from 1817 to 1825. During his long diploma ...

was a Unitarian, not an Episcopalian, but decided while Secretary of State to go to Christ Church. The reason, he wrote in his diary in 1819, was that its rector, Andrew McCormick, was the only preacher in town worth hearing. ''I have at last given the preference to Mr. McCormick, of the Episcopal Church,'' Adams noted in the entry for October 24, ''and spoke to him last week for a pew.'' During this period, McCormick served as

Chaplain of the Senate The chaplain of the United States Senate opens each session of the United States Senate with a prayer, and provides and coordinates religious programs and pastoral care support for senators, their staffs, and their families. The chaplain is appoi ...

(1804–1805 and 1807–1808).

Later years

McCormick served on the board of trustees of Washington's Eastern Free School, one of only two schools in the city, from 1802 to 1816 and as its president from 1816 to 1841 and was credited with the school's survival. His nephew Hugh was the teacher at the school from 1825 to 1844. McCormick died in 1841 at age of 80. The McCormick School located on the east side of the 1200 block of 3rd St., SE and opened in 1870 was either named for him or for his nephew Hugh. It was closed in 1909 and torn down around 1915.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:McCormick, A. T. 18th-century Irish Anglican priests 1770 births 1840 deaths Christian clergy from County Donegal Chaplains of the United States Senate 18th-century American Episcopal priests 19th-century American Episcopal priests Irish emigrants to the United States