Beverley Dandridge Tucker Jr. (February 4, 1882 – July 4, 1969), was

Rhodes Scholar The Rhodes Scholarship is an international Postgraduate education, postgraduate award for students to study at the University of Oxford in Oxford, United Kingdom. The scholarship is open to people from all backgrounds around the world. Esta ...

who became sixth bishop of the

Episcopal Diocese of Ohio The Diocese of Ohio is part of the worldwide Anglican Communion represented in the United States by The Episcopal Church. It was organized in 1817 and was the first diocese established outside of the original 13 colonies. The first bishop was Phil ...

, serving from 1938 to 1952 and continuing to work for ecumenism and interracial harmony after his retirement.

Biography

His ancestors were among the

First Families of Virginia The First Families of Virginia, or FFV, are a group of early settler families who became a socially and politically dominant group in the British Colony of Virginia and later the Commonwealth of Virginia. They descend from European colonists who ...

. His father, Beverley Dandridge Tucker Sr. was an Episcopal priest who had served in the

Confederate States Army The Confederate States Army (CSA), also called the Confederate army or the Southern army, was the Military forces of the Confederate States, military land force of the Confederate States of America (commonly referred to as the Confederacy) duri ...

and as chaplain of a Confederate veterans group as well as small parishes in Virginia's

Northern Neck The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The P ...

, and later helped establish

Colonial Williamsburg Colonial Williamsburg is a living-history museum and private foundation presenting a part of the historic district in Williamsburg, Virginia. Its historic area includes several hundred restored or recreated buildings from the 18th century, wh ...

and became the second bishop of the

Southern Virginia Southern Virginia is a region in the U.S. state of Virginia located along the border with North Carolina. The region includes the counties of Brunswick, Charlotte, Greensville, Halifax, Henry, Lunenburg, Mecklenburg, and Pittsylvania, and the ...

. Two of his brothers became missionaries in China and Japan. His eldest brother Henry St. George Tucker became the second Missionary Bishop of Kyoto, but returned to his home state and became Bishop of the Diocese of Virginia and later Presiding Bishop of the Episcopal Church. His youngest brother Francis Bland Tucker turned down an invitation to become bishop of

North Carolina North Carolina ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Virginia to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the east, South Carolina to the south, Georgia (U.S. stat ...

, but distinguished himself as a parish priest in

Savannah, Georgia Savannah ( ) is the oldest city in the U.S. state of Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia and the county seat of Chatham County, Georgia, Chatham County. Established in 1733 on the Savannah River, the city of Savannah became the Kingdom of Great Brita ...

, as a theologian helping to revise the

Book of Common Prayer The ''Book of Common Prayer'' (BCP) is the title given to a number of related prayer books used in the Anglican Communion and by other Christianity, Christian churches historically related to Anglicanism. The Book of Common Prayer (1549), fi ...

as well as wrote many hymns included in the Hymnal 1982. This Rt. Rev. Tucker graduated from

University of Virginia The University of Virginia (UVA) is a Public university#United States, public research university in Charlottesville, Virginia, United States. It was founded in 1819 by Thomas Jefferson and contains his The Lawn, Academical Village, a World H ...

in 1902 and from the

Virginia Theological Seminary Virginia Theological Seminary (VTS), formally the Protestant Episcopal Theological Seminary in Virginia, is an Episcopal Church (United States), Episcopal seminary in Alexandria, Virginia. It is the largest and second-oldest such accredited se ...

in 1905. He became a

and studied at

Oxford University The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the second-oldest continuously operating u ...

, earning a B.A. (1908) and M.A. (1912). Rev. Tucker worked as a parish priest (rector) in Charlottesville, Virginia from 1908 to 1920 (at St. Paul's Memorial Episcopal Church near the UVa campus). He was also scoutmaster of Boy Scout Troop No. 1 at University, Va. beginning in 1912 for several years. He then briefly served as a professor at VTS (1920-1923) before deciding to resume his priestly calling in Virginia (1923–38). Selected Bishop of Ohio to succeed

Warren Lincoln Rogers Warren Lincoln Rogers (November 14, 1877 – November 6, 1938) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio from 1930 to 1938; he had served previously as coadjutor from 1925 to 1930. The Wa-Li-Ro Episcopal Choir Camp was named for him. Early life ...

, this Rt.Rev. Tucker was consecrated by many bishops including his eldest brother, William Loyall Gravatt of West Virginia and Thomas C. Darst of East Carolina. Bishop Tucker led his diocese through the

Great Depression The Great Depression was a severe global economic downturn from 1929 to 1939. The period was characterized by high rates of unemployment and poverty, drastic reductions in industrial production and international trade, and widespread bank and ...

and

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, fostering education as well as the development of small churches. He served on the boards of trustees of

Kenyon College Kenyon College ( ) is a Private university, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Gambier, Ohio, United States. It was founded in 1824 by Episcopal Bishop Philander Chase. It is the oldest private instituti ...

Lake Erie College Lake Erie College is a Private university, private liberal arts college in Painesville, Ohio. Founded in 1856 as a female seminary, the college converted to a coeducational institution in 1985. History Lake Erie Female Seminary The semi ...

, and

Western Reserve University Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US * Western, New York, a town in the US * Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia * Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that ...

. Nelson M. Burroughs was appointed his co-adjutor in 1949 and succeeded Bishop Tucker when he retired in 1952. After his retirement, Rt.Rev. Tucker continued working to foster interracial harmony and ecumenism, including by introducing Rev. Dr.

Martin Luther King Jr. Martin Luther King Jr. (born Michael King Jr.; January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968) was an American Baptist minister, civil and political rights, civil rights activist and political philosopher who was a leader of the civil rights move ...

at a rally in

Cleveland, Ohio Cleveland is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Cuyahoga County, Ohio, Cuyahoga County. Located along the southern shore of Lake Erie, it is situated across the Canada–United States border, Canada–U.S. maritime border ...

in 1963.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tucker, Beverley Dandridge Jr 1882 births 1969 deaths People from Warsaw, Virginia Washington family American people of Bermudian descent University of Virginia alumni Virginia Theological Seminary alumni

Beverley Dandridge Tucker Jr. Beverley Dandridge Tucker Jr. (February 4, 1882 – July 4, 1969), was Rhodes Scholar who became sixth bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Ohio, serving from 1938 to 1952 and continuing to work for ecumenism and interracial harmony after his retire ...

American Rhodes Scholars Episcopal bishops of Ohio