Collins Denny
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Collins Denny (May 28, 1854 – May 12, 1943) was an American clergyman and educator. He was Professor of Mental and Moral Philosophy at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
from 1891 to 1910. He served as
bishop A bishop is an ordained member of the clergy who is entrusted with a position of Episcopal polity, authority and oversight in a religious institution. In Christianity, bishops are normally responsible for the governance and administration of di ...
of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South from 1910 to 1943.


Early life

Collins Denny was born in
Winchester Winchester (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city in Hampshire, England. The city lies at the heart of the wider City of Winchester, a local government Districts of England, district, at the western end of the South Downs N ...
,
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 ...
, on May 28, 1854. His father was William R. Denny and his mother, Margaret A. Collins. He had a sister, later married to M. D. James of
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,
Texas Texas ( , ; or ) is the most populous U.S. state, state in the South Central United States, South Central region of the United States. It borders Louisiana to the east, Arkansas to the northeast, Oklahoma to the north, New Mexico to the we ...
. Denny was educated in Winchester. He graduated
Princeton University Princeton University is a private university, private Ivy League research university in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. Founded in 1746 in Elizabeth, New Jersey, Elizabeth as the College of New Jersey, Princeton is the List of Colonial ...
, where he was captain of the 1875 football team. He attended graduate school at the
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 ...
, and received a Doctorate of Divinity from Randolph–Macon College, Emory and Henry College, and
Washington and Lee University Washington and Lee University (Washington and Lee or W&L) is a Private college, private Liberal arts colleges in the United States, liberal arts college in Lexington, Virginia, United States. Established in 1749 as Augusta Academy, it is among ...
.


Career

Denny entered the ordained ministry of the Baltimore Annual Conference of the M.E. Church, South in 1880. Denny was Professor of Moral and Mental Philosophy at
Vanderbilt University Vanderbilt University (informally Vandy or VU) is a private university, private research university in Nashville, Tennessee, United States. Founded in 1873, it was named in honor of shipping and railroad magnate Cornelius Vanderbilt, who provide ...
from 1891 to 1910. Much of the coursework relied on the writings of Noah K. Davis, due to Denny's admiration of Davis. One of his students was John Crowe Ransom. When he became ordained as bishop in 1910, Denny tried to "impose theological control over the university." As a result, he was dismissed by Chancellor James Hampton Kirkland, and replaced by Herbert Charles Sanborn. Denny never accepted the legitimacy of the Methodist Church, preferring to regard himself as a bishop in the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. He was retired as a bishop in 1932, but continued to challenge the proposed unification of the M.E. Church and M.E. Church, South. He and his son, Collins Denny Jr., took their legal challenge to the U.S. Supreme Court. The court ruled that it had no jurisdiction in the matter, which ended all challenges to the 1939 unification of The Methodist Church. Prior to his election to the episcopacy, Collins toured Asiatic Missions, 1886–87. He served as the chaplain of the
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 ...
, 1889–91. As a bishop he was a member of the Fourth Ecumenical Conference,
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, 1911.


Personal life

Denny married Lucy Chase Chapman. They had a son, Collins Denny Jr., who became a pro-segregationist lawyer in Virginia. They also had four daughters, all of whom were married: Mrs John W. Dixon of Parksley, Virginia; Mrs Eugene E. Vann of Leonia, New Jersey; Mrs Roscoe M. White of Richmond, Virginia; and Mrs Preston W. Slosson of
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.


Death and legacy

Denny died May 12, 1943, in
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. He was buried at the Riverview Cemetery in Richmond.


Selected writings

*''Sketch of Life of Joshua Soule,'' Old Baltimore Conference, J.E. Armstrong, 1907. *Analysis, Davis: ''Elements of Deductive Logic,'' and of his ''Elements of Psychology,'' 1916. *Address: ''Review of Existing Situation,'' Working Conference on Methodist Union, 1916. *A Manual of the ''Discipline'' of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, and Decisions of the College of Bishops, 1931. Originally prepared by H.N. McTyeire, revised and enlarged. *The Legal Action Required to Adopt the Proposed Plan of Methodist Union, Richmond, May 19, 1937. Manifold personally signed by Collins Denny and Collins Denny Jr. In the '' Methodist Bishops' Collection.''


See also

*
List of bishops of the United Methodist Church This is a list of bishops of the United Methodist Church and its predecessor denominations, in order of their election to the episcopacy, both living and dead. 1784–1807 ;Founders * Thomas Coke 1784 * Francis Asbury 1784 * Richard Whatcoat ...


References

*Leete, Frederick DeLand, ''Methodist Bishops''. Nashville, The Parthenon Press, 1948. {{DEFAULTSORT:Denny, Collins 1854 births 1943 deaths People from Winchester, Virginia Princeton University alumni Randolph–Macon College alumni Emory and Henry University alumni Washington and Lee University alumni Vanderbilt University faculty Bishops of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South American Methodist bishops University and college chaplains in the United States