Samuel Cook Edsall (February 15, 1860 – February 17, 1917) was a

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 ...

North Dakota North Dakota ( ) is a U.S. state in the Upper Midwest, named after the indigenous Dakota people, Dakota and Sioux peoples. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Saskatchewan and Manitoba to the north and by the U.S. states of Minneso ...

and

Minnesota Minnesota ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Upper Midwestern region of the United States. It is bordered by the Canadian provinces of Manitoba and Ontario to the north and east and by the U.S. states of Wisconsin to the east, Iowa to the so ...

The Episcopal Church The Episcopal Church (TEC), also known as the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America (PECUSA), is a member of the worldwide Anglican Communion, based in the United States. It is a mainline Protestant denomination and is ...

Biography

The son of James K. Edsall,

Illinois Attorney General The Illinois attorney general is the highest legal officer of the state of Illinois in the United States. Originally an appointed office, it is now an office filled by statewide election. Based in Chicago and Springfield, the attorney general ...

, and Caroline Florella More, Edsall graduated from

Racine College Racine College was an Episcopal preparatory school and college in Racine, Wisconsin, that operated between 1852 and 1933. Located south of the city along Lake Michigan, the campus has been maintained and is today known as the DeKoven Cent ...

, and after admission to the bar in 1882, initially followed his father's career, practicing law in

Chicago Chicago is the List of municipalities in Illinois, most populous city in the U.S. state of Illinois and in the Midwestern United States. With a population of 2,746,388, as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the List of Unite ...

. However, Edsall became increasingly drawn to spiritual matters. He attended

Western Theological Seminary Western Theological Seminary (WTS) is a private seminary located in Holland, Michigan. Established in 1866, it is affiliated with the Reformed Church in America, a mainline Reformed Protestant denomination in Canada and the United States ...

, was ordained

deacon A deacon is a member of the diaconate, an office in Christian churches that is generally associated with service of some kind, but which varies among theological and denominational traditions. Major Christian denominations, such as the Cathol ...

on December 23, 1888, and

priest A priest is a religious leader authorized to perform the sacred rituals of a religion, especially as a mediatory agent between humans and one or more deity, deities. They also have the authority or power to administer religious rites; in parti ...

on June 2, 1889, by Bishop

William Edward McLaren William Edward McLaren (December 15, 1831 - February 19, 1905) was the Bishop of Chicago (formerly Illinois) in the Episcopal Church from 1875 until his death in 1905. Early life and education McLaren was born on December 15, 1831, in Geneva, ...

. He served as rector of St. Peter's church in Chicago for a decade. The 1898

General Convention The General Convention is the primary governing and legislative body of the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. With the exception of the Bible, the ''Book of Common Prayer'', and the Constitution and Canons, it is the ultimate autho ...

chose Edsall as the Missionary Bishop of North Dakota and he was consecrated in Chicago on January 25, 1899. In June 6, 1901, he was elected Coadjutor Bishop of Minnesota, and upon the death of bishop

Henry Whipple Henry Benjamin Whipple (February 15, 1822 – September 16, 1901) was the first Episcopal bishop of Minnesota, who gained a reputation as a humanitarian and an advocate for Native Americans. Summary of his life Born in Adams, New York, he ...

, he succeeded as diocesan. He was installed on October 3, 1901. He then moved to

Minneapolis Minneapolis is a city in Hennepin County, Minnesota, United States, and its county seat. With a population of 429,954 as of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, it is the state's List of cities in Minnesota, most populous city. Locat ...

and made it the new headquarters of the Diocese of Minnesota. He served 16 years, dying in office and succeeded by his suffragan, Frank McElwain.

References and external links

New York Times reports his election as bishop

New York Times obituary

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Edsall, Samuel Cook 1860 births 1917 deaths Episcopal bishops of Minnesota People from Dixon, Illinois Illinois lawyers Racine College alumni Seabury-Western Theological Seminary alumni 19th-century American lawyers 19th-century American Episcopal priests Episcopal bishops of North Dakota