Thomas Neely Carruthers (June 10, 1900 – June 12, 1960) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Carolina, serving from 1944 to 1960.

Early life and education

Carruthers was born on June 10, 1900, in

Collierville, Tennessee Collierville ( "call your ville" or "call yer ville"), officially the Town of Collierville, is a town in Shelby County, Tennessee, United States, and a suburb located in the Memphis metropolitan area. With a population of 51,324 in the 2020 Unite ...

, the son of Thomas Neely Carruthers and Linnie Louise Hunter. He was educated at the Collierville High School, before studying at Sewanee: The University of the South, from where he graduated with a

Bachelor of Arts A Bachelor of Arts (abbreviated B.A., BA, A.B. or AB; from the Latin ', ', or ') is the holder of a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate program in the liberal arts, or, in some cases, other disciplines. A Bachelor of Arts deg ...

in 1921. He then earned a

Master of Arts A Master of Arts ( or ''Artium Magister''; abbreviated MA or AM) is the holder of a master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is usually contrasted with that of Master of Science. Those admitted to the degree have ...

from

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 ...

in 1924. He married Ellen Douglas Everett on December 27, 1927. Carruthers also graduated with a

Bachelor of Divinity In Western universities, a Bachelor of Divinity or Baccalaureate in Divinity (BD, DB, or BDiv; ) is an academic degree awarded for a course taken in the study of divinity or related disciplines, such as theology or, rarely, religious studies. ...

from the University of the South in 1929, which also honoured him with a

Doctor of Divinity A Doctor of Divinity (DD or DDiv; ) is the holder of an advanced academic degree in divinity (academic discipline), divinity (i.e., Christian theology and Christian ministry, ministry or other theologies. The term is more common in the Englis ...

in 1940.

Ordained ministry

Carruthers was ordained deacon in June 1925 by Bishop James M. Maxon Coadjutor of Tennessee and priest in May 1926 by Bishop Thomas F. Gailor of Tennessee. He then became rector of St Peter's Church in

Columbia, Tennessee Columbia is a city in and the county seat of Maury County, Tennessee. The population was 41,690 as of the 2020 United States census. Columbia is included in the Nashville metropolitan area. The self-proclaimed "mule capital of the world," Colu ...

in 1926. He became rector of Trinity Church in

Houston, Texas Houston ( ) is the List of cities in Texas by population, most populous city in the U.S. state of Texas and in the Southern United States. Located in Southeast Texas near Galveston Bay and the Gulf of Mexico, it is the county seat, seat of ...

in 1931, and then rector of Christ Church in

Nashville, Tennessee Nashville, often known as Music City, is the capital and List of municipalities in Tennessee, most populous city in the U.S. state of Tennessee. It is the county seat, seat of Davidson County, Tennessee, Davidson County in Middle Tennessee, locat ...

in 1939.

Episcopacy

On January 18, 1944, Carruthers was elected on the third ballot as Bishop of South Carolina during a special convention which was held in St John's Church in

Florence, South Carolina Florence is a city in and the county seat of Florence County, South Carolina, United States. It lies at the intersection of Interstates 20 and 95 and is the eastern terminus of the former. It is the primary city within the Florence metropol ...

. He was consecrated on May 4, 1944, in St Philip's Church in

Charleston, South Carolina Charleston is the List of municipalities in South Carolina, most populous city in the U.S. state of South Carolina. The city lies just south of the geographical midpoint of South Carolina's coastline on Charleston Harbor, an inlet of the Atla ...

, by Presiding Bishop Henry St. George Tucker. From 1953 till 1956, he served as President of Province IV. At the time of his death, he was also Chancellor of the University of the South.

Death

He died in office on June 12, 1960, in

Seabrook Island, South Carolina Seabrook Island, formerly known as Simmons Island, is a barrier island in Charleston County, South Carolina, United States. The population was 1,714 at the 2010 census, up from 1,250 in 2000. Seabrook Island is part of the Charleston-North Cha ...

. He was found dead on the floor of his room, the death being the result of an

Intracerebral hemorrhage Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH), also known as hemorrhagic stroke, is a sudden bleeding into Intraparenchymal hemorrhage, the tissues of the brain (i.e. the parenchyma), into its Intraventricular hemorrhage, ventricles, or into both. An ICH is ...

. His funeral was held at St Philip's Church on June 14 and he was buried in the cemetery of the University of the South.

References

External links

Obituary and funeral notices
1900 births 1960 deaths Episcopal bishops of South Carolina People from Collierville, Tennessee Sewanee: The University of the South alumni 20th-century American Episcopalians 20th-century American clergy {{US-Anglican-bishop-stub