Ulysses Grant Baker Pierce (1865–1943) was a Unitarian minister who served as

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 ...

(1909–1913).

Early years

Pierce was born in

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on July 17, 1865. He received degrees from

Hillsdale College Hillsdale College is a Private university, private, Conservatism in the United States, conservative, Christian liberal arts college in Hillsdale, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1844 by members of the Free Will Baptists. Women were admi ...

and

Harvard Divinity School Harvard Divinity School (HDS) is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. The school's mission is to educate its students either in the religious studies, academic study of religion or for leadership role ...

(1890–1891). He was ordained in July 1891 at

Decorah, Iowa Decorah is the largest city in and county seat of Winneshiek County, Iowa, Winneshiek County, Iowa, United States. The population was 7,587 at the time of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. Decorah is located at the intersection of Iowa ...

Ministry

Following his ordination, he served congregations in Decorah, Iowa (1891–1892),

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(1893–1897), and

Ithaca, New York Ithaca () is a city in and the county seat of Tompkins County, New York, United States. Situated on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake in the Finger Lakes region of New York (state), New York, Ithaca is the largest community in the Ithaca metrop ...

(1898–1901). From 1901 to 1943, Pierce was the pastor of All Souls Unitarian Church in

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 ...

He held the position of Chaplain of the United States Senate from 1909 to 1913, under President

William Howard Taft William Howard Taft (September 15, 1857March 8, 1930) served as the 27th president of the United States from 1909 to 1913 and the tenth chief justice of the United States from 1921 to 1930. He is the only person to have held both offices. ...

.All Souls Unitarian website Pierce died on October 10, 1943, at the age of 78. His ashes were entombed in a niche in the southwest corner of the Court of the Founders, All Soul’s Unitarian Church, Washington, D.C.

Personal life

On July 27, 1891, at

Allegan, Michigan Allegan ( ) is a city and the county seat of Allegan County, Michigan Its population was 5,222 at the 2020 United States census, 2020 census. It is located southwest of Grand Rapids and northwest of Kalamazoo, both via US 131. It lies within All ...

, Pierce married Helen Florence Lonsbury, daughter of George and Sarah Lonsbury.''The Journal of the Senate'', Issue 31, California Legislature.

References

External links

* Th
papers
of Ulysses Grant Baker Pierce are in the Harvard Divinity School Library at

Cambridge, Massachusetts Cambridge ( ) is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States. It is a suburb in the Greater Boston metropolitan area, located directly across the Charles River from Boston. The city's population as of the 2020 United States census, ...

. {{DEFAULTSORT:Pierce, Ulysses Grant Baker 1865 births 1943 deaths American Unitarian clergy Harvard Divinity School alumni Hillsdale College alumni Clergy from Providence, Rhode Island Chaplains of the United States Senate