- Earl Cranston
Earl Cranston (June 27, 1840 – August 18, 1932) was an American
Bishop of theMethodist Episcopal Church , elected in 1896. He also distinguished himself as aMethodist Pastor and Presiding Elder, and as an Editor andPublisher of theM.E. Church .Birth and Family
Earl was born in
Athens, Ohio , the third Bishop of the Methodist Church to have been born in Athens. Earl was said to have a vigorous body squarely built and above the average height for that day (mid-1800s). Among his ancestors wereRoger Williams and John andSamuel Cranston , both colonialgovernors ofRhode Island . Earl was the son of Earl and Jane E. (née Montgomery) Cranston. Earl Jr married Martha A. Behan in 1861. She died April 7, 1872. He then married Laura A. Martin, who died February 3, 1903. He then married Lucie M. Parker. Earl was thefather of Earl M., Grace, James B., Dora, Ethel, Laura Alden, and Ruth.Education and Christian Conversion
Earl graduated
High School inJackson, Ohio . He earned theA.B. degree (with honor) in 1861 and the A.M. degree in 1865, both fromOhio University . The Rev. Solomon Howard, D.D., LL.D., was the President of O.U. at the time. Earl was a member ofBeta Theta Pi fraternity.The Rev. William Taylor, (later Missionary Bishop of Africa) visited Athens during Earl's college years. Taylor held revival services, in which many students, including Earl, were converted to Christ.
Military Service and Business Career
Earl entered the
Union Army during theAmerican Civil War as a Private. He progressed through the ranks, first as aFirst Sergeant , then as acommissioned officer , as a First Lieutenant,Adjutant and finally as aCaptain . He left the U.S. Army in 1864.Following his military service, Earl studied for business, and was engaged in commercial affairs until 1867, when he entered the ministry.
Ordained Ministry and the Founding of Denver University
Earl was admitted as a Minister to the
Ohio Annual Conference of the M.E. Church in 1867. He served the following appointments as Pastor: Portsmouth, 1867-69; and Columbus, 1869-70. He then was transferred to theMinnesota Conference, where he served Winona, 1870-71. He transferred again, to theIllinois Conference, where he served Jacksonville, 1871-74. He transferred again, to theIndiana Conference, where he was appointed to Evansville, 1874-75. He then transferred to theCincinnati Conference, where he was appointed Pastor inCincinnati, Ohio , 1875-78.In 1878, the Rev. Cranston was appointed Pastor in
Denver, Colorado , a change necessitated by the health of his family. While in Denver, Dr. Cranston took a prominent part in the movement to create and establish theDenver University . He served both as Secretary of the Board of Trustees, and as Chairman of the Finance Committee. He also spent time as a member of the faculty.In 1880, the Rev. Dr. Cranston was appointed Presiding Elder of the Southern District of the Colorado Conference, servinguntil 1884. During this time he covered a territory of 70,000 square miles, requiring as much as 11,000 miles of travel each year.
Publishing Agent
The 1884 General Conference of the M.E. Church elected the Rev. Earl Cranston Publishing Agent for the Western Book Concern,
headquartered in Cincinnati. The Western Book Concern included offices in Chicago, St. Louis and on the Pacific coast. During this time he resided at Avondale, Cincinnati. He held this position until 1896.The Rev. Cranston was a member of M.E. General Conferences from 1884 until 1896.
Honorary Degrees
The Rev. Earl Cranston was awarded the
honorary doctorate , "Doctor of Divinity ," in 1884 byAllegheny College . He was similarly honored byCornell College inIowa (D.D. , 1884). His "alma mater ", Ohio University, awarded theLL.D. in 1896.Episcopal Ministry
The Rev. Earl Cranston was elected Bishop by the 1896 M.E. General Conference. As Bishop he traveled widely throughout his denomination. His residence was
Washington, D.C. Bishop Cranston also served as a Trustee of various institutions of higher education, including Ohio University (1896),
The University of Puget Sound (1897-04),Willamette University (1897-1904),Goucher College (1905-16) andMorgan College (1912-16). He was also a member of the FourthEcumenical Methodist Conference,Toronto , 1911.Bishop Cranston was a member of the
Grand Army of the Republic and of theMilitary Order of the Loyal Legion of the United States . He also was a Mason.Death and Burial
Bishop Cranston died at
New Richmond, Ohio . He is buried inArlington National Cemetery inVirginia .elected writings
* Breaking Down the Walls, The Methodist Book Concern, 1915.
ee also
*
List of Bishops of the United Methodist Church References
*Leete, Frederick DeLand, "Methodist Bishops" (Nashville, The Methodist Publishing House, 1948).
*"Methodism: Ohio Area (1812-1962)", edited by John M. Versteeg, Litt.D., D.D. (Ohio Area Sesquicentennial Committee, 1962).
* Price, Carl F., Compiler and Editor: Who's Who in American Methodism, New York: E.B. Treat & Co., 1916.Persondata
NAME= Cranston, Earl
ALTERNATIVE NAMES=
SHORT DESCRIPTION= Union Army officer
DATE OF BIRTH=
PLACE OF BIRTH=
DATE OF DEATH=
PLACE OF DEATH=
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.