The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1923-05-01
HARDING
CALLED BY
DEATH
Noted Episcopal Churchman
Succumbs After Brief
Illness Here.

! Bishop Alfred Harding, seventy
years old, head of the Washington
diocese of the Protestant Episcopal
Church, died at Cathedral Close, Mt.
st. Adams, last night, following
an illness of three weeks duration.
Apprehension over the condition
Of Bishop Harding has been felt
by Washington churchgoers for the
past week. He suffered sinking
spell as a result of his heart
ailment last night and death came
ut 1856 o'clock.
Funeral services are being
arranged and will be announced
/ later in the day.
Bishop Harding is the fourth
Episcopal bishop to die within the
past twelve months. The. other
three are: Bishop d. S. futile of
st. Louis, Bishop G. Mott Williams
of Marquette, Wis, and Bishop
Charles David Williams of Mich
| igan.
Born i'm Ireland.
Bishop Harding was born in Lis
burn, Ireland, August Is, 1852, COM
ing to this country with his parents
in 1867, settling at Brooklyn, l.. L.
He entered the ministry after he
had achieved success in the manu-.
featuring business which he entered
when he reached manhood. Show
Z.
position of manager of the firm
for which he was working But the
urge to serve in the church led
him to enter Trinity College, Hart
ford, Conn, where he became a
leader in student activities. He
was also prominent in the work
of his fraternity, the Alpha Delta
Phi.
After graduating from Trinity
College in 1879, he entered the
Berkeley Divinity School at Middle
town, Conn. Under the guidance
of the Right Rev. John Williams,
bishop of Connecticut, and then
presiding bishop of the church of
the United States, he studied hard,
and was ordained a deacon of his
church in 1882. One year later he
was ordained a priest, serving as
assistant to the Rev. Henry Mel
son, rector of Trinity Church,
Geneva, N. Y, during the first
year of his service in the ministry.
Came Here In 1887.
1t was in 1887 that the then Rev.
DIR. Harding came to Washington,
entering the rectorship of st. Paul
Parish. He later was active in the
rNSse nV1fE inn rrR he n If
Washington, becoming secretary of
its first standing committe. He
continued in that office until he
was consecrated bishop, January rs,
1909. Previous to that his alma
mater had conferred upon him the
degree of doctor of divinity, and after
he had been created the second
bishop of Washington, George
Washington University conferred
the LII. D. upon him.
Bishop Harding was leading fig
ure in the work Of his church. He
showed a great interest in the COM
piling of the mission hymnal of
the church, in revising the lection
airy, in the care of immigrants, in
the management of the missionary
work of the church, and in social
work in Washington. He was for
a number Of years president of the
board of social service of the
province of Washington. Outstand-
ing in his work was the aid given
In the development OF modern meth
DDS Of religious education in the
diocese of Washington. He was
secretary Of the board of governors
Of Columbia Hospital for Women,
and was president of the Episcopal
Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Hospi-
tai.
From the time of the organiZa-
ton Of the diocese of Washington
Of the Episcopal church, Bishop
Harding was actively interested in
the foundation of the cathedral of
Washington. The Bethlehem chapel
was suggested by him as me-
mortal to his predecessor, Bishop
Henry Y. Satterlee. Under his
leadership the foundations for the
cathedral were laid, the sanctuary
and a portion of the choir were
built, and plans were laid for the
completion of the cathedral in five
years.
Headed Church Schools.
AS president of the chapter of
the cathedral Bishop Harding was
also head of the National Cathedral
School for Girls and the Cathedral
School for Boys, having been &C.
lively interested in their foundation.
The active heads of both of the
institutions were placed in au-
thority only after he had chosen
them.
1t was at the suggestion of Bishop
Harding that the presiding bishop of
the church, the late Rev. d. s. Tut
tie, of st. Louis, appointed a special
war commission to oversee church
chaplains and their work among the
soldiers, both here and abroad He
was an active member of the church
| commission on chaplains during the
war, and it was only after his ap-
prevail had been given that chap
lalns appointed from the Episcopal
Church received their appointments
Bishop Harding married Miss JUS
tine Butler Prindle June 8, 1887. in
! New York city. His wife died
! shortly after his conservation as
| bishop in 1909. He leaves three chill.
dren, Alfred Harding, jr., Charlotte
Harding and Paul Harding.