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Warren Akin Candler

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Warren Akin Candler
BornTemplate:Birth date
Villa Rica, Georgia, U.S.
DiedSeptember 25, 1941(1941-09-25) (aged 84)
Occupation(s)Bishop, university president, author
Known forBishop of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South; tenth president of Emory University; Chancellor of Emory University; founder of Paine College

Warren Akin Candler (August 23, 1857 – September 25, 1941) was an American bishop within the Methodist Episcopal Church, South, having been elected in 1898. He also held the position of the tenth president of Emory University.

Early life

Candler was born in Villa Rica, Georgia as the tenth child among eleven siblings to Samuel and Martha Bernetta Beall Candler. His father, Samuel, was a successful merchant and planter, and the family was brought up in a deeply religious household.

He studied at Emory College located in Oxford, Georgia from 1874 until 1877, where he became a member of the Epsilon chapter of the Kappa Alpha Order. It was during this period that he recognized his calling to ministry and discovered his aptitude for preaching, committing himself to service within the Methodist Episcopal Church, South.

On November 21, 1877, he wed Sarah Antoinette "Nettie" Curtright. Together they had five children, with three surviving into adulthood.

Ministerial career

In the early stages of his ministry, Candler led several congregations throughout northwest Georgia. In 1882, he collaborated with Bishops George Foster Pierce and Lucius Holsey to establish Paine Institute (now known as Paine College) in Augusta, Georgia, an institution dedicated to higher education for African Americans. As a long-term trustee, he championed the employment of African American educators and advocated for a racially inclusive faculty—an unusual stance in the post-Civil War Southern context.

Between 1886 and 1888, Candler served as Assistant Editor of the Nashville Christian Advocate, the primary periodical of the Methodist Episcopal Church, South. While supporting certain objectives of the evangelical Holiness Association, he also warned against creating divisions within the church.

During his tenure as the tenth President of Emory College, affectionately called "Shorty" by students, he implemented conservative reforms. He replaced technical courses with a focus on liberal arts education and enhanced both the institution’s financial health and faculty numbers.

Episcopal career

In 1898, Candler was chosen as bishop by the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South. His episcopal responsibilities emphasized missionary work and various church governance issues.

He additionally acted as a spiritual mentor to his brother, Asa Griggs Candler, founder of the Coca-Cola Company, encouraging Asa’s patronage of church initiatives, especially those linked to Emory University. Asa’s financial contributions were crucial to Emory’s development in Atlanta.

Emory University

Following Bishop Candler and his associates losing influence over Vanderbilt University, Emory University was established by the M.E. Church, South after an unsuccessful 1910 legal attempt to reclaim control. This led to founding two new universities: Southern Methodist University in Dallas and another institution east of the Mississippi River. The Candler brothers utilized their sway to secure this latter institution for Emory College.

Asa Candler donated land in Atlanta’s Druid Hills neighborhood and provided $1 million to facilitate Emory’s relocation from Oxford, Georgia. In 1914, Bishop Candler became Emory’s inaugural Chancellor, where he upheld conservative principles by limiting activities such as drama clubs and intercollegiate sports. Under his guidance, Emory expanded its academic offerings with Law and Medical Schools alongside a University Hospital; however, plans for a School of Education never came to fruition.

Candler devoted considerable time to fundraising efforts and remained Chancellor until 1922 despite earlier intentions to retire sooner. He continued serving on the University's Board of Trustees until 1937.

Theological writing

Over a span of thirty years, Candler contributed a regular column to the Atlanta Journal and produced numerous religious essays alongside fifteen books focusing on biographical and theological themes. His perspective melded traditional values with a form of religious idealism. Although he expressed belief in Anglo-Saxon predominance, he was a vocal critic of lynching and promoted a paternalistic stance toward African Americans, endorsing education for a select group of African American leaders while discouraging more radical forms of leadership.

Candler held the position of President of the Board of Trustees at the historically black Paine College in Augusta, Georgia, an institution established under the auspices of the M.E. Church, South. He spoke out against monopolistic trusts and denounced avarice but remained a proponent of orthodox Christian teachings, striving to harmonize scientific understanding with religious faith. Furthermore, he opposed granting women the right to vote.

Methodist reunification

Bishop Candler was against the reunion of the M.E. and M.E. Church, South, denominations that had separated in 1844 due to disagreements over slavery and episcopal governance. Advocates for reunification succeeded in convincing the General Conference of the M.E. Church, South to impose a retirement age of seventy-two for bishops, which led to the removal of Candler and another dissenting bishop in 1934, clearing the path for reunification in 1939.

Until his passing, Candler remained active in writing and preaching. Throughout his episcopal tenure, he was honored multiple times, including receiving a Franklin automobile. Warren Akin Candler passed away at his Atlanta residence on September 25, 1941, and was interred near Emory University’s campus. His wife Nettie died two years afterward.

Emory’s Candler School of Theology bears his name, as do Candler College in Havana, Cuba, and Candler Hospital (Savannah) located in Savannah, now incorporated into St. Joseph's/Candler.

Written works

Biographies

  • Bauman, Mark K., Warren Akin Candler: The Conservative as Idealist, Metuchen, N.J.: Scarecrow Press, 1981.
  • Kemp, Kathryn W., "Warren Akin Candler", The New Georgia Encyclopedia, The Georgia Humanities Council and The University of Georgia Press, 2004-06. retrieved May 2, 2006

See also

External links

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