John Thomas Walker (July 27, 1925 – September 30, 1989) was Bishop of Washington from 1977 to 1989 in the Episcopal Church. From 1978 to 1989, he also served as Dean of Washington National Cathedral. Previously, he served as Bishop Coadjutor from 1976 to 1977 and Bishop Suffragan from 1971 to 1976. He was the first African-American Bishop of Washington.[1]
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John Thomas Walker
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| Bishop of Washington | |
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| Church | Episcopal Church |
| Diocese | Washington |
| In office | 1977–1989 |
| Predecessor | William Creighton |
| Successor | Ronald H. Haines |
| Other post(s) | Dean of Washington National Cathedral (1978-1989) |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | February 19, 1955 by Richard S. M. Emrich |
| Consecration | June 29, 1971 by John E. Hines |
| Personal details | |
| Born | (1925-07-27)July 27, 1925 |
| Died | September 30, 1989(1989-09-30) (aged 64) Washington, D.C., United States |
| Buried | Washington National Cathedral |
| Denomination | Anglican |
| Parents | Joseph Walker & Mattie Wyche |
| Spouse | Rosa Maria Flores |
| Children | 3 |
| Previous post(s) | Suffragan Bishop of Washington (1971-1976) Coadjutor Bishop of Washington (1976-1977) |
Walker was born in Barnesville, Georgia, and brought up in Detroit. He was the first African American to be admitted as a student to the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1951.[2] Bishop Walker first came to Washington as the Canon of Washington National Cathedral.
He earned a world reputation for social activism and was a good friend of Archbishop Desmond Tutu.[3] He was once arrested at a protest rally against apartheid at the South African Embassy.[4] From 1975 until his death in 1989, Bishop Walker served as President of the Board of Directors of Africare. The organization now presents the Bishop John T. Walker Distinguished Humanitarian Service Award each year in his honor.
To honor the first African-American Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington and all of his contributions, The Bishop John T. Walker School opened in September 2008 as a tuition-free, kindergarten through sixth grade school for boys in Southeast, Washington, D.C.[5] It was founded by the Episcopal Diocese of Washington in response to the serious educational challenges facing African American boys in the low-income communities east of the Anacostia River.
Also named after Walker is the Bishop John T. Walker Learning Center in Washington, D.C., whose mission is "to support, encourage, and facilitate life-long learning to all peoples through instruction, dialogue, exploration, human interactions, and exchanges."[6]
In 1989, he received an honorary Doctorate of Divinity from Princeton University.[7]
Walker died suddenly on September 30, 1989, at the age of 64, of heart failure following triple bypass surgery. He is buried in Washington National Cathedral.
| Episcopal Church (USA) titles | ||
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| Preceded by | Bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington 1977–1989 |
Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Dean of Washington National Cathedral 1978–1989 |
Succeeded by |