Garrett, Alexander Charles

(Nov. 4, 1832-Feb. 19, 1924). Presiding Bishop and missionary. He was born in Ballymot, County Sligo, Ireland. Garrett received his B.A. from Trinity College, Dublin, in 1855. He was ordained deacon on July 6, 1856, and priest on July 5, 1857. He held the curacy of East Worldham, Hampshire, until Sept. 1859. He went to British Columbia as a missionary to the Indians, chaplain at the naval station at Esquimalt, rector of St. Paul's Church, Nanaims, and minister to the gold miners at Cariboo. In 1869 he moved to San Francisco, California, where he was rector of St. James' Church until 1872. From 1872 until 1874, he was dean of Trinity Cathedral, Omaha, Nebraska. On Dec. 20, 1874, Garrett was consecrated the first Missionary Bishop of Northern Texas (Dallas). He was an active supporter of a School of Theology at the University of the South. He gave the opening address when St. Luke's Hall was opened on Mar. 25, 1879, in which he called the School of Theology a “General Theological Seminary for the South.” He was the leader in building St. Matthew's Cathedral, Dallas. He founded St. Mary's College for women at Dallas. It opened on Sept. 10, 1889, and operated until 1930. At one time, Bishop Garrett said that he needed clergy who could “ride like a cow-boy, pray like a saint, preach like an apostle, and having food and raiment be therewith content.” He was the fourteenth Presiding Bishop from Apr. 17, 1923, until his death. He died in Dallas.