Ladd, William Palmer

(May 13, 1870-July 1, 1941). Church historian and seminary dean. Ladd was born in Lancaster, New Hampshire. He received his B.A. from Dartmouth in 1891 and his B.D. from the General Theological Seminary in 1897. He also studied at the University of Paris, Oxford University, and the University of Leipzig. Ladd was ordained deacon on June 11, 1897, and priest on June 11, 1898. He was the rector of St. Barnabas Church, Berlin, New Hampshire, 1897-1902. Ladd was professor of church history (1904-1941) and dean (1918-1941) at Berkeley Divinity School, New Haven, Connecticut. During the early years of his deanship at Berkeley his progressive views on economic and justice issues caused him to be branded a “Bolshevist.” He was responsible for the removal of Berkeley from Middletown, Connecticut, where it had been founded, to New Haven. Berkeley was later affiliated with Yale University. Ladd's major publication was Prayer Book Interleaves (1943). He died in New Haven. See Berkeley Divinity School.