Louttit, Henry Irving

(Jan. 1, 1903-July 24, 1984). Bishop of South Florida and a key figure in the effort to try Bishop James A. Pike of California for heresy in the mid-1960s. He was born in Buffalo, New York. Louttit received his B.A. from Hobart College in 1925, and his B.D. from the Virginia Theological Seminary in 1929. He was ordained deacon on July 15, 1928, and priest on June 23, 1929. Louttit began his ministry at All Saints' Church, Tarpon Springs, Florida. He soon moved to his home parish, Trinity Church, Miami, as curate. From 1930 until 1933, he was rector of Holy Cross Church, Sanford, Florida. In 1933 he became the rector of Holy Trinity Church, West Palm Beach. During World War II, Louttit was a chaplain in the United States Army with the 31st Infantry Division in the Dutch East Indies. On May 23, 1945, he was consecrated the first Suffragan Bishop of South Florida. On Apr. 14, 1948, he was elected Bishop Coadjutor. On Jan. 1, 1951, he became the fourth Bishop of South Florida. Louttit retired on Dec. 31, 1969. During his episcopate he worked for integration and supported migrant ministries. The confrontation with Bishop James A. Pike was a major episode in his episcopate. Louttit and eleven other bishops formed a “Committee of Bishops to Defend the Faith” and prepared a presentment which charged Pike with several heresies. Eventually the presentment was dropped in exchange for a resolution of censure which was adopted by the House of Bishops at its meeting in Wheeling, West Virginia, in Sept. 1966. Louttit died in Orlando.