Huntington, James Otis Sargent

(July 23, 1854-June 29, 1935). One of the founders of the Order of the Holy Cross. He was the son of Frederic Dan Huntington, Bishop of Central New York. He was born in Boston, Massachusetts. Huntington received his B.A. from Harvard in 1875. He studied at St. Andrew's Divinity School, Syracuse, 1876-1879. He was ordained deacon on Sept. 21, 1878, and priest on May 30, 1880. From 1875 until 1881, Huntington was assistant at Calvary Mission, Syracuse, and from 1881 until 1889, he was at Holy Cross Mission, New York City. On Nov. 1, 1881, Huntington, Robert Stockton Dod, and James Gibbon Cameron began to live the religious life together. On Nov. 25, 1884, at the Chapel of the Sisters of St. John the Baptist, New York City, Huntington made his life profession as the first monk in the Order of the Holy Cross. Henry Codman Potter, Assistant Bishop of New York, received Huntington's vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience. Huntington was superior of the order, 1884-1888, 1897-1907, 1915-1918, and 1921-1930. Huntington was a social reformer who worked to improve the lives of his poor parishioners. As a ritualist priest he brought beauty into the lives of those who lived in drab environments. His most radical activity was to support the single tax advocated by Henry George. This was a single tax on unearned increment (increased value) of real property, which would have been the only tax. He was also the author of several books. Huntington died at Holy Cross Monastery, West Park, New York. See Holy Cross, Order of the (OHC).