EXHIBITS
St. John's Episcopal Church: 150 Years of Service: New Interests and College Connections: 1946-1954
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New Interests and College Connections: 1946–1954
Lieutenant Colonel Ben Blair was an ROTC instructor and an active Episcopalian. When he arrived in Logan, he found that the local church had been rented out to various other Christian sectsand only recieved sporadic visits from clergy and lay readers for the few members left in Logan. (1) He set out to revitalize the community and encouraged visits from Bishop Moulton, the active bishop of the Diocese of Utah. (2)
As a professor of military science and tactics in 1942, Lt. Col. Blair was in a position that allowed him to provide support to students that had recently moved to Cache Valley and the military instructors that came with them. This support included opportunities to introduce different religious groups to college students, provide critical resources like food and housing, and create awareness of community needs in the St. John's community.
1. "News of the Churches", Logan Herald Journal, April 27, 1946. Logan, Utah. Page 8.
2. "About Town", Logan Herald Journal, April 27, 1945. Logan, Utah. Page 5.
In an effort to work more closely with the university, the rectory at St. John's was converted into a dormitory for male students at USU. This dormitory was called "St. John's House," and it housed up to twelve local and international students from 1945 to the early 1950s. Logan had an especially large student population of veterans and their new wives that enrolled in school following the war, sparking a housing crisis in the valley.
The housing crisis was so bad that the Herald Journal printed a public announcement asking the people of Cache Valley to help house the vets and their families. (3) An almost immediate reaction by the new leadership of St. John’s was to provide housing for some of the students at the university. Part of the reason that St. John’s was so effective in responding to this need was the readiness of the Women’s Auxiliary organization and the awareness that the leaders of St. John’s had of the community’s needs. (4)
3. St. John’s College Work, St. John’s Episcopal Church Records, MSS 077, Box 16, Folder 20. Special Collections and Archives, Merrill-Cazier Library, Utah State University.
4. News of our Churches, Logan Herald Journal, February 16, 1946, Logan, Utah. Page 6.
Rev. W. M. Rosenthal restarted regular religious services at St. John’s for the young servicemen who were in Logan for the ROTC program. These services were often advertised in the normal local church news section of the Herald Journal in addition to the Student Life paper on the USAC campus. (8)
Rev. Rosenthal was assisted by a lay reader and future rector of the Church of the Good Shephard in Ogden, UT, Joseph E. MacGinnis. MacGinnis started as a college student at USU and went on to enter the Episcopal Theological school in Cambridge, MA. (9) After Rev. Rosenthal restarted regular Sunday services in 1946, here has been little to no pause in services, except for gaps in available clergy and the need for quarantine during the COVID-19 pandemic.
8. "Army Chaplain Will Give Logan Address", Logan Herald Journal, January 6, 1945, Logan, Utah. Page 1.
9. "Former USAC Student Will Conduct Service" Logan Herald Journal, April 14, 1951. Page 6. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper. https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s67h72h2
In the late 1940s and throughout the 1950s, the Women's Auxiliary and Ladies of St. John's were two organizations that were incredibly active in Logan society. They hosted bazaar sales (rummage sales), bake sales, and movie nights. There were also several series of lectures by world travelers, educators, and public health officials. The women of St. John's were and continue to be the backbone of the Episcopal community in Logan. (5)
Besides these activities, the Women's Auxiliary and Ladies of St. John helped organize the first World Day of Prayer and other interdenominational activities with the other religious groups in Logan. (6) One of the most popular activities was the Shrove breakfast that had an open invitation to the community to come and have a pancake with their neighbors. (7)
5. "St. John's Episcopal Church Bazaar" Logan Herald Journal, December 6, 1953. Page 12. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper. https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6pg78qx/28675488
6. "Group Will Observe World Prayer Week" Logan Herald Journal, February 26, 1952. Page 6. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper. https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6vx60j1
7. "About Town" Logan Herald Journal, February 15, 1953. Page 5. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper. https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s67m5rx0
The efforts that were put forth by the congregation of St. John's to reach out to the wider community can most often be seen in the Church Notices section of the Herald Journal, which ran at regular intervals throughout the week, providing insight into activities at the chapel, leadership changes, and visiting clergy on most weeks throughout the year. (8)
Notices of choir rehearsals, interdenominational events and concerts, visitations of the Bishops of Utah, and pre-Lenten pancake breakfasts are the most consistent marks that have been left behind in the documented history of St. John's. (9)
8. "Classes Slated At St. John's House" The Herald Journal, July 30, 1948. Page 1. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper.https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6188qdp/28653159
9. "United Christian Appeal is Sunday" The Herald Journal, March 25, 1949. Page 5. University of Utah, Marriot Library, Utah Digital Newspaper.https://newspapers.lib.utah.edu/ark:/87278/s6188qdp/28653159
