The Right Reverend Richard Henry Baker D.D.
Bishop of North Carolina
Church	Episcopal Church
Diocese	North Carolina
In office	1959–1965
Predecessor	Edwin A. Penick
Successor	Thomas Fraser
Orders
Ordination	March 1924 by Arthur C. Thomson
Consecration	January 25, 1951 by Henry Knox Sherrill
Personal details
Born	(1897-07-08)July 8, 1897 Norfolk, Virginia, United States
Died	April 12, 1981(1981-04-12) (aged 83) Baltimore, Maryland, United States
Nationality	American
Denomination	Anglican
Parents	Benjamin May Baker & Theodosia Burr Potts
Spouse	Elizabeth Lee Small
Children	2
Previous post(s)	Coadjutor Bishop of North Carolina (1951-1959)

Richard Henry Baker IV (July 8, 1897 – April 12, 1981) was bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of North Carolina, serving from 1959 to 1965.

Early life and education

Baker was born on July 8, 1897, in Norfolk, Virginia. He was educated at the Episcopal High School in Alexandria, Virginia and graduated from the University of Virginia with a B.A. and later enrolled in the Virginia Theological Seminary to study for the ordained ministry. Baker deployed as an ambulance driver on the French front lines during World War I and received the Croix de Guerre for his courageous service.

Career

Baker was ordained deacon in June 1923 and priest in March 1924. His ministry commenced in Virginia and Louisiana. In 1931 he became rector of the Church of the Redeemer in Baltimore, where he remained until his episcopal election.

In 1950, Baker was elected Coadjutor Bishop of North Carolina. He was consecrated in the Church of the Good Shepherd in Raleigh, North Carolina on January 25, 1951, by Presiding Bishop Henry Knox Sherrill.^[1] He became diocesan bishop in 1959. He retired in 1965 and moved to Baltimore.

Personal life

Baker married Elizabeth Lee Small and together had two children including the Reverend Richard H. Baker V.

References