Henry A. Atkinson

Born in Merced, California, on August 26, 1877, Henry Avery Atkinson became a Methodist minister, educator, and public advocate for peace. He studied at Pacific Methodist College and later earned a theology doctorate, then served in church and academic roles before moving into broader international work.

Atkinson is best remembered for his long service with the Church Peace Union, where he was a leading figure from 1918 to 1955. In that role he promoted interfaith cooperation, religious liberty, and international peace, and he traveled widely in Europe and Asia, including visits with major religious leaders during the 1920s.

Alongside that public work, he wrote books and articles shaped by social and moral questions of his time. He died in Baltimore, Maryland, on January 24, 1960, leaving behind the record of a minister and author whose career was closely tied to peace work in the first half of the twentieth century.