Dr. Jabez T. Sunderland, Noted Pastor, Dies At 94

Dr. Jabez T. Sunderland, noted Unitarian minister, writer and lecturer, who held pastorates in this country, Canada and England, died yesterday afternoon at the home of his son, Prof. Edson T. Sunderland at 1510 Cambridge road. He was 94 years old.
Six weeks ago, he received several broken ribs in a fall and the illness which followed resulted in his death. Funeral arrangements have not been completed pending word from Prof. Sunderland and his family who are in California where Prof. Sunderland has been teaching this summer at the University of California.
Dr. Sunderland was internationally known as a religious leader and as a fearless supporter of India in its struggle for independence. He made two extended visits to India, sent there on special commissions by associations in England and America and to investigate religious and social conditions and to deliver lectures in the chief Indian cities.
Knew Gandhi Well
He became well acquainted with Gandhi, Tagore, Lajpat Rai, the eminent author, former president of the Indian national congress, and with other leaders in India. He was greatly admired for his work in India and leaders there declared his views to be "absolutely impartial and progressive and free from bias." Indian leaders coming to this country made it a point to visit Dr. Sunderland.
Two public receptions and banquets were given in New York City in recognition of his service to India. In April, 1926, the editorial staffs of three magazines gave a public reception and banquet in his honor and the other was tendered in May, 1928, by the India society of America. Gandhi, Tagore Rai, and several past presidents of the Indian National Congress sent letters.
Dr. Sunderland was born in Yorkshire, England, Feb. 11, 1842, coming to this country with his parents at an early age. He was educated at the University of Chicago from which he received a A.B. degree in 1867, and master's degree in 1869, and at the Baptist Union Theological seminary in Chicago from which he received his B.D. degree in 1870. Tufts university in Massachusetts conferred a D.D. degree upon him in 1914.
Pastor Here 20 Years
He was pastor of the Unitarian church here for 20 years from 1878 to 1898, and was minister here during the time the present church was erected. His other Unitarian pastorates were as follows: Northfield, Mass., 1872-1876, Chicago, 1876-1878; Oakland, Calif., 1898-1899; London, England, 1900-1901; Toronto, Ont., 1901-1907; Hartford, Conn., 1907-1911; Ottawa, Canada, 1912-1913; and Poughkeepsie, N. Y., 1911-1927.
Dr. Sunderland held many important positions in the Unitarian denomination, among others those of director of the American Unitarian association, president of the Michigan conference; secretary of the western conference; and superintendent of Unitarian church extension work in the west; and nonresident lecturer in the theological schools at Meadville, Pa., and Canton, N. Y.
He was the author of more than 20 books, some of which have been translated into every foreign language. Early in his ministry he established and for 10 years edited The Unitarian, a monthly magazine, which obtained a large circulation in this country and England.
Activities Constant
Dr. Sunderland's literary activities have been constant. For a time he was state examiner of colleges in Michigan. In Toronto, he was president of the second largest Browning society in America. During all his ministry, he had been active in education, in temperance work, in work for peace, in woman's suffrage and in movements to improve the conditions of labor.
He wrote many pamphlets and tracts in addition to his books, and he was engage in writing new volumes this summer. He visited Palestine and wrote three Sunday school manuals, two published in this country and one in England.
Dr. Sunderland first went to India in 1895 on a special religious mission for the Unitarians of England. He lectured and preached extensively. In 1913-1914, he was sent by the American Unitarian association as its "Billings lecturer" to India, China, Japan and the Philippines.
Along with this tour in the Orient, he represented "The International (American and European) council of Religious Liberals," and as their agent organized and made full plans for seven internation liberal religious congresses which were abandoned because of the war.
Well Known In India
While in India, he attended and spoke at two annual sessions of the All-India National congress, and in 1913, served as president of the All-India theistic conference. He was one of the two or three Americans most widely known in India.
In Ann Arbor during his years as minister of the Unitarian church, he preached to the largest congregations of University students ever gathered in a Unitarian church in any University city. In Toronto, his Sunday night audiences were such as to give him the unique experience of being visited by the chief of police of the city and informed that unless measures were taken to prevent the overcrowding of his church, evenings of which so many complaints had been made, the law would be enforced upon him and his congregation.
He is survived by his son, Prof. Sunderland of the University law school faculty; a daughter, Mrs. Gertrude Safford of Detroit; a sister, Mrs. Mary Moore of Denver, now 98 years old; seven grandchildren; four great-grandchildren and many nephews and nieces. A daughter, Florence, died a number of years ago, and his wife died in 1910 in Hartford.
Friends may call at the Dolph funeral home.