Edward Daniel Howard (November 5, 1877 – January 2, 1983) was an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as the Auxiliary Bishop of Davenport from 1924 to 1926 and the Archbishop of Portland from 1926 to 1966. At the time of his death in 1983 he was the oldest Catholic bishop in the world.
Howard was ordained to the priesthood by Archbishop John Ireland on June 12, 1906.[4] He then returned to St. Joseph College, where he served as professor of Greek and Latin at the high school department.[2] He served as principal of the high school from 1908 until 1916, when he became dean of the college.[2] From 1921 to 1924, he served as president of St. Joseph's.[1]
In 1931, Howard led a successful campaign to repeal local zoning ordinances that prohibited the building of churches and parochial schools.[2] He convened the Fourth Provincial Council of the archdiocese in 1932, and held a synod for the clergy in 1935.[2] In 1939, he founded Central Catholic High School in Portland and was named an Assistant at the Pontifical Throne by Pope Pius XII in 1939.[1] He convened the Fifth Provincial Council of the archdiocese in 1957, and attended all four sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965.[2]
Later life and death
After forty years as archbishop, Howard retired on December 9, 1966; he was appointed Titular Archbishop of Albulae by Pope Paul VI on the same date.[4] He served as Apostolic Administrator of the archdiocese until the installation of his successor, Robert Joseph Dwyer.[2]
