Edward P. Bates (c.1844-1919) was born in Savannah, Georgia, and died in Butte, Montana. His family moved to Wallingford, Connecticut, when he was a child, and when he was 17 years old he began working in a machine shop, first in New Haven, Connecticut, and then in Albany, New York. Claiming to be a "born mechanic," he also gained expertise as an inventor, contractor, and engineer. In his early twenties he bought a mechanical contracting business and subsequently expanded it to several locations throughout New York, Pennsylvania, Indiana, and Illinois. He married Caroline S. Bates (b. Bradley) in 1868. In 1885, believing that she had not long to live, Caroline read Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and was completely healed. Soon thereafter, Edward was healed of a longstanding physical disability through Christian Science treatment. These healings inspired the Bateses to commit the remainder of their lives to the earnest study and practice of Christian Science and to serving its cause in many capacities. They both took a class with Ellen E. Cross in 1886, then took Primary class with Eddy in January 1887, joined the National Christian Scientist Association in April 1887, took the Normal course with Eddy in October 1887, took the Primary course again with Eddy in February 1889, and helped organize a Christian Science church in Syracuse in May 1889. Edward was listed as a Christian Science practitioner in The Christian Science Journal from 1890 through 1905. He was instrumental in establishing the Christian Science Quarterly in December 1889. He was one of the First Members of The Mother Church, later known as "Executive Members," who was one of twenty elected to join the original twelve members of the church when it was formed on September 23, 1892. He also procured the first India paper for the printing of the 84th edition of Science and Health in 1894. On several occasions, Eddy called upon Edward to oversee building work in various locations, and his supervision of over 200 workers in more than 20 different trades was crucial to the on-time completion of the original church edifice in Boston in 1894. Thereafter, the Bateses resided in Boston for several more years before returning to Syracuse, during which Edward served three terms as President of The First Church of Christ, Scientist, as a member of the Christian Science Board of Directors, and as a Trustee of the Christian Science Publishing Society. Edward was a member of the American Society of Mechanical Engineers, American Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, Technology Club of Syracuse, Mayflower Society of Massachusetts, and American Bible Society. He passed away in Montana while on a five-month tour of the western United States.

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