Joseph R. Clarkson (1855-1923) was born in Chicago, Illinois, and died in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He attended Grant Allen's Academy in Chicago and then Yale University for one year, leaving in 1876. He returned to Chicago to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1878. He practiced law in Kenosha until 1880, when he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he continued practicing law. There he married Esther A. Clarkson (b. Wells) in 1883. From 1889 to 1891 he served as a district court judge in Omaha, thereafter resuming his legal practice.
In February 1898 he began practicing Christian Science and was invited by Mary Baker Eddy to attend her last Normal class in November of that year. He joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 3, 1899, and was named to the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. His sister, Elizabeth E. Clarkson, was also a Christian Science practitioner and joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in June 1905.
In January 1901, Clarkson published a public notice in the Omaha World-Herald of his withdrawal from church membership, resignation from the Board of Lectureship, and cessation of work as a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. His notice highly endorsed both Eddy and Christian Science, but denounced their "methods in business, teaching, and practice" to the extent he felt he couldn't comply with the Manual of The Mother Church. He further detailed his break with Christian Science in a book titled The A B C of Scientific Christianity, which he published in Omaha in 1901. Thereafter he joined the Protestant Episcopal Church, becoming an ordained deacon in 1902 and heading up mission work in South Omaha and Papillion, Nebraska, in 1905. He was denied priesthood in 1906, however, due to detailing his criticisms of Episcopalian theology during his ordination exam. In 1907 Clarkson returned to Kenosha, resumed practicing law, and joined the Knights of Pythias.
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Joseph R. Clarkson (1855-1923) was born in Chicago, Illinois, and died in Kenosha, Wisconsin. He attended Grant Allen's Academy in Chicago and then Yale University for one year, leaving in 1876. He returned to Chicago to study law and was admitted to the bar in 1878. He practiced law in Kenosha until 1880, when he moved to Omaha, Nebraska, where he continued practicing law. There he married Esther A. Clarkson (b. Wells) in 1883. From 1889 to 1891 he served as a district court judge in Omaha, thereafter resuming his legal practice.
In February 1898 he began practicing Christian Science and was invited by Mary Baker Eddy to attend her last Normal class in November of that year. He joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, on June 3, 1899, and was named to the Christian Science Board of Lectureship. His sister, Elizabeth E. Clarkson, was also a Christian Science practitioner and joined The First Church of Christ, Scientist, in Boston, Massachusetts, in June 1905.
In January 1901, Clarkson published a public notice in the Omaha World-Herald of his withdrawal from church membership, resignation from the Board of Lectureship, and cessation of work as a Christian Science practitioner and teacher. His notice highly endorsed both Eddy and Christian Science, but denounced their "methods in business, teaching, and practice" to the extent he felt he couldn't comply with the Manual of The Mother Church. He further detailed his break with Christian Science in a book titled The A B C of Scientific Christianity, which he published in Omaha in 1901. Thereafter he joined the Protestant Episcopal Church, becoming an ordained deacon in 1902 and heading up mission work in South Omaha and Papillion, Nebraska, in 1905. He was denied priesthood in 1906, however, due to detailing his criticisms of Episcopalian theology during his ordination exam. In 1907 Clarkson returned to Kenosha, resumed practicing law, and joined the Knights of Pythias.
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