H. Coleman McGehee Jr.

Harry Coleman McGehee Jr. (July 7, 1923 – March 14, 2013) was a bishop in the Episcopal Church in the United States of America. He served the Diocese of Michigan as bishop coadjutor from 1971 to 1973 and as diocesan bishop from 1973 to 1990. McGehee also served as assistant attorney general of the Commonwealth of Virginia.

Early life and ministry Harry Coleman McGehee Jr. was born in Richmond, Virginia in 1923 to Annie Lee (née Cheatwood) and Harry C. McGehee. He attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He served during World War II as a 2nd lieutenant in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers. After completing his military service, he graduated from Virginia Tech in 1947 with a Bachelor of Science in engineering. He then earned a Bachelor of Laws at the T. C. Williams School of Law (University of Richmond) in 1949.

McGehee joined the staff of the Attorney General of Virginia in 1949. He served as aide to assistant attorney general C. Champion Bowles.

Community activism McGehee was known as a civil rights and peace advocate and activist within Michigan.

Retirement and late career McGehee retired on January 1, 1990, with a special election held in May 1988 to elect his successor. While a woman was a finalist for the position, which would have resulted in the first woman to become an Episcopalian bishop, ultimately the election was won by R. Stewart Wood Jr., rector of St. John's Episcopal Church in Memphis, Tennessee.

Five years into retirement, he supported the locked-out Detroit Free Press and Detroit News employees in 1995. At the age of 72, he stood with them on the picket line, spoke for them and also went to jail with them. Later, he participated with Robinson in the 2004 "People Who Care About People with AIDS" event at St. John's Episcopal Church in Royal Oak, Michigan.

Personal life McGehee married June Chrystine Stewart. They had five children, Lesley, Cary, Alexander, C. Harry, and Donald.