Cottrell, Hampton Watson (1852–1940)

Hampton W. Cottrell was a widely-respected church administrator who was prominent in implementation of the reorganization of the Seventh-day Adventist governance structure that was initiated in 1901.

Early Years (1852-1884)

Hampton was born May 27, 1852, in Bowersville, Ohio, to William Cottrell (1817-1899) and his wife, Margaret Thomas Cottrell (1826-1872), the sixth of their nine children. In 1865, at age 13, Hampton dedicated his life to the service of Christ as member of the Seventh-day Adventist church. His father, a Disciples of Christ minister and farmer in Green County, Ohio, also accepted the Adventist message and began preaching it in 1865. William did not enter denominational employment but was ordained to gospel ministry by James White and John N. Andrews and preached without remuneration.¹

Hampton received an education in public schools, then studied at Battle Creek College for a brief period concluding in 1877. On March 27, 1877, he married Margaret (Maggie) Grant in Knox, Ohio. Maggie and her father, Newel Grant (1818-1881), had become Seventh-day Adventists during the previous year. Her mother, Elizabeth Runyan Grant, died five years prior to that, in 1871.²

For about seven years after his marriage, Hampton pursued business opportunities for a living while becoming highly involved in the church. In 1878, for example, he was elected elder of a new church organized in Springfield, Ohio, by D. M. Canright and A. O. Burrill.³

Early Ministry (1884-1893)

Cottrell entered full-time ministry in the Ohio Conference in 1884 but soon thereafter he and Maggie were sent on special assignment by the General Conference to take charge of an exhibit featuring the denomination’s publishing work at the Cotton Centennial in New Orleans, Louisiana. Cottrell also oversaw a small group of mission workers who cultivated the earliest Adventist presence in that city. Returning to Ohio, Hampton and Maggie established a city mission in Cleveland in October 1885. There, they worked with E. C. Penn in raising a congregation of 14, before moving on to other assignments in Ohio. Hampton was ordained to gospel ministry at a conference-wide meeting in Cleveland on April 24, 1888.⁴

In 1890 the Cottrells moved to eastern Canada where Elder Cottrell was charged with organizing and building up the nascent Adventist work in the Maritime provinces of Nova Scotia and New Brunswick. “We have in this field a very conservative class of people,” Cottrell observed, making the advance of a new faith more slow and difficult than in many places in the United States. But, he added, “when they have once decided, they are generally resolute.”⁵ Cottrell conducted the first Seventh-day Adventist public evangelistic effort in New Brunswick, begun August 28, 1891, in the town of Moncton. A congregation, organized there in May 1892, secured a house of worship no longer in use at no cost, renovated and dedicated it in July. By the end of the year the Moncton congregation had 34 members, making it the largest of the half dozen Adventist congregations in the provinces.⁶

New England Conference Years (1893-1900)

In March 1893 Cottrell accepted a call to evangelistic ministry in the New England Conference. He and Maggie located in South Lancaster, Massachusetts, and remained there for 12 years amidst rapid and momentous developments in the denomination and several changes in Hampton’s responsibilities. He moved to a higher level of leadership responsibility in March 1895 when he accepted the presidency of the New England Conference.⁷ Not only did this position entail oversight of the church’s evangelistic ministry in the historic region of Adventism’s origins, but also involved his first experience in fostering medical and educational institutions. The New England Conference owned South Lancaster Academy, which opened in 1882 and became Atlantic Union College in 1922. In 1899, a sanitarium was established in South Lancaster with Cottrell as president of its governing entity, the New England Sanitarium and Benevolent Association. The sanitarium quickly outgrew its facilities and in 1902 moved to a locale closer to Boston, where it became known as Melrose or New England Sanitarium (later New England Memorial Hospital, then Boston Regional Medical Center in 1995).⁸

Cottrell continued to shepherd the early development of the sanitarium even as his responsibilities broadened. He was appointed superintendent of General Conference District No. 1 in 1899. As such he served as a member of the General Conference Committee and as a liaison between the GC and the conferences and mission territories throughout the northeastern and mid-Atlantic regions of the United States and eastern Canada. He also retained the presidency of the New England Conference until 1900.⁹

Launching the Atlantic Union Conference (1901-1906)

Hampton Cottrell’s most significant achievements as a church leader came during the first decade of the 20^th century. He became known for exceptional “precision of mind and aptitude for the business of the cause” and as “a far-seeing and safe financier.” He was also a team player. These qualities made him a trusted and valued confidante and partner with General Conference president Arthur G. Daniells in implementing the denominational reorganization voted in 1901.¹⁰

When, at the 1901 General Conference, union conferences were initiated to assume much of the administrative responsibilities previously exercised from denominational headquarters in Battle Creek, Michigan, Cottrell was appointed president of the Eastern Union Conference. The territory was much the same as District No. 1. Cottrell and the other officers were appointed to serve until the union’s constituency held its first organizing session to adopt a constitution and elect officers. At that meeting, held in South Lancaster, November 27 to December 5, 1901, Cottrell was elected president and the delegates voted to change the union’s name to the Atlantic Union Conference. They also agreed to a request from representatives of the Maritime Mission to join a union to be formed in Canada. That left the Atlantic Union with eight conferences with a total of about 8,000 members in a territory extending along the east coast from Maine to Virginia.¹¹

In his report to the 1903 General Conference, Cottrell pointed out that the Atlantic Union territory included 45 cities ranging in population from 75,000 to 3.5 million and that the church’s work had barely begun to reach this urban population. That need was one reason given in a “memorial” that Cottrell, on behalf of the union executive committee, presented at the conclusion of his 1903 report, urging that the General Conference make New York City the site for the planned relocation of its headquarters away from Battle Creek.¹² It turned out that Washington, D.C. was chosen instead, but that city too, prior to organization of the Columbia Union Conference in 1907, was part of the Atlantic Union territory. Thus, Cottrell worked closely with Daniells in dealing with numerous issues and administrative details involved with the move.

Pacific Union President (1906-1912)

In 1906, Hampton and Maggie Cottrell, now in their mid-50s, also relocated, moving across the nation to Mountain View, California, where Elder Cottrell was called to serve as president of the Pacific Union Conference. Cottrell’s predecessors, Walter T. Knox and W. B. White had established a strong foundation for the Pacific Union but much of formative importance lay ahead. During his California years, especially, Cottrell remained in close and cooperative communication with William C. White and Ellen G. White, “who had a high regard for his administrative skills.”¹³

Cottrell had a strong interest in religious liberty and the Pacific Religious Liberty Association, formed under his leadership in 1908, coordinated vigorous endeavors in that cause. While union president, Cottrell also served as president of the Pacific Press Publishing Company.¹⁴ One of his most noteworthy achievements was leading out in a long, frustrating, and highly involved process of acquiring land on which to relocate Healdsburg College. His high sense of integrity became manifest in a controversy that developed after a preliminary agreement had been reached for locating the school at Beuna Vista. Some “brethren,” including conference officials quickly purchased nearby property for future resale at a profit to Adventists who would move there later. Cottrell publicly called out this scheme as “graft” and threatened to resign from the college board if it wasn’t stopped. Plans for relocating to Buena Vista ended up falling through anyway, and property was acquired at Angwin in 1909 for the school that would be renamed Pacific Union College.¹⁵

Western Oregon Conference and the North Pacific Union (1912-1923)

In 1912, Elder Cottrell accepted the presidency of the Western Oregon Conference, which had its headquarters in Portland. This was another area of strong growth for the Adventist work, and under Cottrell’s leadership the conference membership doubled from 1,625 in 1912 to 3,264 by the end of 1921.¹⁶ A major institutional crisis came in 1920 when Portland Sanitarium (later Portland Adventist Medical Center) was forced to close. Its locale on the outskirts of the city was annexed by Portland, subjecting the sanitarium to stricter fire codes that it could not meet. Cottrell’s “untiring efforts” in conjunction with the sanitarium’s medical and business leadership led to rapid construction of a new facility completed in the spring of 1922.¹⁷

Cottrell authored numerous articles for church periodicals throughout his ministry and his Oregon years were his most productive as an author. He had close to 50 articles published in Signs of the Times alone from 1912 to 1922, many on religious liberty, with others on various biblical and doctrinal themes.

The North Pacific Union Conference called upon Elder Cottrell to take the helm as president in December 1921.¹⁸ However, severe illness cut short his tenure as president of a third union conference, forcing him to resign in May 1923. His wife also became seriously ill.¹⁹ By the end of 1923, Hampton reported that he and Maggie had regained health. However, now in his early 70s, he did not return to full-time service. “Personally, I can say that I am really enjoying a period of relaxation after so many years of constant toil,” Cottrell wrote.²⁰

Later Years (1923-1940)

The period of relaxation, however, was by no means a permanent withdrawal from the work of the Lord. After the Cottrells established a home near Paradise Valley Sanitarium in National City, California, Hampton pastored the National City church for six years, and continued as a church elder thereafter. He also served as a member of the sanitarium managing board from 1930 to 1940.²¹

Regarded as a “teacher of exceptional ability,” Maggie Cottrell devoted her life to the mission of the church, working in support of her husband’s ministry. Almost all of it was entirely as a volunteer although on occasion she was briefly listed as a conference worker. During her final years in Paradise Valley she continued to take “a lively interest in church and Sabbath school work.” She died in National City on December 21, 1935, just two days short of her 86^th birthday.²²

Soon after the loss of his wife of nearly 59 years, Elder Cottrell underwent major surgery, followed by a remarkable recovery. He remained vigorous until contracting pneumonia in July 1940. He went to his rest on December 15, 1940, in National City, at the age of 88.²³

Legacy

When Hampton Cottrell joined the church in 1865, there were about 4,000 Seventh-day Adventists, all in the United States, with no institutions, other than a publishing company. When he died in 1940, the denomination’s total membership had surpassed half a million, with nearly two-thirds outside of North America. Ninety sanitariums, 251 colleges and secondary schools, and scores of publishing houses supported the church’s international mission.²⁴ Elder Cottrell made no small contribution to this achievement. He was a dynamic, sagacious, and scrupulous administrator who helped lead the church through an era of reorganization, innovation, and expansion.

Sources

Annual Statistical Reports. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Online Archives (GCA), http://documents.adventistarchives.org/.

Campbell, Michael W. “Cottrell, Hampton Watson.” In The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia, edited by Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon. Hagerstown, MD: Review & Herald, 2013.

Cottrell, H. W. “Biennial Report of the Atlantic Union Conference.” General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1903.

Cottrell, H. W. “President’s Address.” Pacific Union Recorder, February 10, 1910.

Cottrell, H. W. “A Word From Our Shut-Ins.” North Pacific Union Gleaner, November 29, 1923.

Cottrell, Hampton W. “New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.” ARH, December 20, 1892.

Cottrell, Hampton W. Sustentation File, RG 33. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventist Archives, Silver Spring, MD (GCA).

Cottrell, R. F. “Hampton W. Cottrell.” ARH, January 30, 1941.

Cottrell, R. F. “Mrs. H. W. Cottrell.” Pacific Union Recorder, January 15, 1936.

“Elder H. W. Cottrell.” Pacific Union Recorder, January 29, 1941.

“Hampton Watson Cottrell.” FamilySearch. Accessed May 25, 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/sources/LCJC-28Q.

Haskell, S. N. “The New Orleans Exposition.” ARH, February 17, 1885.

Kilgore, R. M. “The Ohio State Meeting.” ARH, May 8, 1888.

Lane, S. H. “The New England Camp-Meeting.” ARH, October 24, 1899.

Mattson, M. D. “William Cottrell obituary.” ARH, November 7, 1899.

Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia. 2^nd rev. edition. Hagerstown, MD: Review and Herald Publishing Association, 1996.

Seventh-day Adventist Yearbooks. General Conference of Seventh-day Adventists Online Archives (GCA), https://www.adventistyearbook.org/.

“Statistics.” General Conference Office of Archives, Statistics, and Research (ASTR).

Utt, Walter C. A Mountain, a Pickax, a College, 3^rd ed. Angwin, CA: Pacific Union College, 1996.

Notes

1. “Hampton Watson Cottrell,” FamilySearch, accessed May 25, 2025, https://www.familysearch.org/en/tree/person/sources/LCJC-28Q; “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” Pacific Union Recorder, January 29, 1941, 14; M.D. Mattson, “William Cottrell obituary,” ARH, November 7, 1899, 14.↩

2. R.F. Cottrell, “Hampton W. Cottrell,” ARH, January 30, 1941, 23; R.F. Cottrell, “Mrs. H.W. Cottrell,” Pacific Union Recorder, January 15, 1936, 5; “Hampton Watson Cottrell,” FamilySearch.↩

3. D.M. Canright and A.O. Burrill, “Springfield, Ohio,” ARH, December 19, 1878.↩

4. Cottrell, “Mrs. H.W. Cottrell”; “Questionnaire,” Hampton W. Cottrell Sustentation File, Box 9678, RG 33, GCA; S.N. Haskell, “The New Orleans Exposition,” ARH, February 17, 1885, 107; “City Missions” and “Cleveland, Ohio” in Seventh-day Adventist Yearbook for 1887, 11, 134; R.M. Kilgore, “The Ohio State Meeting,” ARH, May 8, 1888, 301.↩

5. Hampton W. Cottrell, “New Brunswick and Nova Scotia,” ARH, December 20, 1892, 795.↩

6. Cottrell, “New Brunswick and Nova Scotia”; “The daily Times of Moncton, N. B. . . ,” ARH, August 2, 1892, 496.↩

7. “General Conference,” ARH, March 5, 1895, 155; “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15. Adventist work on Prince Edward Island, another Maritime province, had not yet been established.↩

8. “International Medical Missionary and Benevolent Association,” General Conference Bulletin, First Quarter, April 17, 1901, 291; H.W. Cottrell, “Biennial Report of the Atlantic Union Conference,” General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1903, 35-36; Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 2^nd rev. edition (1996), s.v. “Boston Regional Medical Center.”↩

9. S.H. Lane, “The New England Camp-Meeting,” ARH, October 24, 1899, 691.↩

10. “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15.↩

11. Cottrell, “Biennial Report of the Atlantic Union Conference,” 34.↩

12. Cottrell, “Biennial Report of the Atlantic Union Conference,” 36; “Memorial to the General Conference,” General Conference Bulletin, April 1, 1903, 36.↩

13. Michael W. Campbell, “Cottrell, Hampton Watson,” in The Ellen G. White Encyclopedia, ed. Denis Fortin and Jerry Moon (Hagerstown, MD: Review & Herald, 2013), 351; “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15.↩

14. H.W. Cottrell, “President’s Address,” Pacific Union Recorder, February 10, 1910, 2.↩

15. Walter C. Utt, A Mountain, a Pickax, a College, 3^rd ed. (Angwin, CA: Pacific Union College, 1996), 31-40.↩

16. “Western Oregon Conference (1906-1928),” ASTR, accessed May 28, https://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldID=C13430.↩

17. Seventh-day Adventist Encyclopedia, 2^nd rev. edition (1996), s.v. “Portland Adventist Medical Center.”↩

18. Though his tenure would eventually be listed as beginning in 1922, the fact he had already stepped in as president by December 1921 is evident in “Elder Cottrell Visits Columbia,” North Pacific Union Gleaner, December 8, 1921, 4.↩

19. “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15; “Union Office Notes,” North Pacific Union Gleaner, May 10, 1923, 10.↩

20. H.W. Cottrell, “A Word From Our Shut-Ins,” North Pacific Union Gleaner, November 29, 1923, 5.↩

21. “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15.↩

22. R.F. Cottrell, “Mrs. H.W. Cottrell,” 5.↩

23. “Elder H.W. Cottrell,” 15.↩

24. “Church Total (1863-1901),” ASTR, accessed May 29, 2025, https://adventiststatistics.org/view_Summary.asp?FieldInstID=7821; Annual Statistical Report, 1940, 2, 5, accessed May 29, 2025, https://documents.adventistarchives.org/Statistics/ASR/ASR1940.pdf.↩