Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography/Salpointe, Jean Baptist

SALPOINTE, Jean Baptist, R. C. archbishop, b. in St. Maurice, France, 21 Feb., 1825; d. in Tucson, 16 July, 1898. He received his education in a school in Ajain, and subsequently studied the classics in the College of Clermont and philosophy and theology in the Seminary of Clermont Ferrand. He was raised to the priesthood on 20 Dec., 1851, and, after spending about eight years in parochial duties and as professor in the preparatory seminary of Clermont, he came to the United States in 1859, and was parish priest of Mora, N. M., until he was appointed vicar-general of Arizona in 1866. He was nominated vicarapostolic of Arizona three years afterward, and consecrated by the title of bishop of Doryla in partibus on 20 June, 1869. His vicariate included Arizona, with part of Texas and New Mexico. He immediately set about building churches, organizing new congregations, and founding schools and hospitals. The number of priests had increased to eighteen when Dr. Salpointe was transferred to Santa Fé as coadjutor to Archbishop Lamy, and the churches had increased from about half a dozen to twenty-three, besides fifteen chapels. He succeeded Archbishop Lamy as archbishop of Santa Fé in 1885.