James Duncan (bishop)

James Loughlin Duncan (September 11, 1913 – July 20, 2000), the first Bishop of Southeast Florida, was born in Greensboro, North Carolina, the son of Robert Duncan and his wife, Mary (O'Loughlin) Duncan. He died in 2000, a resident of Coral Gables, Florida.

James Loughlin Duncan attended Emory University and received a Bachelor of Arts (BA) in 1935 and a Master of Arts (MA) in 1936. He studied theology at the University of the South, in Sewanee, Tennessee and received a Bachelor of Divinity (BD) in 1939, and an honorary Doctor of Divinity (hon DD) in 1962.

James L. Duncan was ordained to the diaconate in 1938 and to the priesthood in 1939. He served as curate of All Saints Episcopal Church, Atlanta, Georgia, from 1939 to 1940, when he left to become rector of St. Peter's Episcopal Church, in Rome, Georgia, where he stayed until 1945. From 1945 to 1950, he was rector of All Saints Episcopal Church, in Winter Park, Florida, His last rectorship at St. Peter's Episcopal Church, in St. Petersburg, Florida began in 1950 and ended in 1961 when he was elected suffragan bishop of the Episcopal Diocese of South Florida. In 1969, he was elected the first bishop of the newly formed Episcopal Diocese of Southeast Florida and served until he retired in 1980.

After retirement, Duncan remained active in the Diocese. He served on the board of Trinity Episcopal School (now Palmer Trinity School) and taught seventh grade religion there from 1983 to 1985.

The Duncan Center in Delray Beach, Florida is named in his honor.

James L. Duncan married Evelyn Burgess on July 27, 1943. They had three children. She died in January 1967, and Duncan married Elaine Lucille Beisler Gaither on October 7, 1967 (Elaine is the maternal grandmother of actor Billy Crudup).