Washington Gladden (February 11, 1836 – July 2, 1918) was a leading American
Congregational pastor and early leader in the
Social Gospel movement. He was a leading member of the
Progressive Movement, serving for two years as a member of the
Columbus, Ohio city council and campaigning against
Boss Tweed as religious editor of the
New York Independent. Gladden was probably the first leading U.S. religious figure to support
unionization of the workforce; he also opposed
racial segregation. He was a prolific writer who wrote hundreds of poems, hymns, articles, editorials, and books.