Universalist, Unitarian, & Unitarian Universalist Milestones

• Vashti Cromwell McCollum (Nov. 6, 1912, Lyons, NY, – )
  She successfully challenged the use of public school buildings for religious education classes in the U.S. Supreme Court in 1948, was awarded the Johns Haynes Holmes Award from the Unitarian Fellowship for Social Justice, and served as President of the American Humanist Association, 1962-1965.
• Kate Olivia Sessions (Nov. 8, 1857, San Francisco, CA – March 24, 1940)
  “Mother of Balboa Park”. Teacher, horticulturist, author, and businesswoman, responsible for planting Balboa Park in San Diego, helped found the San Diego Floral Association in 1906, and in 1939 received the first Frank N. Meyer medal of the American Genetic Association ever awarded to a woman.
• Edna May Oliver (Nov. 9, 1883, Malden, MA – Nov. 9, 1942)
  She was born Edna May Nutter, was an actress in Cimarron, Little Women, and was the aunt in the movie “Copperfield”.
• James Luther Adams (Nov. 12, 1901, Ritzville, WA – Jul. 26, 1994, Cambridge, MA)
  Minister, Teacher, Author. He served parishes in Salem , Wellesley Hills, and Boston, MA, , founded and edited “The Journal of Liberal Religion,” and taught at Boston University, and Meadville Theological School.
• Sir Charles Lyell (Nov. 14, 1797 Kirriemuir, Scotland – Feb. 22, 1875, London, UK)
  Geologist who in 1829 wrote Principles of Geology and put forth the theory of Uniformitarianism. Authored The Elements of Geology, The Geological Evidence of the Antiquity of Man in 1863, was knighted for scientific accomplishment in 1848, became a Baron in 1864, climbed Mt. Etna in his 60’s, and influenced friend Charles Darwin’s work.
• Charles Hudson (Nov. 14, 1795 Marlborough, MA – May 4, 1881, Lexington, MA)
  Universalist minister, Army soldier during the War of 1812, MA Representative, Senator, U.S. Representative from Massachusetts, 1841-49, delegate to Republican National Convention from Massachusetts, 1856.
• Mary Tyler Peabody Mann (Nov. 16, 1806, Cambridge, MA – Feb. 11, 1887, Boston, MA)
  Teacher, Author, co-edited the “Kindergarten Messenger”, and published “ Life and Works of Horace Mann”.
• Orello Cone (Nov. 16, 1835, Lincklaen, NY – June 23, 1905, Canton, NY)
  He wrote Gospel-Criticism. He was a Universalist minister, educator, and author. He was professor of biblical languages and literature at St. Lawrence University from 1865-1880 and president of Buchtel College in Akron, Ohio from 1880 until 1896.
• Lotta Hitschmanova (Nov. 28, 1909, Prague, Czechoslova – Sept. 1, 1990)
  Political journalist, tutor, founded the Unitarian Service Committee of Canada in 1945, and humanitarian who received numerous awards from many countries for her work on behalf of refugees. Was made a Companion of the Order of Canada, the nation’s highest award.
• John Haynes Holmes (Nov. 29, 1879, Philadelphia, PA – April 3, 1964, New York, NY)
  Founder and minister of The Community Church of New York, pacifist, was among the co-founders of many organizations for social justice including the NAACP, ACLU, Planned Parenthood Movement, and War Resisters League. “Phone calls are over and quickly gone,” he said, “but a beautiful and true letter can be returned to again and again.”

In U/U/UU History

• The Foxborough Universalist Church (UUFoxborough) building was dedicated on October 4, 1843.^*