Unitarian Organizations Endow Theology Chair

Three Unitarian Church organizations yesterday announced a $770.000 donation to the Harvard Divinity School (HDS) for the creation of a permanent Unitarian Universalist Studies Chair on the faculty.

The Ralph Waldo Emerson Fund, donated by The Unitarian Universalist Association (UUA), the Liberal Religious Charitable Society, and the North Shore Unitarian Universalist Society, will allow HDS to appoint a full tenured professor in Unitarian Universalist studies. UUA is the umbrella organization for Unitarian congregations in North America.

The University and HDS have a long history of association with Unitarianism--nine University Presidents have been Unitarians. But HDS has never had a tenured Unitarian faculty post.

"With the upcoming retirement of [Professor of American Church History] C. Conrad Wright, there would be no Unitarians on the HDS faculty," said UUA President William F. Schulz. "The Emerson Fund will maintain a Unitarian Universalist presence at HDS into the foreseeable future and will guarantee that our students receive an education grounded in the traditions of our faith," he said.

"This generous gift ensures, in a way the Divinity School never could before, continuation of an association that is a wellspring of the HDS identity," said Ronald F. Thiemann, dean of HDS.

HDS officials said that they hope to fill the new position by the fall of 1989.

"The search process will begin this spring, and is expected to last a year's time," said Royal A. Govain, HDS associate dean for development.

The grant represents UUA's long-standing wish to make Unitarian education a permanent offering at HDS.

"I can imagine few developments during my years in office with which I will be prouder to be associated than this," Shulz said. "This was something we had hoped to see happen for a long time."

Despite this, Govain said the grant surprised some HDS officials. "We didnt know it was all going to come together at this point," Govain said.