The seventy-fifth anniversary of the organization of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto is in 2022. So I’ve been working on the history of the congregation, starting with a basic timeline.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Sources for this timeline: Rae Bell’s timeline for the 60th anniversary of the congregation; Annual Reports from 2009-2020; documents in the UUCPA archives; personal reminiscences; denominational sources.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
See the corrected version here,<\/a> which includes vintage photos.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n 1947 \u2014 On April 6, Rev. Delos O’Brian of the American Unitarian Association holds the first meeting of the emerging congregation; some present at the first meeting were members of the old Unitarian Church of Palo Alto<\/a> 1948 \u2014 The first Sunday school is a cooperative venture with Palo Alto Friends Meeting; former Unitarian Josephine Duveneck is one of the teachers 1949 \u2014 From April through June, Rev. Lon Ray Call,<\/a> extension minister from the AUA, serves the new congregation; membership more than doubles 1950 \u2014 Services are held at the Palo Alto Community Center<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1951 \u2014 The congregation changes its name to the Palo Alto Unitarian Church<\/strong> (PAUC) 1952 \u2014 Following the lead of the Los Angeles Unitarian church, PAUC refuses to sign California’s “Loyalty Oath,” and has to pay state tax even though it’s a nonprofit 1953 \u2014 PAUC, the San Jose Unitarian church, and the Los Gatos Unitarian Fellowship form a dental loan fund to aid children of migrant workers<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1954 \u2014 PAUC purchases property at 505 Charleston Rd. for $30,060 1955 \u2014 The choir sings for the first time in a PAUC service 1956 \u2014 Prominent Bay Area architect Joseph Esherick<\/a> is chosen to design PAUC’s new buildings 1957 \u2014 PAUC raises $83,850 for the Building Fund, and negotiates a bank loan for $90,000 1958 \u2014 Ground-breaking ceremony at 505 Charleston Rd.; total cost of the new building, $178,000 1959 \u2014 A spin-off group from PAUC becomes the Unitarian Fellowship of Redwood City<\/a> 1960 \u2014 Florence Sund becomes the Director of Religious Education 1961 \u2014 Women’s Alliance raises $4,590 for enlarging and paving the rear parking area 1962 \u2014 Wooden benches are installed in the main patio 1963 \u2014 Choir has 50 members; Dr. Arthur P. Barnes,<\/a> Stanford Music Professor, becomes choir director 1964 \u2014 Dan Lion participates in the Mississippi Summer Project (a.k.a. Freedom Summer),<\/a> and is supported by PAUC 1965 \u2014 PAUC supports Dan Lion’s trip to Selma, Ala.<\/a> 1966 \u2014 Congregation ordains Mike Young 1967 \u2014 Clarice Gault hired as new Director of Religious Education 1968 \u2014 Congregation votes to not build a new church building, and instead votes to spend the money on “human rights” programs (however, some voted against building because they thought the design was ugly) 1969 \u2014 Covered patio building is completed for $13,000 1970 \u2014 PAUC forms a nonprofit corporation to start an alternative high school, “Lothlorien High School” 1971 \u2014 PAUC establishes a day care center, still in existence,<\/a> which is named after the recently deceased Ellen Thacher 1972 \u2014 Dan Lion resigns; Ron Hargis become sole minister until Rev. Sidney Peterman arrives in the fall as interim minister 1973 \u2014 PAUC votes to call William Jacobsen to serve as co-minister with Ron Hargis 1974 \u2014 “Stagflation” reduces income and increases expenses; the “Baby Bust” means fewer children; as a result PAUC shrinks financially and numerically 1975 \u2014 The Social Concerns Committee supports the United Farm Workers boycott of Gallo 1976 \u2014 The house purchased for use by the minister (the “parsonage”) is sold<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1977 \u2014 Ron Hargis and William Jacobsen promise to resign effective Jan. 1, 1978, if finances don’t improve; when finances don’t improve, Hargis resigns, but Jacobsen does not 1978 \u2014 Religious education enrollment rises from 50 to 100 with leadership from DREs June and Bob Donmoyer 1979 \u2014 For the first time, PAUC offers a preschool class in Sunday school<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1980 \u2014 DRE Mary Brau also becomes “executive officer” of the entire church 1981 \u2014 The World Concerns Committee presented non-partisan lectures on various topics of social concern 1982 \u2014 Congregation votes in December to join South Bay Sanctuary Covenant<\/a> to provide protection and advocacy for Central American refugees 1983 \u2014 25th anniversary celebration; Dan Lion speaks at the celebration<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1984 \u2014 The Sanctuary Committee raises $100 a month to support South Bay Sanctuary Covenant<\/a> 1985 \u2014 Caring Network is organized to be “available to those of us in emergency situations” 1986 \u2014 Wall paneling and track lighting installed in the Main Hall Lobby for art exhibits 1987 \u2014 Congregation votes to join the Mid-Peninsula Peace Center<\/a> 1988 \u2014 Congregation votes to change name to the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto<\/strong> (UUCPA) 1989 \u2014 Friendship Bridge linking UUCPA and Stevenson House is built 1990 \u2014 Rev. Sam Wright becomes interim minister 1991 \u2014 Rev. Ken Collier is called as minister 1992 \u2014 A new madrone branch is installed in the Main Hall<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1993 \u2014 The large hanging quilt banners are installed in the Main Hall 1994 \u2014 Overgrown trees are removed from the back lawn in front of Rooms 11, 12, and 13 (now Rooms A, B, C, and D) 1995 \u2014 UUCPA votes to include a non-discrimination clause in the bylaws 1996 \u2014 “An Easter Egg Hunt was created for children of preschool through 2nd grade.”<\/p>\n\n\n\n 1997 \u2014 UUCPA joins with other churches to form Peninsula Interfaith Action 1998 \u2014 UUCPA hires Rev. Til Evans as interim minister of religious education, to serve with Ken Collier 1999 \u2014 A capital campaign is begun, with the goal of a new administration building 2000 \u2014 In January, UUCPA adds a second worship service on Sunday morning 2001 \u2014 Ken Collier resigns to become minister in Santa Barbara 2002 \u2014 A Building Committee is formed, with a new lower budget of $686,000<\/p>\n\n\n\n 2003 \u2014 Rev. Amy Zucker is called as parish minister, to serve as co-minister with Darcey Laine 2004 \u2014 Rooms 11-13 renovated as Rooms A-D (1 classroom and 3 offices); new restrooms added; office and library reconfigured 2005 \u2014 New sound system installed in the Main Hall 2006 \u2014 Congregation adopts a relational covenant 2007 \u2014 60th anniversary celebration, Dan Lion speaks 2008 \u2014 Til Evans garden is completed 2009 \u2014 Congregation hires Rev. Dan Harper as assistant minister of religious education 2010 \u2014 With the help of church consultant Alice Mann, UUCPA sets goal of “adding the next 50 people” as measured by average annual attendance 2011 \u2014 Solar panels installed on the roof of the Main Hall, providing about half of UUCPA’s energy needs 2012 \u2014 Energy efficient LED lights installed in the parking lot 2013 \u2014 Board of Trustees transitions to using an online document filing system 2014 \u2014 The front of the lot is landscaped, junipers removed, and a native plant garden<\/a> and a larger labyrinth are installed 2015 \u2014 UUCPA provides meeting space and use of our kitchen to Stevenson House, while their buildings are renovated 2016 \u2014 Board prohibits smoking on campus 2017 \u2014 UUCPA adds more solar panels to Main Hall roof, which now produce all the congregation’s electrical needs 2018 \u2014 UUCPA begins hosting Heart and Home Collaborative,<\/a> a women’s homeless shelter, for 6 weeks each winter 2019 \u2014 Rising health insurance costs prompt Board of Trustees to create innovative funding scheme that maintains insurance coverage while lowering costs 2020 \u2014 COVID cause state-wide shutdown, UUCPA moves worship services and programs online, congregation members respond with creativity and resilience 2021 \u2014 Worship Tech crew upgrades audio board, adds 3-camera video to Main Hall, with multi-platform livestreaming capability The seventy-fifth anniversary of the organization of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto is in 2022. So I’ve been working on the history of the congregation, starting with a basic timeline. Sources for this timeline: Rae Bell’s timeline for the 60th anniversary of the congregation; Annual Reports from 2009-2020; documents in the UUCPA archives; … Continue reading “Timeline of the Unitarian Universalist Church of Palo Alto”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[9,14],"tags":[120],"class_list":["post-8972","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-bay-area-calif","category-religious-institutions","tag-unitarian-universalist-history"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8972","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=8972"}],"version-history":[{"count":15,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8972\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":11342,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/8972\/revisions\/11342"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=8972"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=8972"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.danielharper.org\/yauu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=8972"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Timeline, 1947-2021<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
1947 \u2014 Rev. Nat Lauriat, minister in San Jose, drives up each week to preach in Palo Alto<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1948 \u2014 The new congregation applies for membership in the American Unitarian Association (AUA) as the Palo Alto Unitarian Society<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1949 \u2014 After Nat Lauriat turns them down, the congregation calls Rev. Felix Danford Lion as minister; Lion arrives in September<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1951 \u2014 The congregation purchases a house for Dan Lion and his family to live in<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1952 \u2014 The Forum is started by Dr. Robert North, for open discussion of controversial questions of the day<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1954 \u2014 Women’s Alliance raises $1,326 for PAUC<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1955 \u2014 PAUC no longer needs financial assistance from the AUA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1956 \u2014 Religious education enrollment is over 400, with waiting lists to get in
1956 \u2014 Emma Lou “Timmy” Allen becomes choir director<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1957 \u2014 PAUC assists a displaced persons family from East Germany
1957 \u2014 Rae Bell begins serving as children’s choir director<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1958 \u2014 First Sunday services are held in new building
1958 \u2014 The Bookstore has its own space in the new building<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1959 \u2014 C. Sargent Hearn, the first full-time salaried religious educator, is hired
1959 \u2014 Public address system is installed in Main Hall<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1960 \u2014 Main patio is finally paved
1960 \u2014 PAUC assists a displaced persons family, plus four children from Indonesia<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1961 \u2014 Rev. D. Roen “Bud” Repp becomes assistant minister; Dan Lion goes on sabbatical for six months<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1962 \u2014 Madrone branch is installed on the wall of the Main Hall
1962 \u2014 Sunday school enrollment peaks at over 600; there are three Sunday services to accommodate the Sunday school<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1963 \u2014 Sunnyvale UU Fellowship<\/a> is spun off from PAUC; about 150 children transfer to Sunnyvale, relieving pressure on PAUC’s Sunday school<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1964 \u2014 100 junipers are planted in front of the Main Hall
1964 \u2014 Minister’s study is added to the rear of the office building<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1965 \u2014 Mike Young becomes assistant minister
1965 \u2014 Congregation votes to investigate the possibility of building a larger church building at the front of the lot
1965 \u2014 Nationwide, Unitarian Universalism stops growing and begins declining around about 1965<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1966 \u2014 PAUC sells 2.2 acres to Stevenson House elderly housing community<\/a> at below market rates, then gives Stevenson House a $5,000 donation<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1967 \u2014 Dan Lion and Mike Young provide counseling to conscientious objectors<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1968 \u2014 Mike Young resigns, and is not replaced<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1969 \u2014 Due to falling attendance and religious education enrollment, PAUC goes down to two services per Sunday
1969 \u2014 Virginia Stephens and Ellen Thacher become co-DREs
1969 \u2014 Dan Lion and other Unitarians participate in anti-war march in downtown Palo Alto<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1970 \u2014 Ron Garrison hired as “Youth Minister”
1970 \u2014 The congregations declines to invest in Black Affairs Council bonds
1970 \u2014 Rae Bell resigns as children’s choir director<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1971 \u2014 PAUC calls Rev. Dr. Ron Hargis as minister of religious education<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1972 \u2014 PAUC grants to use of the church as sanctuary for those “acting according to the dictates of their conscience in opposition to civil of military actions” [i.e., for conscientious objectors]<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1973 \u2014 A live-in custodian is hired, living in what is now the Choir Room
1973 \u2014 Women’s Alliance disbands, donates their remaining money to charity<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1974 \u2014 A grant makes it possible for 6th and 7th graders to participate in an art project for an afternoon with innovative artist Ruth Asawa<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1975 \u2014 After its sixth year, Lothlorien High School ceases operations<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1977 \u2014 Gail Hamaker<\/a> and other PAUC women are active in getting the Unitarian Universalist Association General Assembly to adopt the groundbreaking Women and Religion resolution<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1978 \u2014 First annual “mini-vacation” at Bass Lake
1978 \u2014 Women and Religion resolution: PAUC votes to examine sexist religious beliefs, but declines to examine sexist language and actions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1980 \u2014 A women’s group, based on the Women and Religion resolution, is formed and given Board sanction
1980 \u2014 Nationwide, after a decade and a half of decline, Unitarian Universalism begins to grow at about 1% per year<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1981 \u2014 The Religious Education Committee initiated a nursery for infants and toddlers<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1982 \u2014 Mary Brau resigns as DRE
1982 \u2014 Men’s group forms, with a dozen men meeting Monday evenings
1982 \u2014 Steel posts and chains are installed at entrance and exit drives to reduce vandalism<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1984 \u2014 The Stevenson House Committee helps raise funds to renovate Stevenson House, arranges activities to “enliven the environment” of residents<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1985 \u2014 The Social Action Committee is temporarily inactive, but it did distribute funds to South Palo Alto Food Closet<\/a> and other groups<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1986 \u2014 PAUC UUYAN, a young adult group for people ages 18 to 35, meets nearly weekly<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1987 \u2014 Congregation votes to make PAUC a Nuclear Weapons Free Zone
1987 \u2014 Congregation votes to join the Urban Ministry of Palo Alto, to address homelessness<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1988 \u2014 UUCPA is a founding member of Hotel de Zink,<\/a> a short-term homeless shelter
1989 \u2014 Edith Parker becomes Director of Religious Education<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1989 \u2014 The Board of Trustees meets just two hours after the Loma Prieta earthquake
1989 \u2014 PAUC purchases its first computer, a Mac IIcx
1989 \u2014 Congregation votes that Bill Jacobsen shall retire no later than August 31, 1990<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1990 \u2014 Sam Wright’s wife, Donna Lee, writes a history of the old Unitarian Church of Palo Alto (1905-1934)<\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n
1991 \u2014 Main Hall is often 80-90% full on Sunday mornings; Ken Collier first proposes double sessions<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1993 \u2014 Congregation votes to name Dan Lion as Minister Emeritus<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1994 \u2014 Bequest of $340,000 received from the estate of Dorothy B. White<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1995 \u2014 UUCPA provides financial and moral support to the new UU congregation in Fremont<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1997 \u2014 Congregation sees enough growth in membership to consider adding a second minister
1997 \u2014 Anti-Racism Task Force is formed<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1998 \u2014 Ellen Thacher Preschool is now part of Palo Alto Community Child Care<\/p>\n\n\n\n
1999 \u2014 UUA recognizes UUCPA as a Welcoming Congregation,<\/a> welcoming to LGBTQIA+ people<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2000 \u2014 Rev. Darcey Laine is called as minister of religious education
2000 \u2014 Live-in custodian resigns and is not replaced<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2001 \u2014 Proposed building project will cost $1.82 million, more than the congregation can raise
2001 \u2014 Kurt Kuhwald starts as interim minister, just before 9\/11<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2003 \u2014 UUCPA adopts a statement of conscience opposing a preemptive strike by the U.S. on Iraq
c. 2003 \u2014 Religious education enrollment roughly 100<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2004 \u2014 UUCPA votes to reaffirm its support for marriage equality
2004 \u2014 The Senior High Youth Group and Darcey Laine, along with youth from the Redwood City Fellowship, install the first labyrinth at UUCPA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2005 \u2014 Parking lot resurfaced
2005 \u2014 Amy Zucker marries, becomes Amy Zucker Morgenstern
2005 \u2014 Nationwide, after decades of steady growth, Unitarian Universalism begins to decline<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2006 \u2014 Wifi installed in the Fireside Room and most classrooms<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2007 \u2014 Darcey Laine resigns, as her family wants to relocate to upstate New York
2007 \u2014 Rev. Eva Ceskava becomes interim minister of religious education<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2008 \u2014 Hearing aid loop system in Main Hall improves accessibility for persons who are hard of hearing
2008 \u2014 Welcoming Congregations Committee organizes efforts to defeat Prop 8, a ballot measure to ban same-sex marriage<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2009 \u2014 Church consultant Alice Mann suggests bringing the congregation together more often, inspiring Second Sunday Lunches to begin
2009 \u2014 Nationwide, Unitarian Universalism begins slow decline that continues to the present<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2010 \u2014 Rev. Sean Parker Dennison serves as sabbatical minister, UUCPA’s first transgender minister<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2011 \u2014 New fenced-in play area installed in front of Thacher School’s playground
2011 \u2014 Bruce Olstad becomes Music Director
2011 \u2014 Congregation votes to endorse single payer health insurance for California<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2012 \u2014 UUCPA’s “OWL” comprehensive sexuality education program welcomes non-UU families, as a community outreach program
2012 \u2014 Navigators program is organized at UUCPA, providing scouting that welcomes all genders and LGBTQIA+ persons<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2013 \u2014 UUCPA moves membership database to a cloud-based system<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2014 \u2014 Religious education enrollment peaks at 135
2014 \u2014 Sunday school “Ecojustice class” installs first rain barrel at UUCPA<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2015 \u2014 Congregation votes to ordain UUCPA member and hospital chaplain Melissa Thompson<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2016 \u2014 Membership and Growth Committee reports that UUCPA is halfway to the goal of adding 50 people, as measured by average annual attendance<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2017 \u2014 UUCPA leases the parking lot to a solar energy company to erect a solar panel array
2017 \u2014 Staff cut-backs due to attrition save UUCPA money
2017 \u2014 UUCPA moves website to WordPress CMS<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2018 \u2014 A Membership Engagement Coordinator is hired for 15 hours per week, on a one-year trial basis
2018 \u2014 Congregation considers removing the word “Church” from its name, but confronted with 5 possible new names, none receives the necessary 2\/3 majority<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2019 \u2014 About 30% of enrolled children and youth are non-white<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2020 \u2014 Due to COVID lockdown, Heart and Home homeless shelter remains at UUCPA for 3 months, 24\/7
2020 \u2014 UUCPA receives federal Paycheck Protection Plan loan to help cover payroll during COVID<\/p>\n\n\n\n
2021 \u2014 Of 99 people responding to a congregational survey, roughly 15% are non-white
2021 \u2014 UUCPA begins hosting a Safe Parking Program,<\/a> where up to four homeless families can live in their cars<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"