MUUYACM History
As a campus ministry, MUUYACM traces back to 1885 with the formation of the University Channing Club. Read more of our history to learn about radical housing, social justice activities and unique ways of bringing freethough to campus.
The current incarnation of Madison UU Young Adult and Campus Ministry came about as part of a restructuring of the group in 1998. Members of the group decided to center the group around a weekly worship instead of hosting primarily social gatherings. This structure continues today with weekly worships each Thursday at 6:00 p.m. at St. Francis House, 1001 University Ave.
The history below was submitted by R. H. Dott, Jr., in April, 2001. The history is based on archives at First Unitarian Society (FUS), conversations with FUS minister, Max Gaebler, and from Dott's personal memories from time spent on the FUS board in the 1970s.
Origins
In 1885, The University Channing Club was formed as a campus discussion group. It was named for pioneer Unitarian, William Ellery Channing (1780-1842). "Murray" was added after merger with Universalists for John Murray (1741-1815), a founder of that denomination. The original club had a closer link with the UW than in later years. For example, such faculty luminaries as Charles R. Van Hise and Richard T. Ely were listed as Honorary Members. The purpose was "free and unbiased discussion of live questions in social science and practical philanthropy." Topics listed for the early years included Unitarianism, the world's major religions, Chinese culture, Greek philosophy, socialism, communism and anarchism, prisons, social implications of evolution, cosmology and geology, and Florence Nightengale. The Club sponsored occasional public lectures by luminaries on topics such as Chicago's Hull House and Agnosticism.
Ours must have been one of the first campus ministries in Madison. According to Max Gaebler, in 1905 or 1906, the University hosted the first national conference on campus ministry. President Van Hise had been under pressure to have a university chaplain, so in his speech to the conference, he noted the superior virtue of church-initiated ministries because of the guarantee of greater diversity. (Max also noted that St. Paul's Chapel was the first Catholic ministry established on a secular campus).
1900 - 1950s
There is a long hiatus in the records until the 1940s, when then-minister of the First Unitarian Society, Kenneth Patton, created a Vanguard Club. It was intended to draw a broader constituency than just "Unitarians," but its existence was brief. In 1948-49, the Channing Club of Madison became affiliated with the American Unitarian Youth Organization based in Boston. When Max Gaebler came as minister of FUS in 1952, the Channing Club was a vigorous enterprise. The group, which included primarily graduate student families, met at the Meeting House Sunday evenings for supper and a program. The Club always had representatives at FUS parish meetings.
1950 - 1974: The Era of Houses
After WW II, FUS used the gift of a north Butler Street house to provide unsegregated housing for students because such was not then available. This Olsen House had been willed by its owner to the American Unitarian Association because, although not a church member, Mrs. Olsen had enjoyed Max's Sunday radio talks. In a curious twist of affairs, FUS bought the house from AUA by using the rentals to repay the mortgage. Managing the house proved difficult, so when segregated housing was outlawed in Madison, the house was sold in 1954.
Several graduate students then proposed that the few-thousand-dollar profit from selling the Olsen House be used to purchase a C-M co-operative living unit for men, which could also serve as a campus program center. Thus the second, or Nelson House, at 215 North Park Street, became the Channing-Murray Center beginning in September, 1955 with 12-14 residents. Sunday nights all C-M members met at the house for supper and a program. Details of the complex financing are recorded in the archives.
By-laws adopted in 1955 by a newly formed Foundation Board specified representation by members of FUS, the minister, students, and UW faculty Unitarians. In 1956, the Board was reconstituted to involve U-U parishes from across the state, so six out-of-town members were also specified. This proved unwieldy for overseeing the Center with its day-to-day problems, so the by-laws were revised to include only Madison members on a new Center Board but a broader group for the Foundation Board.
After about four years, the University bought our property in order to build the Southeast Dormitory complex. The Foundation used the proceeds of that transaction to buy a third, Murray Street House, next to the University Club. It housed 20-22 men residents; coed housing had not yet arrived at the UW, but a few women did participate in the eating co-op. For this new, larger campus C-M program, a coordinator was hired. Both the living co-op and club program were self-supporting!
In the mid-1960s, the Murray Street House in turn fell to the wrecking ball to make way for the Elvehjem Art Museum, so Channing-Murray again had to look for a new home. The fourth, or Lake Street House, was purchased (across the street from the present University Square postoffice). By now the permissive sixties had arrived and loco parentis was dead, so the new cooperative was coed all the way with about 15 members. As before, the house was used for Chaning-Murray's weekly suppers and programs. In keeping with the turbulent times, management of the program was less than tranquil.
In its turn, about 1971, the fourth house fell thanks to an urban renewal project for the block now shared by the Fluno Center and the city parking ramp as well as the present site of University Square. Federal renewal money compensated all property owners, who then formed the Lake Park Corporation for the purpose of redeveloping these properties. University Square was the (only) result, but it is considerably smaller than was originally envisioned. The Channing-Murray Center was to have had office and meeting space in the Square, but constraints prohibited that.
The turbulent late sixties had left the Channing-Murray Foundation Board members battle scarred and leary of further involvement as campus landlords, but also frustrated for lack of the promised space for a first class campus center. Accordingly, the Foundation sold its stock in the Lake Park Corporation, deposited the proceeds in the First Unitarian Society Foundation for the use of future campus programs, and went into "retirement."
1975 - 2001
Since the demise of the Lake Street effort, our campus program has waxed and waned according to whether it had a dedicated staff coordinator. Several successive assistant or apprentice ministers at FUS or graduate students have held this position, and during their tenures, the program has thrived reasonably well. When no such leader was available, however it languished. The principal activities have included regular suppers with programs at FUS and/or lunches at the Union plus some special social events and outings. Almost every year the club conducted a Sunday service at FUS. The church Newsletter carried a paragraph about C-M activities.
Max recalls that in the early 1980s a grand campus revival was planned and local churches were approached to help support it. Channing-Murray decided to offer a liberal alternative. The Union Theatre was rented for presentation of lectures by Gaebler and other UU ministers from out of town. Two of the latter represented opposite theological positions, which demonstrated the diversity of our movement.
Other Historical Information
A Channing-Murray Letter was issued occasionally (four copies from the 1980s-90s are in the archive). These carried calendars of events and miscellaneous happenings, current issues, and news from the Board. Pamphlets explaining the Channing-Murray campus program and Unitarian-Universalism were composed and printed for dissemination to the student body (copies of three different ones spanning the last 40 years exist in the archive). Prior to computerized registration, the C-M Center had an information table at the registration "bull pen" at which such literature was dispensed. Today it may be more difficult to reach people.
A Channing-Murray Board has existed on and off through 1996, but it was reconstituted as the present advisory Board in 1999. A point needing clarification is whether the program is still legally constituted under the by-laws drawn up in the 1950s.
Testimonials in the C-M 100th Anniversary Yearbook (1986) as well as the fact that no less than three reunions have been held indicate a strong dedication by many former members of our campus program, which should provide inspiration for its future.