Our History

 

HISTORY OF THE AMARILLO UNITARIAN UNIVERSALIST FELLOWSHIP

1950-1973

By Wayne Darrow

The Amarillo Unitarian Fellowship was born the night of April 10, 1950, in the old Capitol Hotel, where ten persons, the minimum required to obtain a charter, met with Rev. Lon Ry Call, a Unitarian organizer from Boston, the center of American Unitarianism. The Charter was granted April 30, 1950.

Jerry Malin, a newspaper sports editor, was the leader who worked for a year or so to stir up interest among people who were not satisfied with orthodox religion. He distributed Unitarian tracts to friends and acquaintances and held bull sessions on the subject with several, including Thurman Gholston.

The ten charter members were: Jerry Malin, Mrs. J. M. Duncan, Thurman Gholston, Ray Watson, Mrs. A. W. Sorrelle, Bonnie Schenck, Steve Walters, Francis Springer (now Mrs. Steve Walters), Bernice Axtell, and Hall Axtell.  Mrs. Duncan was the only one who had previously belonged to a Unitarian church, though Steve Walters had attended Unitarian services for two years in Houston when he was a student in Rice University.  Four still live in Amarillo:  Mr. and Mrs. Walters, Thurman Gholston, and Hall Axtell, but only the last named is still an active member.

The first meetings of the Fellowship were held monthly at night in members’ homes. Jerry Malin continued to be the leading spirit and was president the first year.  After about a year of home meetings, the sessions were held for some two years in the Globe-News conference room.  Membership dropped to six, due chiefly to some moving away without new joiners.  One member withdrew because of Fellowship discussions of controversial subjects such as Negroes and civil rights.

In 1952 members individually gave food and clothing to a black children’s home in north Amarillo. Money was also raised from concerts by Gospel singers brought by the Fellowship to the city auditorium, and some of this was given for daycare of black children.

In the early meetings a little ritual was recited, “Love is the doctrine of this church . . . ,” much the same as the one now used. Sermons or talks from Boston were read, but many—perhaps most—of the programs were given by members, as now.

There was always discussion. Some controversial subjects were discussed such as capital punishment, euthanasia, and civil rights.  There was no music in the early years.

The Fellowship almost died out after the first two years, though Don Curphey disputes this, saying, “We always had two or three come.” A few meetings were held in the basement of the Jewish Synagogue on South Taylor before arrangements were made to meet in the YMCA.  Meetings became weekly, and attendance began picking up.

Jim Slade gave a tape recorder, so music was introduced in the services. There were hymnals and responsive readings, with the leader hidden away in another room with the tape recorder.  Singing was tried a few times, but it was a disaster according to Flora Chandler.  She recalls that there was a Coke machine nearby in the YMCA, which would start making noises during services, so a man would go out and kick it to stop the racket.

John Isom, Unitarian minister in Wichita, Kansas, came often in the early years and helped a great deal. For a couple of years the arrangement was that he would spend one Sunday a month in West Texas.  He would be in Amarillo on a Sunday morning one month and a Sunday evening the next, alternating appearances with the Lubbock Fellowship with which his expenses were shared.  His successor, Rev. Osborne, came nearly every month in the late 1950’s.  Other Unitarian ministers came from Fort Worth, Dallas and other cities.  The first one who came from Boston also helped a lot, though he was reputed to have a bottle problem.

The first real upturn in the fortunes of the Fellowship came in 1955 with the joining of Dr. and Flora Chandler and the arrival of Flogene Robinson, a social worker from Fort Worth. She sparked the services by putting ads in the newspaper, decorating the YMCA room, and getting Dr. Richard Steele, a West Texas State University professor, to give a series of talks on the religions of the world.  Instead of an attendance of only about a dozen, 24 would come; and once there were 40!

The great developing years of the Fellowship were 1955 to 1968 culminating in the launching of the building program. The young organization was fortunate in having a number of bold, free spirits who kept up interest.  Among them were T. C. Brown and Don Curphey with his lively “fantastic” discussions.

But two stand out for their leadership and contributions: Flora Chandler and Dr. Capres Hatchett. Capres and his late wife Polly gave most of the furniture, entry rugs, drapes, and the stereo music system.  He is also due great credit for his faithfulness and taste in selecting the music and in operating the player.  Besides this, Capres was a stabilizing influence and a leader with unflagging determination.

The gifts that Dr. Chandler and Flora gave are, to quote Jerre Sprouse, “staggering.” Among them are the piano and all the trees outside the patio.  But it was not for these gifts that the auditorium was named Chandler Hall, but for Flora’s role as “Mother Superior” in keeping the group together and moving ahead.  Without her, says Don Curphey, it’s not likely the Fellowship would have survived.

It was Flora Chandler who introduced the idea of money into a Fellowship that had no property, not even a book beyond the few hymnals sent from Boston. Don Curphey continues, “We had never passed a collection plate, but at her insistence we acquired a little silver (plated I’m sure) candy dish which was kept by the door to accept gifts; and it came to be referred to lovingly as the ‘Chandler Chalice.’” She also insisted on developing a building fund, of which I will say more later.

“Though she never served as president, it was her determination, perseverance and inspiration which kept the elected leaders’ foreheads to the prayer rug. It was her tireless correspondence with other Unitarians and Unitarian organizations which provided the knowledge of Unitarianism and the techniques of fellowship management and religious education which provided the bricks with which the Fellowship was built.”

In the late 1950’s when the John Birch Society was going strong around here, observers were sent several times to services to look for signs of communist influence. None were found, of course.

While meeting in the YMCA, in 1956 the Fellowship was incorporated with the aid of W. N. Stokes, a lawyer who was a Baptist but whose wife was a Unitarian.

The Women’s Alliance was started about 1956 or 1957, sparked by Flogene Robinson. Dorothy Jenkins, Dorothy Curphey and Flora Chandler were the leaders.  At the start only three or four came.  It was a working group rather than a study group.  Rummage sales were held every spring and fall in a building on East 4th Street.  About $1,000 was collected over a period of years to pay for a kitchen, but eventually it went into the building fund.  Betty Crocker coupons were also saved and used to get silverware for the kitchen.

The Alliance died out about 1965, but was revived recently with a birthday party for Flora Chandler on February 5, 1973, at Jerre Sprouse’s home. They had so much fun that they decided to continue with Betty Bresnahan, the general chairman, and Betty Glenn, the program chairman.

Several funeral services have been held under Unitarian auspices. Capres Hatchett, Lindy Benson, Dick Moseley, and Harlow Sprouse have officiated, the last named doing a graveside service for Polly Hatchett.

Among many gifts received are the burglar alarm system donated by Dale and Dorothy Elliot in 1972 that will probably prevent a major theft such as the loss of the whole stereo music equipment a few years ago; the decorative copper on the front door by Tommy Hicks; and the beautiful large bird photograph in the assembly room presented by Dick Pavek.

The move from the YMCA to the YWCA came in 1961 and was made chiefly to obtain room for children’s activities and to have a somewhat larger chapel. The YMCA had served the Fellowship well during its formative years, and the facilities were provided without cost.

The new quarters in the YWCA were well worth the $100 monthly rental. The move helped develop pride.  An influx of new talent in the early 1960’s enlivened the meetings.  The idea of getting a building of their own—and even possibly a minister—began to be talked about more and more by 1965-1967.  The $8,500 nest egg had been built up at the insistence of Flora Chandler who had seen to it that one-fourth to one-third of revenues were set aside for a building fund.  Whenever the officers reneged on setting aside the agreed on portion she got after them.

The acquisition of the land and the building of the church was the great success story of the first 20 years of Unitarianism in Amarillo. From near extinction in the first five shaky years, the dream of a strong, viable organization had begun to be realized.  In ten years the membership had grown from about six to about sixty, but more important, the congregation was lively, abounding in ideas, and enthusiastic.  The time was ripe for the building project.

A building committee was started in 1965. It is not clear just who headed it.  Jim Goodhue says almost all the members were involved in it in one way or another.  Several building sites were considered.  One was in a good residential district toward the north end of Avondale, but several prominent residents saw to it that the lots were withdrawn from the market.  Another site was a beautiful tract south of town toward the canyon, but the owner shied away from selling to this strange cult.

The Jewish Synagogue on South Taylor was for sale, and the Jewish leaders tried hard to sell to the Unitarians; but the building committee decided that it was not suitable—too much remodeling would be required. Later the Jews tried again to make a sale by cutting their price drastically, but by that time the building committee had decided on the two-acre tract at 49th and Cornell.

It was bought in 1966 for $10,000, using the $8,500 nest egg with the remaining $1,500 raised within a week by subscriptions. For two years it was just a real estate investment, and a good one.  It was not until 1968 that financial arrangements were made for building.

In 1968, the building committee, under the leadership of Jerre Sprouse and Tommy Hicks, began a new phase of intensive work toward the goal of building on the Cornell Street property. They had many meetings during the early part of that year, interviewed a number of architects, and after choosing one continued to work with the architect until the basic design of the present structure was accomplished.  Almost everyone in the Fellowship was involved in this process in one way or another.  Then, in May of 1968, in an historic meeting Harlow Sprouse presented the case for a building as conceived by that committee.  He said in part:

 “. . . this year an energetic and fearless group decided to do something about a building; and as their work progressed, they began to affect us all, with their vision and with their belief that we could have a place of our own—not in the future, but now! During the past few months most every member of this Fellowship has had some part in the planning and the working on this project.

 “What has been behind the feeling of many of our members that we need a place of our own? And why, in the past couple of years has that feeling become so much stronger?

 “One of the most immediate reasons is that we have out-grown our facilities. This hasn’t been as apparent to the adults who don’t participate in our religious education program as it has been to the children and teachers involved in that program.  However, last Sunday should have opened all of our eyes to the fact that these quarters simply will not be adequate for our needs for very much longer.  Most of the old timers around here will tell you that our average attendance has just about doubled over the past three or four years, and it keeps increasing.

 “. . . Further, I submit to you that we need to grow to become a force in this community. We need more voices for liberal religion.  Is there some inherent law in our society that requires that only the foolish should be heard?  Must we forever stand by while the only sound heard in the area of religion is a primitive chant done in medieval terminology?  Are we afraid of contaminating our community with adult religion?

 “Oh, I know there are those who insist that a pile of stone and wood and glass logically should have no effect on our growth, but the history of other fellowships and churches shows that it does have such an effect. Just because a visitor is interested in our freedom to pursue religious truth doesn’t mean he isn’t also looking for a church that presents an image of responsibility and stability and permanence.  His kids, like ours, aren’t going to be too interested in attending church at the same place where their friends go to swim and play basketball.

 “The truth is that we need a place. A place with which to identify.  A place where people can find us.  We need a place of our own to go on Sunday mornings.  Or, for that matter, to stay away from on Sunday mornings.

 “And not just on Sunday mornings either—we need a place for our discussion groups. For board meetings.  For social affairs.  A place where our children can be married—and where memorial services can be had for our dead.

 “We need to be able to furnish a place for other groups in which we might be interested. For art groups, for a community film series, for Great Books, for youth groups, for civil rights meetings.  A place that can be a haven for our souls, and an arena for our ideas.”

The financing of the building is a story of hard work and perseverance, of imagination and plain gall, with a bit of luck thrown in. Two lawyers collaborated in leading the successful effort, Harlow Sprouse and James Doores.

The membership agreed that budgeting should be based on what the present membership could and would afford, with no allowance for what new increased membership might contribute. (After the initial start in 1950, the Fellowship has never put on drives to get new members.) The budgets for several years had been running at $4,000 to $5,000 annually.  It was estimated that they would have to roughly double.  (For 1973-’74 the budget is about $12,800.)

The architect employed estimated it would cost $35,000 for the building plus $5,000 for etcetera’s. But the lowest bid received was $60,000.  The architect came up with another contractor who revised the original plans drastically and brought the cost down to $44,000.

Sprouse and Doores put together an impressive presentation to lending institutions. They laugh about it now as a “snow job” of putting the best foot forward.  It was indeed persuasive, especially in that it included pledges of 17 members to loan to the Fellowship, if need be, varying individual amounts (several as much as $5,000), totaling $51,000 as security for a mortgage loan.

The 17 guarantors: Harlow Sprouse; Don Curphey; Dennis and Brad Stubbs; James M. Doores; Franklin W. Baer; W. L. Benson; Marilyn Nix; Robert M. Strebeck; James M. House; Earl F. Farley; Capres Hatchett, M. D.; Phillip L. Maxwell; Lawrence Allen Glenn; Carol Whitten; Howard H. Pestor; Thomas C. Hicks, Jr.; and Mrs. Vi Guyette.

The Tulia Savings & Loan Association agreed to loan $35,000 at 7% interest for 15 years. There was $5,500 in the building fund, and the Women’s Alliance had $1,000.  That wasn’t enough for more than $50,000 was needed.

Flora Chandler learned through her friend Jack Fischer, an Amarillo boy then Senior Editor of Harper’s Magazine, that the Veatch Committee of the North Shore Unitarian Society in New York had a lot of money available for loans to Unitarian groups. Contact was made, and after much long distance discussion, the Committee offered to loan the Fellowship $9,000 at 4.6% interest for 15 years.  By that time, however, an additional $3,000 was needed to pave the parking lot.  Lo and Behold, the Veatch Committee agreed to a $12,000 loan. It is secured by a second lien on the property itself.

So in the fall of 1968 the finance job was complete. The building, furniture and paving of the parking lot came to $53,500 of which $47,000 was borrowed money.  Counting the cost of the lot and paving on 49th Street, the grand total came to $66,000.  With the enhancement of values in Southwest Amarillo, the Fellowship is only ten years away from owning outright a most valuable property.

The building was completed in 1969 and dedicated for service on September 21, 1969, with President T. C. Brown presiding. The meaning of the occasion to the Unitarian Universalist community was expressed by Russell Lockwood of Dallas, representing the Southwestern Unitarian Universalist Conference and the American Unitarian Universalist Association, Boston; to the Amarillo Religious Community by Rabbi Maurice Feuer, Temple B’Nai Israel, Amarillo; and to the youth in our community by Larry Brown, President, Southwest Liberal Religious Youth, Dallas.

The Act of Dedication consisted of responses between the president and congregation. It ended by this declaration in unison:

 “The purpose of our religion is not to stamp our minds upon others. It is not to make others see with our eyes, but to encourage all to look inquiringly and steadily with their own.  It is our purpose to awaken our consciences and enlarge our vision so each man and child may find for himself what is right and good.  It is in this spirit, and with that purpose that we do now dedicate this building.”

With the opening of the church has come a feeling of pride and confidence and stability. Membership has not grown significantly but membership participation has improved, membership interest is keen, and discussions are lively.  Contributions have met the budget every year, and the Fellowship is sound financially.

The children and youth programs have thrived, and become an even more important part of the Unitarian Universalist activity.

The chief remaining challenge to the Amarillo Unitarian Universalist Fellowship is in developing greater service to the community. This has been recognized in the establishment in 1972 of a Community Social Action Committee with Lindy Benson as chairman.

The big achievement in the first 20 years of the Fellowship was to establish a haven for free souls to come together to examine and discuss ideas important to individuals and to society.

The membership will probably never be large in terms of orthodox churches. Thomas Jefferson’s hope that every man living in his day would die a Unitarian will never be realized in Amarillo.  But the Fellowship can take real satisfaction in keeping alive an oasis where freedom of thought is nurtured in this bastion of religious conservatism.

[Note:  Wayne Darrow, a member of our Fellowship, was the grand nephew of Clarence Darrow, the lawyer who defended John Thomas Scopes in the 1925 Tennessee trial often called the “Scopes Monkey Trial” against the prosecution by William Jennings Bryan.]