History is rich with Unitarians and Universalists, following the Unitarian Universalist approach of free though and acting on our principles, and in so doing, making the world a better place for everyone.   Here is a sampling of some of the founding fathers, artists, authors, humanitarians and scientists who attended Unitarian or Universalist congregations regularly, were members or ministers of a congregation, or identified themselves as Unitarians or Universalists.

Click on any names in blue or links in teal for more information about these individuals or their religious beliefs.

U.S. FOUNDING FATHERS
John Adams -- American Patriot, First Vice-President of the U.S., Second President of the United States
John Quincy Adams -- Secretary of State, Sixth President of the U.S.
Ethan Allen -- Frontiersman, scholar, statesman.   Ethan Allen's Quotes about Traditional Religion.
Benjamin Franklin -- American Patriot, Great Statesman, thinker and scientist. Franklin's Quotes About Traditional Religion
Thomas Jefferson -- Great statesman, Author of the "Declaration of Independence", Third president of the U.S. Thomas Jefferson's Quotes about Traditional Religion.
James Madison -- Primary author of the U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights, Fourth president of the U.S. James Madison's Quotes about Religion
Thomas Paine -- American Patriot, his book "Common Sense" inspired the American Revolution.  Thomas Paine's Quotes about Traditional Religion.
Paul Revere - Patriot, Master Silversmith


ARTISTS & AUTHORS
Louisa May Alcott -- Author & Poet best known for "Little Women", Worked for women's right to vote.
Charles Dickens -- Author, Social Justice Advocate. Charles Dickens' Personal Thoughts About Religion
Ralph Waldo Emerson -- A Unitarian Minister and an American Author, Poet and Philosopher
Robert Fulghum -- Author, Unitarian Universalist Minister
Nathaniel Hawthorne -- Renowned American author, wrote "The Scarlet Letter" and "The House of Seven Gables"
Oliver Wendell Holmes -- Champion of Justice in the U.S. Supreme Court
Henry Wadsworth Longfellow -- Popular American Poet
Herman Melville -- Author, explored metaphysical themes, best known for "Moby Dick"
Carl Sandberg -- Author and Poet
Henry David Thoreau -- Writer, Poet, Observer of Nature  Quotes from Henry David Thoreau
Daniel Webster -- Famous orator and Statesman
Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. -- Contemporary American Writer
Frank Lloyd Wright -- World Famous Designer of Buildings




SOCIAL JUSTICE
Susan B. Anthony -- Activist in the antislavery movement, advocate for women's right to vote.  Born a Quaker, member of Unitarian congregation for 40 years.
Clara Barton -- Founder of the American Red Cross.
Dorthea Dix -- 19th Century Pioneer in the rights of the mentally ill. 123 hospitals were build because of her work and influence.
Florence Nightingale -- Nurse, hospital reformer, humanitarian
Horace Mann -- Pioneer in public education for all Americans
Albert Schweitzer -- Humanitarian, Theologian, Missionary, Organist, Environmentalist and Medical Doctor.  Became a member of the Church of the Larger Fellowship, a Unitarian church by mail for those who do not live near a Unitarian church.
Robert Gould Shaw -- Fought for Abolition of Slavery, Profiled in the Movie "Glory"




SCIENCE AND MEDICINE
Alexander Graham Bell -- Worked to Help Deaf People Hear, Invented the Telephone, Founded "National Geographic" Magazine.
Charles Darwin -- Naturalist, Father of Principle of Natural Selection
Samuel Morse -- Well known artist and Inventor of the Telegraph
Isaac Newton -- Mathematician, scientist, philosopher, preacher, created rules of scientific method and theory of gravity.
Linus Pauling -- Chemist, Activist, Winner of Nobel Peace Prize

A list of more Unitarians and Universalists from History

Basing our lives and actions on principles frees us to get a lot of things done.

Unitarian and Universalist philosophies have been around for over a thousand years.  We have been in the United States for the entire history of this nation, and, were active in the founding of the country.  Many of the leaders of the American revolution (Jefferson, Madison, Franklin, Adams and many others) were Unitarians or Universalists.

Unitarians and Universalists were among the leaders of the fight against slavery. The famous words of a government, "of the people, by the people, and for the people" were taken by Lincoln from a sermon by the great abolitionist Unitarian minister Theodore Parker. Lincoln kept a set of his published sermons by his bedside.

Five Unitarians were presidents of the United States.

We were in the forefront in the establishment of public schools, mental hospitals, of votes for women, of nursing, of settlement houses, and much more.

Women's rights were fought for and won by Universalists of the stature of Clara Barton, founder of the American Red Cross, and by Unitarians including Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton and Lucy Stone. The Universalists were the first denomination in the United States to ordain women to the ministry - in 1863.  Dorothea Dix pioneered prison reform and got the mentally ill out of shackles.

Unitarians and Universalists have been leaders in just about every major issue involving justice since this country began.

We were in Selma with Martin Luther King Jr.  One of the people who were killed by segregationists during that time was James Reeb, a Unitarian minister.

Adlai Stevenson was a Democrat and a Unitarian. William Cullen Bryant, another Unitarian, was one of the founders of the Republican Party.

In the realm of literature, it is notable that Horatio Alger, Louisa May Alcott, and Walt Whitman were all Unitarians. Horace Greeley, the great journalist, was a Universalist. America's greatest essayist, Ralph Waldo Emerson was a Unitarian minister.

We are devoted to education. 75% of the members of our congregations have college degrees; more than 40% have advanced degrees.  We have founded many great universities. In California alone, Cal Tech and Stanford are among them.

We are people who live our religion, and work to make our values real in the world. Across the years and across the nation, we have been working with and for our community, and the greater community of all humankind. 


See for Yourself!

Many people, when they first learn about Unitarian Universalism, are delighted to discover that we are the perfect religion for them.  They would have been with us earlier had they known that a religion existed!

We welcome you to share not just in our history, but in the commitment to make our tradition live and thrive, to build a better future, not only for ourselves, but for all the people of the world.

We invite you to see how our approach matches your own feelings, your hopes, your thinking, your aspirations!!!