On to Part 2: 1965-Present

Social action has always been at the core of Unitarian Universalism. Doing "good works" is one of our basic principles of belief, inspiring individuals to be involved in the advancement of society. May Memorial's leadership with social reform in Syracuse has alleviated much social discomfort and led to some important institutions for change that exist today.

We start with our namesake, Samuel Joseph May, a leader in the social issues of the mid 1800s. His effective work in antislavery and women's suffrage, to name only two areas, was very visible in the larger community. He and his work are memorialized not only in the name of our society, but also in a dramatic statue in downtown Syracuse where he is shown as one of the major figures in the famous Jerry Rescue of 1851.

In 1892 our minister, the Reverend Samuel Calthrop, and his daughters with help from the Helping Hand Guild Committee of the church, started the Newsboys' Evening Home in the Sunday school rooms. It ran there for 10 years until it moved to larger quarters, eventually becoming what is now the Syracuse Boys' and Girls’ Club.

In the thick of the battle for women's suffrage, member Dora Sedgwick Hazard organized the central New York area for the National Women's Party. Then in 1920 she and her sister, Kitty Burlingame worked with black community leaders to organize a youth program at the AME Zion Church. It ran with help from students from the Syracuse University Paul Lawrence Dunbar Society, a literary club, and eventually became the Dunbar Center. The Dunbar Center is still going strong, doing much needed work in the community.

During the Great Depression the church provided a reading room for unemployed people. "An average of 75 men used the room every day it was open during 1931 and 1932." Also, the Women’s Alliance sewed and gave clothing to jobless families.

World War II sent many men of the church into military service. The women organized about 70 volunteers a week to serve about 50 to 60 lunches daily to the children of mothers working fulltime. The women of the church also did sewing for refugees, and at the end of the war they collected food and clothing for European relief that was distributed by the Unitarian Service Committee. May Memorial was second in the whole denomination in total pounds of clothing sent by the USC.

In 1950 the May Memorial Unitarian Church Branch of the Unitarian Service Committee, Inc. was established. Physician, Dr. M.S. Dooley, was the president. Our own Joyce Ball was chair of the Membership Campaign Committee that year. The new sent a team of doctors to Germany by the Unitarian Service Committee.

Still in the James Street building in 1953, the congregation heard Sarah Auchincloss’ call to allow families with mentally handicapped children to hold classes in the parish house. They met there until they moved to the Lyncourt School in 1954. The congregation's effort appeared in "Redbook Magazine" as a community service project.

In the 1960s with the leadership of Reverand John Fuller, The Public Affairs Committee formed. Urban renewal was threatening the poorer neighborhoods of Syracuse with extinction. Congregation members wanted to work with other organizations helping displaced families find housing. It is interesting to note that "these developments disturbed church members who felt the proper concern of the Unitarian Sociaty was basic moral and philosophical discussion, with social action to be left to the discretion of each individual. After several informational meetings, six resolutions urging the Syracuse Housing Authority and the city administration to take action were presented to a formal meeting of the society for a vote in March 1965. They were passed by standing vote and for the first time the congregation itself spoke out publicly on a social issue.

On to Part 2: 1965-Present