Dr. Ulysses G. B. Pierce and the Unitarian Church

All Souls Unitarian Church

Dr. Ulysses G. B. Pierce was a Unitarian minister, and the pastor of the All Souls Unitarian Church, located at 16th and Harvard Streets starting in 1924. Unitarian Universalism is a liberal relgion born of the Jewish and Christian traditions, believing that personal experience, conscience and reason should be the final authorities in religion. Unitarianism upholds the free search for truth, and is not bound by a statement of belief; it affirms the worth of all peoples, and honors differences in opinions and lifestyles -- the supreme witness of relgion is ethical living. All relationships should be governed by justice, equity and compassion.

The All Souls Church was founded in 1821 by (president) John Quincy Adams and (V.P., Secretary of State, senator) John C. Calhoun among others. The church's growth greatly accelerated under the long ministry of Reverend Ulysses G. Pierce (1901-1943). As a result of this growth, a decision was made to build a new church to accommodate the plans and activities of a growing congregation. A suitable plot of land was acquired at 16th and Harvard Streets, NW. Construction of the Church's present building began in 1921 and was competed two years later. The Church is today (2007) still at same site; the main entrance to the sanctuary is at the corner of 16th and Harvard Streets, where the neighborhoods of Columbia Heights, Adams-Morgan, and Mount Pleasant come together.

All Souls Church has a long History of Social Justice:

"Let them be remembered in the Church of All Souls with him who took his place among the lowly and went about doing good."
-- Frederick Douglass, 1892

From its inception in 1821 through the Civil War, it mostly stood against slavery. From 1865-1925 Education and Women's rights were the main concerns. From 1925-1950, it was Early Civil Rights -- early in the 20th century, All Souls' dining room was one of the few places in Washington where racially integrated groups could be served. This led Eleanor Roosevelt and others to hold meetings there. This and other early desegregation efforts provided the foundation for the church's entry into the civil rights movement in the 1950's and 1960's.

For more information, visit their website at http://www.all-souls.org/.

There is no record of the Hay family belonging to the church in the 1910s or 1920s, but since Dr. Pierce performed the ceremony for Oliver Perry in 1930, it is known that they were friends. Since Fannie did not join the church until March 1932, at age 56, it is assumed that her parents were not formal members of the church, but were friends with the pastor, and probably attended events at the church, such as controversial plays and movies.