2002 was the 50th year of a modern Unitarian presence in Olympia. (An earlier iteration, the First Unitarian Church of Olympia, was established in 1872 and lasted until 1893.) In the fall of 1952 a small band of like-minded folk founded the Unitarian Fellowship of Olympia, which went on to become the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation.
To celebrate its “semicentennial,” OUUC published 50 Years of Unitarian Universalism in Olympia, 1952-2002: A Short History of the Unitarian Fellowship of Olympia, Washington, and the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Words and Pictures. Edited by Tim Ransom, this booklet was the result of an Aural History project involving many members of the congregation. Also in 2002, OUUC elder Emily Ray published a series of short articles based on the congregation’s archives and her own memories in our newsletter, Unitariana.
To celebrate our 60th anniversary in 2012, the booklet and Emily’s articles, revised to include the most recent decade, were combined into A Celebration of the 60th Anniversary of Unitarian Universalism in Olympia, 1952-2012.
On June 4, 2022, OUUC had a big party to celebrate its 70th anniversary and installed Rev. Mary Gear.
Congregants created this video to capture the 70 year history:
And, you can watch the Service of Installation here:
