Service Committees

Harvard Divinity School Library has the archives of the Unitarian Service Committee, the Universalist Service Committee, and the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee. We also collect their publications

In May 1940, the American Unitarian Association announced the formation of the Unitarian Service Committee (USC) to perform humanitarian service.  They assisted many thousands of refugees fleeing the Nazis in war-torn Europe. Some of the people associated with the work of the USC were Robert Dexter, Martha and Waitstill Sharp, Charles Joy, Noel and Herta Field, Howard Brooks, and Helen Fogg and their work is described in the records.  The library also has the personal papers of Charles Joy.

In 1940, the Universalist Board of Trustees appointed an emergency War Relief Committee to organize support for its Universalist War Relief Fund. Out of this effort came the Universalist Service Committee, which was officially formed in 1945.

Holocaust Rescue and Relief is a digital collection of records of both organizations' relief work.  Here you will also see the earliest use of the flaming chalice symbol on official USC letterhead.

In 1963, the Unitarian Service Committee and the Universalist Service Committee merged to form the Unitarian Universalist Service Committee (UUSC). The UUSC is involved in humanitarian efforts around the world. For concise summary of their work, see the UUSC Timeline.

For detailed history of the service committees, see: