7. The Tradition
Meadville Theological School was founded in Meadville, Pennsylvania in 1844 as the western outpost for Unitarianism. Lombard College was founded in 1851 in Galesburg, Illinois and a divinity school for Universalist ministers was created in 1881. The schools merged in Chicago in 1928, and the main building was constructed shortly thereafter. Over those 160+ years, the schools have educated hundreds of our best ministers, including two of the last four presidents of the UUA. Meadville Lombard has always been at the leading edge of our movement and that tradition continues today.