The Rev. Dr. Donald Szantho Harrington

The Rev. Dr. Donald Szantho Harrington died at his home in Szepsi - St. George, Romania on Friday, September 16, 2005.  He was 91 years of age.

Dr. Harrington was born July 11, 1914 in Newton, Massachusetts.  He received an A.B. from the University of Chicago, a BD from Meadville Lombard Theological School, a STD from Starr King School for the Ministry, a DD from Meadville Lombard, and a second DD from Ecumenical Theological Faculty, Cluj, Romania. He was licensed to preach in 1936, received Fellowship in 1938 and was ordained in 1939 in Chicago by the Peoples Liberal Church.

Dr. Harrington served congregations in Hobart, Indiana (First Unitarian); Chicago (Peoples Liberal Church and Beverly Unitarian Fellowship); Darien, Connecticut (Unitarian Fellowship); and Community Church in New York City.  In June of 1944 he began his service at Community Church as Junior Colleague to then-Senior Minister John Haynes Holmes.  Upon his retirement in 1982 he was named Minister Emeritus by the congregation.

Donald Harrington will be remembered for his leadership in the areas of civil rights, social justice, theology and politics. As a theologian, Harrington promoted the thought of Henry Nelson Wieman and was a co-founder of CASIRAS, the Center for the Advanced Study In Religion and Science. In 1952, he was among the co-founders and first co-chairs (with A. Philip Randolph) of the American Committee on Africa, whose support for the African National Congress and leadership with economic sanctions helped to make possible the election of Nelson Mandela as President of the Republic of South Africa in 1994.

Denominationally, Harrington served on the last Board of Trustees of the American Unitarian Association and the first Board of the Unitarian Universalist Association. His sermon, "Unitarian Universalism-Yesterday, Today, and Tomorrow," at the service of merger in 1960, articulated an inclusive vision of the Church Universal. He served as a member of the Boards of the Unitarian Service Committee, the Universalist Service Committee and the UU Service Committee. He was also active in the International Association for Religious Freedom, whose magazine for young adult members he founded and edited in 1938. In 1968, with co-leadership of his Black Chairman of the Board of Trustees of The Community Church and others across the continent, Harrington helped to found BAWA, (Black and White Action), to support those in the association who wished to have racially integrated programming and activities. The UUA recognized him with the Holmes-Weatherly Award in 1983.

Harrington was the author of As We Remember Him-The Jewish Jesus, Religion in an Age of Science, Outstretched Wings of the Spirit -a UUA Meditation Manual (drawing upon the writings of Henry Nelson Wieman), and Modern Humanity in Search of a Myth.

Dr. Harrington married a fellow seminarian, Vilma Szantho, who had completed her theological studies in Transylvania and was a postgraduate student at Manchester College, Oxford University. She was the first woman to be ordained to the ministry in Central Europe. Vilma Harrington died in 1982, shortly after Donald Harrington's retirement. In 1984, he married Aniko Szantho, the niece of Vilma.

Surviving Dr. Harrington is his wife, the Reverend Aniko Harrington, two children, Loni Hancock of Berkeley, California and David Harrington of Santa Fe, New Mexico; three stepchildren, five grandchildren and four great grandchildren.

Messages of remembrance may be sent to Mrs. Harrington who is staying with her daughter at 3 Schelbert Road, Newfoundland, PA  18445.

A memorial service is planned for the fall at Community Church.  A notice will be sent as soon as a date has been determined.