Excerpts from Rev. David Cole’s correspondence in the 1960s on the subject of the Channing-Murray Foundation.

“We have become increasingly concerned about the nature of our group here in Illinois. The [Channing-Murray] Foundation tends to become a haven for a beatnik-type character whose rebellion exceeds his positive influence in liberal religion. This has a tendency to scare off the kind of person whom I feel would make the greatest contribution to the Foundation and would get the most out of the program.” March 14, 1961

“We have been disturbed that Channing-Murray has become a refuge for many people with personality problems who work their problems out at the expense of the group. This has tended to decrease the participation of the kind of students who would receive most from Unitarianism. We anticipate the formation of a variety of groups which will appeal to people of varying temperaments. One of our major goals is to involve more students from Unitarian backgrounds who, at present, are almost totally uninvolved in the program. This involves a long-range program of changing the image of Channing-Murray on this campus from one of an off-beat nature to an image that stands for respectable liberalism.” April 13, 1961

“During the month of December [1964], we took a survey of students in order to know who they were, where they attended church services, and whether or not they participated in any Unitarian Universalist church before entering the University. Our survey discovered that married graduate students or students who had attended a Unitarian or Universalist church prior to their university experience preferred the Unitarian Universalist Church [UUCUC]. The single students who had no previous experience in a Unitarian Universalist church preferred the Chapel [Channing-Murray]. The Chapel, it seems, is our primary vehicle for attracting new religious liberals. The Church, on the other hand, is a primary vehicle for keeping them.” March 8, 1965