The Reverend Dr. Dorothy Emerson—parish minister, scholar, writer and editor for women’s heritage and ministry, activist in race and class issues, and LGBTQ+ historian, who once called herself “kind of an out-there person”—died suddenly on 13 May 2019, aged 75-1⁄2.
Most widely acclaimed for her devotion to the role of women in UU circles and wider social movements, the Rev’d Ms. Emerson founded the UU Women’s Heritage Society. As a board member of UU Class Conversations, she led workshops on class issues for many congregations and ministers. At Collegium’s fall gathering in 2018, a full session was dedicated to Dorothy reading from her memoir, Sea Change (see below). In the last year of her life, Dorothy gave devoted leadership to the UU Rainbow History Project, documenting the personal stories and changing consciousness of gay and straight clergy around LGBTQ+ concerns.
Dorothy May Emerson was born on 20 November 1943 in Long Beach CA to Howard Douglas Emerson and Eloise Clark Emerson. She graduated from Pomona College (Claremont CA) in 1965 with a B.A. in German literature. After an M.A. in psychology and education from the Humanistic Psychology Institute (San Francisco) in 1974, she worked as a consultant. But eventually drawn to ministry, Dorothy earned her M.Div. at Harvard Divinity School in 1988.
Ms. Emerson began parish ministry with the First Universalist Society of Wakefield (MA) and was ordained there on 25 September 1988. After two interim positions, she accepted a call to the UU Church of Medford MA. During that six-year pastorate (1992–98) she earned a D.Min. at Andover Newton Theological School in 1997.
Over the next 12 years, the Rev’d Dr. Emerson intermittently served parish and community ministries while intensively pursuing her passions in a range of scholarly and writing projects. From this period came voluminous manuscripts and several edited volumes. Her final work was a memoir: Sea Change: The Unfinished Agenda of the 1960s. Just days before her death, she delivered 44 boxes of professional papers to the Harvard Divinity School archives.
At her death, Dorothy was survived by her wife Donna E. Clifford, son Damian Elrod, grandson Zade Elrod, sister Mary Lou, brothers Howard and Clark, and other nieces and nephews. Memorial donations are encouraged to the UU Rainbow History Project (via UURMaPA) or to a charity of one’s own choosing.
A green burial took place on 18 May 2019 at Cedar Grove Burial Ground, Limington ME. Dorothy’s life was celebrated on 8 June 2019 at the Melrose (MA) UU Church. Notes of condolence may be sent to Donna Clifford at 51 Cedar St., Apt #4101, Woburn MA 01801.