“Baseball Card Book” Documents First Women Ordained in the Presbyterian Church
As a woman in seminary, Caroline Leach (’72) only wanted the same respect accorded to other students. Here, she shares about the challenges of being a student at Columbia Theological Seminary at a time when women were just starting to be ordained in the Presbyterian Church (U.S.).
After working as a college chaplain, she teamed up with Diane Tennis who came from the North to work at the PC(US) offices in Atlanta, GA. They created the “Baseball Card Book” in an effort to network with other women who were ordained in the Presbyterian Church.
Listen as she tells her story below! And feel free to share your own story HERE.
Names listed by ordination dates with graduate schools list:
Diane Tennis, 1959, Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Catherine Gunsalus Gonzalez, 1965, Boston University School of Theology
Rachel Henderlite, 1965, Biblical Seminary in New York (New York Theological Seminary) and Yale Divinity School
Betty Lindsay Blanton, 1967, Lexington Theological Seminary
Patricia McClurg, July 9, 1967, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Louise H. Farrior, July 1967: Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary, and Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Jacqueline Rhoades, January 1969, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Union Theological Seminary in New York City, and Emory University
Abigail Rian Evans, June 1, 1969, Princeton Theological Seminary and University of Basel (Switzerland)
Liz Hill, 1969, Union Theological Seminary
Elizabeth Johnson Pense, July 13, 1969, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Elizabeth Stephenson Johnson, July 13, 1969, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Mary Lee Daugherty, Union Seminary and Presbyterian School of Christian Education
Barbara Jean Shaw, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Laura Buzard, 1970, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Carolyn Clapp, June 17, 1971
Paige M. McRight, 1971, Princeton Theological Seminary
Sandra R. Brown, September 19, 1971, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Brenda Keel Springer, December 5, 1971, Pacific School of Religion
Jeanne E. Clark, January 8, 1972, Colgate Rochester Divinity School and Episcopal Seminary in Alexandria, VA
Winsome Munro, February 1972, William Temple College (England) and Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Linda E. Jordan, May 13, 1973, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary
Lorene S. White, June 1972
Caroline Leach, June 24, 1973, Columbia Theological Seminary
Renee Huie, 1973, Columbia Theological Seminary
Joyce Rimes, September 16, 1973
Susan Thornton, August 30, 1973, Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Judith C. Gere, 1974
Alice Ogden Bellis, 1974, Howard University School of Religion
Nancy J. B. Clark, June 30, 1974
Jeannine Murphey, 1974, Eden Theological Seminary
Carol Miller Lipscomb, July 7, 1974, Duke Divinity School
Dorothy Annette Vaughn, September 8, 1974, Columbia Theological Seminary
Edna C. (Neddy) Mason, September 8, 1974, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Susan Andrews, September 29, 1974, Harvard Divinity School
Lucy A. Rose, February 16, 1975, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Carol S. Brown, June 1975, Pittsburg Theological Seminary
Joyce Cummings Tucker, August 3, 1975, Yale Divinity School and Columbia Theological Seminary
Nancy Ramsay, August 3, 1975, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Margaret M. Balcom, September 14, 1975, Princeton University Divinity School
Elizabeth Fairleigh, November 2, 1975, Columbia Theological Seminary
Winifred R. Legerton, November 23, 1975, Yale Divinity School
Hazel M. Berry, December 14, 1975
Marilyn Cook Rabb, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Mary Hutcheson Johns, February 8, 1976, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Agnes D. Kuentzel, February 15, 1976, Princeton Theological Seminary
Patricia H. Lovelace, 1976
Lorene S. White, May 30, 1976, Vanderbilt Divinity School
Pansie Cameron Evers, May 30, 1976, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Margaret G. Adams (Margee), June 13, 1976, Union Theological Seminary in New York City
Louise U. Lawson, June 20, 1976, Princeton University Divinity School
Linda Blessing, July 25, 1976, Columbia Theological Seminary
Monica Styron-McKig, October 30, 1976, Princeton Theological Seminary
Etta Carlton Rossman, October 31, 1976, Columbia Theological Seminary
Andrea Ahlers, November 1976
Carole F. Chase, November 1976, Presbyterian School of Christian Education and Duke University
Stella Clarke, Interdenominational Theological Center
Mille B. Mattison, February 13, 1977
Carol Chou Adams, March 21, 1977, University of Dubuque Theological Seminary
Vicki V. Yates, April 24, 1977
Doris J. Hill, June 5, 1977
Alice A. Johnson, July 24, 1977, Columbia Theological Seminary
Moffett D. Swaim, July 24, 1977, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Alice Winters, July 24, 1977, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary
Wendy E. Roberts, July 30, 1977
Dorothy Franklin Carpenter, September 10, 1977, Inter-Met
Mary E. Gaines, September 18, 1977, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Nancy J. Duff, 1977
Ruth Kelly Nunnery, October 9, 1977, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Deborah L. Dodson, October 11, 1977, Vanderbilt Divinity School
Aline Gaston Russell, October 16, 1977, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Beverly White Cushman, October 23, 1977, Vanderbilt Divinity School
Caroline Wylie Smith, October 30, 1977, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Helen Fisher, October 30, 1977, Columbia Theological Seminary
Ann Hoch West, October 30, 1977, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Aline Gaston Russell, October 16, 1977
Caroline Wylie Smith, October 30, 1977
Debbie Cannedy, January 8, 1978, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Beth Johnson, March 12, 1978, Princeton Theological Seminary
Joan S. Gray, March 12, 1978, Columbia Theological Seminary
Fran Phillips, June 27, 1978, Duke Divinity School
Joanna M. Adams, July 1, 1978, Columbia Theological Seminary
Barbara Horney Rodgers, Union Theological Seminary in Richmond
Anna Case Winters, July 9, 1978, Columbia Theological Seminary
Nancy R. Blakely, July 5, 1978
Nancy Rowland McCann, July 23, 1978
Ann Reed Held, October 15, 1978, Louisville Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Mary McClintock Fulkerson, August 13, 1978, Duke Divinity School
Roxana Mebane Atwood, October 8, 1978, Protestant Episcopal Seminary in Virginia
Linda K. “Kitch” Shatzer, November 12, 1978
Barbara Horney Rodgers, February 25, 1979
Vicky E. Jones, June 27, 1979
Cynthia Weeks, July 1, 1979, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
June Hicks, July 1979
Rebecca Reyes, July 22, 1979, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary
Eleanor H. Alexander, July 22, 1979
Eleanor Cherryholmes, August 5, 1979
Jean Louise Messerve, September 16, 1979
Phyllis Hoekstra Kort, October 1979
Daisy Holt, November 18, 1979
Marie Palmer, May 1980
Margaret McLellan, July 27, 1980
Pamela Lee Daniel, July 27, 1980
Carol Seaton Snyder, July 27, 1980
Ginny Simmons Ellis, August 10, 1980
Jean Rodenbough, September 7, 1980
Wendy Jaine Summers, November 2, 1980
Mary Crist Brown, November 2, 1980
Ginny Barksdale, Not ordained
Ann Holland Heuer (Holly), November 9, 1980
Laura S. Mendenhall, 1981, Austin Presbyterian Theological Seminary, San Francisco Theological Seminary, and Presbyterian School of Christian Education
Annie Jane Ackerman, March 8, 1981
Mary Jane Cornell, August 1981
Leila L. Power (Lee), October 11, 1980
Agnes L. Brady, October 1981
Peggy Bright, December 13, 1981
Joanne C. Sizoo, February 28, 1982
Lynn Gant, August 1982
Catherine Mason, October 24, 1982
Dianna Pohlman Bell, July 1, 1983
Guinn Blackwell-Eagleson, October 16, 1983
Jane Guthrie Rhodes, Columbia Theological Seminary
Emily Ramsay Cheney, Vanderbilt Divinity School
Cheryl L. Maddox, International Theological Center
Is there any hope in recovering some of the early missing names. I’m wondering about Rev Marideen Visscher. She was among the first in the Northern Church. I believe she the first church she served was in Cleveland, Ohio.
That’s part of why we’re interested in collecting more stories. We will preserve all this information–original to the book and submitted through our form–for archives. We may also run additional stories.
Thanks, all, for this great start in recognizing women ordained as ministers in the Presbyterian Church! You should add Katie Cannon, who was ordained in 1974 as the first African-American Presbyterian woman. I’m sure that there are others, too, but this is a wonderful foundation!
Thank you, Nibs!
(Martha) Murphy Davis
Ordained March28, 2976
Columbia Seminary Class of 1974
Thank you!
I thought about MaryJane Winter, and Shirley Adams (CT’s alum) and Winnie DuCille.
This is a great project.
Thank you!
Judy Aileen McKay (Walther then) was ordained June 19, 1977 by San Jose Presbytery, a graduate of San Francisco Seminary. She is now a member of Boise Presbytery as Judy A McKay.
Thank you, Judy!
It looks like you missed one of my dear mentors, Rev. Evlyn Wehling Fulton. Here is her obit: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=evlyn-fulton&pid=145771437
Another saint that I don’t see mentioned Rev. Joreen Jarrell… Obit: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/joreen-jarrell-obituary?pid=1736171
I think you omitted one of my mentors, Rev. Evlyn Wehling Futon. Here is her obit with ordination details: https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/stltoday/obituary.aspx?n=evlyn-fulton&pid=145771437
Please add Rev. Evlyn Wehling Fulton. Attached is her obit with ordination details.
Thank you for all these additions, Rebecca!
Presbyterian Outlook magazine, in their current issue on women in ministry, lists Margaret Towner as the first woman ordained in the United Presbyterian Church in the U.S.A. in 1956 by the Cayuga-Syracuse Presbytery (N.Y.)
Linda, Outlook is most certainly correct. Of course the Baseball Card book was created at a particular point in time to network women who (especially in the South) felt isolated. We will do our best to preserve all the names brought to our attention through this effort. Thank you.
Caroline, thank you for your wonderful story! The same thing happened to me (in a different denomination) – the earnest young man stopping me in the hallway to explain St. Paul to me and why I should not be there at all! Hard to believe that happened! Such stories of persistence and determination and courage!!!
i am hoping that CTS will continue this exploration in the coming years; I know Michael Thompson wanted this very much; i would encourage you to invite the women graduates at next year’s alumni gatherings to record their stories as well; since this is the 100 anniversary year of the 19th Amendment we can follow through for the seminary; ’bout time’