Honoring the legacy of the Universalist Theological School of St. Lawrence University

St. Lawrence University, in Canton, NY, now a distinguished, non-sectarian institution of higher education, was founded by Universalists in 1856.  Its Theological School, after a long and storied history, was closed in the mid 1960s.  By vote of the University’s Trustees, the school’s assets were placed in the care of the newly founded St. Lawrence Foundation for Theological Education.  The Foundation’s business is carried out by a 7-member Board of Trustees.  Four members are appointed by the New York State Convention of Universalists, one by the Unitarian Universalist Association, and two by the Board. 

The primary purpose of the St. Lawrence Foundation is to provide funds for students pursuing a calling to the Unitarian Universalist ministry.  Candidates should contact their respective seminaries for information on the types of scholarships available. 

Programs

Clinical Pastoral Education stipend

online application

McClevey Prize

for outstanding seniors at St. Lawrence University

Rev. Jeffrey Campbell Scholarship

Named for the first Black graduate of St. Lawrence Seminary, these scholarships are for students of color starting or continuing at Staff King School for the Ministry or Meadville Lombard Theological School.  Each of these schools received a $23,000 grant in 2021, at least half of which is stipulated to be applied to the Rev. Jeffrey Campbell Scholarship at that school.  Scholarships are distributed to the students by the theological schools.

Other scholarship assistance

administered through grants to selected theological schools

Mission Statement

The mission of the St. Lawrence Foundation for Theological Education is to support education on the graduate level of students preparing for the Unitarian Universalist ministry and other professional religious vocations recognized by the Unitarian Universalist Association.

Mindful of its historic origin, the Foundation endeavors to perpetuate the Heritage of the Theological School of St. Lawrence University and to promote the Universalist values that institution was created to foster.  We recognize the School’s pioneering role in honoring the significance of religious education and the place of women in the ministry.

The Foundation’s work and mission are guided by the source documents written at the time the Theological School closed and the Foundation was established.  The Foundation supports a program of scholarships, grants and loans, and contributes to the general support or to specific undertakings of educational institutions available and willing to cooperate in carrying out the purposes of the Foundation.

(Adopted January 4, 2003)  

Last modified September 15, 2021.
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