Rev. Dr. Charles Parker Connolly and the United Way

On Friday, I joined about 500 Rockfordians at Embassy Suites, our downtown hotel and convention center, to participate in Green Town Rockford, a conference to engage people in sustainable development.

Before the opening plenary, I met a west-side resident, Cathy Johnson, who was ecstatic when I mentioned the Unitarian Universalist Church. She immediately focused on Charles Parker Connolly and his connection to the Booker T. Washington center. Rev. Dr. Connolly was our minister from 1913 to 1942, and Mary Caskey is his descendent.

Cathy explained to me that Dr. Connolly was disturbed by the treatment of African American troops at Camp Grant, our post for soldiers in World War I. They had no place to relax and enjoy fellowship. Dr. Connolly started the Booker T. Washington Center as recreation for these Army recruits. This organization, Illinois’ oldest African American Community Center, still impacts black residents in our city.

Rev. Dr. Connolly went on to start the Rockford Social Service Federation (now the United Way). This organization celebrated its 100th anniversary last year; a video, now on youtube, commemorates Rev. Dr. Connolly’s powerful influence in the founding of this institution.

100 years of United Way of Rock River Valley 9:55 minutes

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u4nAL_unFgE

This year’s income from the McFadyen Fund for the Shaheen Lecture were used as our church’s sponsorship of Green Town.

Submitted by Teresa Wilmot