Learn More: Robert Weston Classroom

Robert Terry Weston was the minister of First Unitarian from 1960 to 1964. He served in both World Was, a member of the U.S. Army Expeditionary Force in WWI and, after being ordained as a Unitarian minister in 1929, served as a Navy Chaplin in WWII, where he witnessed firsthand the aftermath of the bombing of Hiroshima.

Rev. Weston’s time in Omaha overlapped with the Kennedy administration, a time of heightened Civil Rights struggles and threats of nuclear war. During this time, the Unitarian church was also completing the merger with the Universalist church – two denominations combining leadership, styles, and beliefs.

Rev. Weston noted the westward expansion of Omaha and strongly believed the congregation needed a presence west of 72nd Street. In 1963, First Unitarian purchased the West Meeting House, today known as Second Unitarian. He was also a force for social justice in local media with steady appearances in the Omaha Star and on KMEQ.

Rev. Weston is perhaps most well remembered for his poetry. His poem “Out of the Stars” is a particular favorite in Unitarian Universalist circles.

Source: Pillars & Dreams: A History of First Unitarian Church of Omaha by Dave Richardson;

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