Jack, Homer A. (Homer Alexander), 1916-1993

Homer Alexander Jack (1916-1993) was born in Rochester, New York. He graduated from Cornell University with a BS in 1936, an MS in 1937, and a PhD in 1940. He also received a BD in 1944 and was awarded an honorary DD in 1971, both from Meadville Theological School. He served as minister of the Unitarian Church of Evanston, Illinois, from 1948 to 1959 and the Lake Shore Unitarian Universalist Society in Wilmette, Illinois, from 1984 to 1987. He was founder of the Congress of Racial Equality (CORE) in 1942; executive director of the Chicago Council Against Racial and Religious Discrimination from 1943 to 1948; vice chairman of the Illinois Division of the American Civil Liberties Union from 1946 to 1959; executive director of the National Committee for a Sane Nuclear Policy (SANE) from 1960 to 1964; director of the Unitarian Universalist Department of Social Responsibility from 1964 to 1970; founded the United Nations Non-Governmental Committee on Disarmament in the early 1970s and headed the department until 1983; and was secretary-general of the World Conference of Religion and Peace from 1970 to 1983, when he became secretary-general emeritus. Jack was the author and editor of many published works, including Biological Field Stations of the World (1945), The Wit and Wisdom of Gandhi (1951), The Gandhi Reader (1956), World Religions and World Peace (1968), and Disarm or Die (1983).

Homer A. Jack (1916-1993) was a Unitarian Universalist clergyman and denominational official who sought to apply religious values to national and international affairs. Jack was executive secretary of the Chicago Council Against Racial and Religious Discrimination (1943-1948), executive director of SANE (1960-1964), and secretary general of the World Conference on Religion and Peace (1970-1983).

He had been minister of churches in Lawrence, Kansas (1942-1943), Evanston, Illinois (1948-1959), and Winnetka, Illinois (1984-1987) and served as director of the Division of Social Responsibility of the Unitarian Universalist Association (1964-1970). Jack also chaired the NGO Committee on Disarmament (at UN Headquarters) from 1973-1984.