Ursula Mary Niebuhr (August 3, 1907 – January 10, 1997) was an

English American English Americans (historically known as Anglo-Americans) are Americans whose ancestry originates wholly or partly in England. In the 2020 American Community Survey, 25.21 million self-identified as being of English origin. The term is dist ...

academic An academy (Attic Greek: Ἀκαδήμεια; Koine Greek Ἀκαδημία) is an institution of secondary or tertiary higher learning (and generally also research or honorary membership). The name traces back to Plato's school of philosophy, f ...

and

theologian Theology is the systematic study of the nature of the divine and, more broadly, of religious belief. It is taught as an academic discipline, typically in universities and seminaries. It occupies itself with the unique content of analyzing th ...

. She was the founder and longtime head of the Department of Religion at

Barnard College Barnard College of Columbia University is a private women's liberal arts college in the borough of Manhattan in New York City. It was founded in 1889 by a group of women led by young student activist Annie Nathan Meyer, who petitioned Col ...

in New York City, USA. She was born in

Southampton Southampton () is a port City status in the United Kingdom, city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire in southern England. It is located approximately south-west of London and west of Portsmouth. The city forms part of the South Hampshire, S ...

, England. After graduation from the

University of Oxford The University of Oxford is a collegiate research university in Oxford, England. There is evidence of teaching as early as 1096, making it the oldest university in the English-speaking world and the world's second-oldest university in contin ...

with double Firsts in history and theology, she became the first woman to win a fellowship to the Union Theological Seminary in New York, USA.

Marriage

In 1931, the former Ursula Mary Keppel-Compton, the younger daughter of Dr. and Mrs. Keppel-Compton of

Woodhall Spa Woodhall Spa is a former spa Village and civil parish in Lincolnshire, England, on the southern edge of the Lincolnshire Wolds, south-west of Horncastle, west of Skegness, east-south-east of Lincoln and north-west of Boston. It is noted ...

in Lincolnshire, England and

Rapallo Rapallo ( , , ) is a municipality in the Metropolitan City of Genoa, located in the Liguria region of northern Italy. As of 2017 it had 29,778 inhabitants. It lies on the Ligurian Sea coast, on the Tigullio Gulf, between Portofino and Chiav ...

in northern Italy, became the wife of

Reinhold Niebuhr Karl Paul Reinhold Niebuhr (June 21, 1892 – June 1, 1971) was an American Reformed theologian, ethicist, commentator on politics and public affairs, and professor at Union Theological Seminary for more than 30 years. Niebuhr was one of Ameri ...

in Winchester, England. The couple made New York City their home during the majority of their 40 years together. The Niebuhrs had two children, Christopher Niebuhr and Elisabeth Niebuhr Sifton. The marriage, which lasted until his death in 1971, was said to have been marked by theological debates. Ursula Niebuhr left evidence in her professional papers at the Library of Congress showing that she co-authored some of her husband's later writings.

Career

As a

lay minister Lay minister may refer to: * Licensed lay minister, a lay person authorised to conduct certain services and perform other priestly duties in the Anglican church * A lay minister in other denominations. See lay ministry and laity In religious org ...

in the 1930s, she was preaching in Anglican churches and raising questions about the role of

women in the church The roles of women in Christianity have varied since its founding. Women have played important roles in Christianity especially in marriage and in formal ministry positions within certain Christian denominations, and parachurch organizations. In ...

. Beginning as a lecturer in 1940, she was a member of the Barnard College faculty for twenty years, retiring in the 1960s. "Deaths,"
''Christian Century'' (January 29, 1997), Vol. 114, Issue 4, p. 94.

Selected works

* 1957 -- "A memorandum on certain reading and spelling difficulties for my academic colleagues, teachers, parents and anyone else." Westport, Connecticut: Orton Society. * 1981 -- ''Remembering Niebuhr: letters of Reinhold and Ursula M. Niebuhr.'' San Francisco:

Harper & Row Harper is an American publishing house, the flagship imprint of global publisher HarperCollins based in New York City. History J. & J. Harper (1817–1833) James Harper and his brother John, printers by training, started their book publishin ...

Notes

References

* Thomas, Robert
"Ursula Niebuhr, 89, Founder Of Barnard Religion Department,"
''New York Times.'' January 12, 1997.

External links

* Library of Congress
Reinhold Niebuhr Papers
Boxes 60-6

* ttp://articles.sun-sentinel.com/1992-06-20/features/9202150579_1_ethics-stockbridge-christopher-niebuhr Reflections by Ursula Niehbuhr on the 100th anniversary of Reinhold Niebuhr's birthRetrieved April 15, 2013 {{DEFAULTSORT:Niebuhr, Ursula American Episcopal theologians Christian ethicists Union Theological Seminary (New York City) alumni Barnard College faculty 1908 births 1997 deaths People from Southampton English emigrants to the United States People from Woodhall Spa 20th-century American Episcopalians