Women's Activism NYC

Barbara Brown

By: Raul Flores | Date Added:

Barbara Brown was born in 1939, to Helen and Floyd Brown. When she was six years old, her sister Shirley was born. BBZ received both her M. Div. and Doctoral degree from Duke University. In 1966 after taking her preliminary exams, she moved from Durham to Philadelphia. She married to Professor Joseph Zikmund II. Joe was hired at Temple University to teach in the Political Science Department. She was ordained as a Christian minister in the United Church of Christ in 1964 and completed her Doctoral degree in 1969. Files relating to her doctoral dissertation on the subject of the first president of Oberlin College, Asa Mahan, have been gifted to the Oberlin College archives. While living in Wayne, Pennsylvania, BBZ worked as supply preacher as well as an instructor at three separate colleges. Her one-year appointments were at Albright College in Reading, PA; Temple University in Philadelphia; and at Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA. In October 1969, in the year that BBZ received her doctoral degree, Barbara and Joe’s son, Brian was born. Soon afterward, they moved from Philadelphia to Albion, Michigan, where Joe joined the faculty of the Political Science Department of Albion College. Albion was Barbara’s hometown, with numerous relatives living in the surrounding area. During those years Barbara did many part-time jobs. She was an interim pastor in several churches and an adjunct faculty member at Albion College. In the early 80’s BBZ also became involved in the National Council of Churches Commission on Faith and Order. This involved ecumenical bilateral conversations between those in the Reformed tradition and Roman Catholics. In 1985 she was appointed to be a member of the Programme on Theological Education of the World Council of Churches. She served on this commission for six years. As one of the few female Deans or Presidents in any Association of Theological Schools (ATS) seminary in the United States and Canada, Barbara was asked to serve on several of the organization's committees. She attended the Warren Deem Institute in Theological Education Management. She was elected to the Executive council of ATS. Eventually, she was elected the first woman and the first Dean to be President of ATS, 1986 to 1988. In addition to being President, she served on committees related to women and served on the committee to relocate the ATS offices from Dayton, Ohio to Pittsburgh, PA. She served on the task group to rewrite the ATS’s constitution, helped to develop long-term goals, and also became involved in the search for a new executive. In the 1990s Barbara served for six years on the group, which rewrote the “accreditation standards” for ATS. In the late 1990’s she served on the Advisory Committee on Theological Education Leadership, which sought to develop training and support events for deans and presidents.

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