In 1863, one woman wouldn’t accept that the pulpit was off-limits to her. Olympia Brown wa

In 1863, one woman wouldn’t accept that the pulpit was off-limits to her. Olympia Brown was born on a farm in Michigan in 1835, raised by parents who held the belief that faith and education should be accessible to all. This conviction carried her through Mount Holyoke and Antioch College, where she demonstrated that she wouldn’t be restricted by what others believed a woman could achieve.

When she felt called to the ministry, she encountered repeated obstacles. Eventually, she was accepted into the Theological School of St. Lawrence University, although its president clearly indicated he believed women had no place behind a pulpit. She graduated in 1863, becoming the first woman to complete an accredited theological school. However, graduating wasn’t sufficient, as the faculty declined to ordain her. Undeterred, she traveled to Malone, New York, to present her case to the Universalist Council. On June 25, 1863, that council voted to ordain her, making her the first woman to receive a denomination’s full endorsement.

She dedicated the remainder of her life to advocating for women’s suffrage until the 19th Amendment was passed in 1920. Some battles are fought with guns. Hers was fought with faith and determination.