2016 BTFO Small Group Names
For this year’s BTFO, we decided to name all of the small groups after people who acted as pioneers here at Yale Divinity School. Below, you will find the names of those we chose to serve as examples for all of us as we enter this new year of academic and spiritual growth in community. We are honored to be able to use these names, knowing that each of us is a “first.” The legacy that has been left to us will be continued on through the amazing identities and experiences that we each bring to YDS.
1. Mary Ann Goodman: First black donor to Yale, left $5,000 in January of 1872 for “men of my own color” to pursue the Christian ministry. She failed to leave anything in her estate for her own burial. Yale gave her a burial spot in the middle of Grove Street Cemetery downtown.
2. Solomon Coles: First African American student to enroll. Entered YDS in Fall of 1872 because of Goodman’s funds.
3. James Pennington: 1834, first black student to sit in on classes. Here for full three years. Was not allowed to enroll because of “Connectitcut Black Laws.”
4. James William Morris: First black graduate 1874 (graduated before Solomon, because he had transfer credits).
5. First female graduates: 1935, Thelma Allen, Bernice Buehler. Both women entered YDS in 1932 when the Divinity School moved up the Hill and became co-ed (30 years before Yale University).
6. Margaret Farley: First female tenured faculty member, 1977.
7. Orishatukeh Faduma: 1894, first African student to graduate from YDS (from the Yoruba Tribe in West Africa).
8. Col. Philip Livingston: Endowed Yale’s first professorship, that of Divinity, 1745 (YDS not a separate school yet), also signed the Declaration of Independence.
9. 1867 first Bachelor of Divinity students: Cyrus Francis, Cornelius Kitchel, David Brainerd Perry, William Sexton.
10. First Master Degree of Arts in Religion: 1825, received by Joshua Brewer, Francis Case, Joshua Levitt, Chauncey Whittlesey.
11. Rena Karefa-Smart: 1945 First African-American female graduate.
12. First Dean of YDS: George Day, 1888-1895.
13. Rebecca Chopp: First female dean, 2001-2002 (left to accept presidency at Colgate, and is now the Chancellor of University of Denver).
14. Jacob Hemingway: first male of European descent to graduate from Yale (studied religion) 1704.
15. Eustaquio Genaro: First Asian American male graduate of YDS 1921.
16. Ana Ines Braulio: First Hispanic American Female graduate of YDS in 1953.
17. Marion Setsuko Ito: First Asian American female graduate of YDS in 1957.
18. Justo L. Gonzalez: First Hispanic American male graduate of YDS in 1958.