How long has Unity been in existence?
Unity of Tucson was incorporated in 1956. In 1954 a small group began in the home of Lillian Cook. In 1957 the group moved to the YMCA and then to the Garden Club in 1959.In August of 1959 Cook resigned and Jack Clemenson, a newly licensed minister, came and served until 1964 at which time Bill Carpenter, another newly licensed minister came to serve. It was also in 1959 that a small church was purchased just north of the University. Carpenter continued as the minister until the spring of 1966 when after his resignation Larry Swartz and his wife, Mary Ellen, who was a Licensed Unity Teacher at this point in time (she was ordained in 1972) came to lead the young flock. They have continued to be the Senior Ministers to this date. In 1968 land was purchased and a new church built at Bellevue and Sahuara and occupied in 1969. This served as the Church home until about 1986 when another new facility was constructed on an eighteen acre site on Camino Blanco, just south of River Road.
