Norah Hughes was the first woman to be ordained by BC Conference. She was born in Portsmouth, England, in 1905. She immigrated to Canada with her family as a teen in 1921, and settled in the Abbotsford area. After attending normal school, she taught elementary school for a short time, and then entered the University of British Columbia. There, she obtained a Bachelor of Arts in Science and a Master’s degree in Biology. Hughes attended Union College, earning her Bachelor of Divinity in 1940, and was the fourth woman to be ordained in the United Church. She later obtained a PhD in church history from the University of Chicago. Her many charges including: Hazelton-Skeena River (1940-1941); Chase (1941-1942); Ashcroft (1945-1947); Hatzic (1947-1949); North Surrey (1949-1952); Fernie (1953-1957); Victoria West (1957-1960); Salt Spring Island (1960-1965); and Langley (1966-1970). Norah Hughes was also the first woman to serve as President of BC Conference (1962-1963). In 1964, she was given an honorary doctorate from Union College. After retirement, she attended Langley United Church. She died in on July 28, 1989.
published
Full
Final
PRIV 21
Title based on contents of the fonds
Fonds consists of records relating to Hughes' academic and pastoral work, as well as to her interest in the changing place of women within the broader church. Fonds contains three record series: Lecture notes [ca. 1960]; Preaching and speaking notes (1940-1978); and Reference materials (1927-1947).
Good
Acquired from the family of Norah L. Hughes
Heritage Alive Project fonds
File list available.
[Online Finding Aid](http://www.bc.united-church.ca/archives/fond/PRIV_21.pdf)