About

Seeking to expand the Universalist Church’s membership, Reverend William Clayton Bowman came to Atlanta, Georgia in July 1879. He debuted the first issue of the Atlanta Universalist not long after his arrival; Bowman held sole editorial responsibilities while W. M. Jones managed the mechanical department. The Universalist circulated an eight-page issue every Saturday at a subscription cost of two dollars. Although American Universalism had roots in the 18th century, its tenets were new to most Georgians in 1879. Bowman hoped the Universalist newspaper would help effectively spread his teachings and help establish the church in Georgia. By 1880, Reverend Daniel Bragg Clayton was managing editor of the newspaper and remained in that position until through the life of the paper. After Bowman left the Church altogether in 1881, Clayton could not maintain the Atlanta Universalist, and it ceased publication in the summer of 1882.