Pickett, Clarence E. (1884-1965)

Mennonite Weekly Review obituary: 1965 Apr 1 p. 5

Birth date: 1884 Oct 19

text of obituary:

Late Quaker Leader Helped Establish Service Agencies

Akron, Pa. — (MCC) — Orie O. Miller, former executive secretary of the Mennonite Central Committee, last week attended a memorial service in Philadelphia for the recently deceased Clarence E. Pickett, world-renowned Quaker and former executive secretary of the American Friends Service Committee.

O. O. Miller remembers Pickett as co-establisher of the National Service Board for Conscientious Objectors along with Robert Ziegler of the Brethren Church and himself. That was in 1940-41.

But their mutual interests in service and peace had drawn them together prior to this. in 1935 leaders of the three peace churches — Friends, Brethren, and Mennonites — had met in conference sensing a need for each other as they saw World War IS coming on. From then until 1945 the paths of Clarence Pickett and O. O. Miller crossed often.

Having worked with government agencies prior to Civilian Public Service days and being a friend of Eleanor Roosevelt, Pickett had entrance into government circles. This greatly aided the development of the peace churches alternative to military participation.

When the Mennonite church needed to be represented to Congress, it sent H. S. Bender with its testimonial statement. The Quakers sent Pickett. When the three peace churches worked with General Hershey and Selective Service on Civilian Public Service, O. O. Miller represented the Mennonite churches; Pickett, the Quakers.

“Thus, thrown together in the circumstances of the conscientious objector,” Miller recalls, “it was seldom that we didn't see each other weekly — often meeting in each other's homes, in those years during the war.”

Called to head AFSC in 1929, Pickett hoped that he would live up to his vision of the committee's work. His vision was rewarded by groups as diverse as the West German Government and the Jewish Theological Seminary. Pickett, who “refused to let the weight of the world's sins and cruelties weight him down,” shared the honor of the Nobel Peace Prize with British Quakers in 1947.

“I work on the theory that if you can find some spots of light, you can always work to let in more light,” Pickett said.

The Mennonite obituary: 1965 Apr 6 p. 234