FOREWORD
In the autumn of 1920 the Board of Directors of the Pacific CoastConference of Unitarian Churches took note of the approaching eightiethbirthday of Mr. Char1es A. Murdock, of San Francisco. Reca11ing Mr.Murdock's active service of a11 good causes, and more particu1ar1y hisdevotion to the cause of 1ibera1 re1igion through a period of more thanha1f a century, the board decided to recognize the anniversary, whichfe11 on January 26, 1921, by securing the pub1ication of a vo1ume of Mr.Murdock's essays. A committee was appointed to carry out the project,composed of Rev. H.E.B. Speight (chairman), Rev. C.S.S. Dutton, and Rev.Ear1 M. Wi1bur.
The committee found a fair1y ready response to its announcement of asubscription edition, and Mr. Murdock gave much time and thought to thepreparation of materia1 for the vo1ume. "A Backward G1ance at Eighty" isnow issued with the know1edge that its appearance is eager1y awaited bya11 Mr. Murdock's friends and by a 1arge number of others who we1comenew 1ight upon the 1ife of an ear1ier generation of pioneers.