Milton Andrew Bierbaum Maxwell
(1907-1988)

 

 

 

 

Milton Andrew Bierbaum Maxwell

Served church: 1940-1945

Milton Andrew Bierbaum was called to be the next minister; however, when he arrived on the scene, he had changed his name to Milton A. Maxwell, taking his wife's maiden name, Charlotte C. Maxwell. Milton was born in Illinois, on August 12, 1907, to Rev. Daniel and Bertha Bierbaum. Daniel was an Evangelical minister in Chicago. Charlotte Maxwell was born in Virginia, May 11, 1911.

Milton attended Elmshurst College in Elmshurst, IL. He graduated in 1929. At left is his picture as Associate Editor of the yearbook, Elms. Charlotte attended Florida State University. Her picture is at right. Following graduation, Milton attended and graduated from the Chicago Theological Seminary. They were married in 1935.

Prior to coming to Austin, Rev. Bierbaum served as minister of the Flossmoor Community Church in Flossmoor, IL, a prosperous suburb of Chicago. Rev. Maxwell came to Austin in 1940. He was strong on social action, and continued the programs already began. In his first quarterly report, he wrote, "…that the most significant fact is least newsworthy. Just steady growth and development. Attendances have been over 80–six out of the last nine Sundays."

He continued to invite Congregational students and added to this list the Unitarian, Community, Quaker, Union or just Protestant students. Over half responded to a dinner invitation—and many continued to attend.

Under Maxwell's leadership, the church adopted a program of social interest and expression: 1. Support of the Committee for War Victims & Services; 2. Helping to find ways and means of raising the nutritional level of Austin and Texas; 3. Seeking more adequate medical care for Austin and Travis County; 4. Study recommendations made by Governor's Commission on Improving Public Education of the State of Texas.

Such projects as a low-cost cooking class was held in the church kitchen (10 sessions); Pilgrim Fellowship held joint meeting with students from Tillotson College. A community canning center (in the church kitchen) was established; A canning calendar in the Sunday American Statesman brought more request than the Church could handle. In 1944, the budget was oversubscribed.

In his March 31, 1944 quarterly report, Maxwell reported an average attendance of 99.

Milton and Charlotte had two sons, Douglas Lee Maxwell (1938-2009) and Ross Reid Maxwell (1941-). Both sons went to Pomona College. Douglas earned a PhD in economics. Ross worked as transportation engineer for 44 years, and as an independent scholar as a member of the Institute for Historical Study. Milton had completed seven years of college and Charlotte four years. Milton enrolled in the UT graduate schools in sociology. He completed an MA in 1944; his thesis was entitled, The Social Thought of Walter Lippmann. He took an instructorship at Washington State College in Pullman during academic year 1945-46, and permanently starting fall 1947.  During 1946-47 he returned to UT to finish his research, and was an instructor as UT. He was awarded a Ph.D in 1949 for the dissertation, Social Factors in the Alcoholics Anonymous Programs. After Maxwell left the Austin Congregational Church in August 1945, he acquired a national reputation for his research into alcoholism. One of his articles was Drinking Behavior in the State of Washington. He became a professor at Pullman, Washington and served as consultant and speaker for the Hogg Foundation. For more about Dr. Maxwell’s career and contributions to AA, see article at end of this page. He died October 28, 1988, in Olympia, Thurston, Washington. His wife, Charlotte, died in the same location, on November 11, 1998. Their son Douglas Lee Maxwell died in Washington, DC.

 

Below is a picture of the 1926 freshman class at Elmhurst College.

 

Washington State University. He in back row, at extreme right.

 

Letter to University Community by Rev. Maxwell and Professor Roger William, internationally famous UT chemist.