One of the most interesting figures in the old Unitarian Church of Palo Alto that existed from 1905 to 1934 was Helen Kreps. A brilliant scholar, she
was inspired by seeing a woman minister, Rev. Florence Buck, preach at the Palo Alto church, and after a brilliant career at Stanford went on to prepare to become a Unitarian minister herself. When the influenza epidemic hit in
1918, she volunteered as a nurse, contracted influenza, and died. The story of Helen Kreps has a lot to tell us about heroism, feminism, and the importance of controlling pandemics.
Special music: Veronika Agranov-Dafoe, piano