- 1863-04-18 — Birth of William Henry (Harry) Randall, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in Boston.
- 1871-11-01 —
Birth of `Lua' Getsinger (Lucinda Louisa Aurora Moore), Banner of the Cause (Líva), Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Herald of the Covenant and Mother Teacher of the West near Hume, New York. [AB67]
- Lua is accredited with bringing such notables as May Ellis Bolles and Mrs Phoebe Hearst into the Faith. [AB67]
- 1873-04-12 — Birth of Hippolyte Dreyfus, the first French Bahá'í, in Paris. Named by Shoghi Effendi a Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
- 1883-04-15 — Birth in Goslar, Germany, of Dr Artur Eduard Heinrich Brauns, a prominent German Bahá'í, named by Shoghi Effendi a Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá.
- 1902-00-04 — Joseph Hannen, future Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, and Pauline Hannen became Bahá'ís in Washington DC.
- 1909-00-00 —
The passing of Robert Turner (b. 15 October, 1855 or 1856, Virginia d. 1909 California)
- the first African-American Bahá'í and a member of the first Western Pilgrimage to Haifa in 1898, led by his employer Mrs. Phoebe Hearst. He was a butler in her household for more than 35 years. He was taught the Bahá'í Faith by Lua Getsinger in the process of serving tea and remained a devoted believer his entire life. "Such was the tenacity of his faith that even the subsequent estrangement of his beloved mistress from the Cause she had spontaneously embraced failed to becloud its radiance, or to lessen the intensity of the emotions which the loving-kindness showered by 'Abdu'l-Bahá upon him had excited in his breast." (GPB259) [A Vision of Race Unity, Ving p101, AZBF475, An Early Pilgrimage by May Maxwell]
- He received a Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá while on his deathbed and a tribute after his passing. [AY60, 61, 339, AB72]
- He was one of the nineteen Western Bahá'ís designated as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
- A Tablet to him from 'Abdu'l-Bahá can be found in SWABpg114 #78 and 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America (website).
- See also Bahaipedia, Bahá'í Chronicles.
- Find a Grave. His grave was found in 1981 and identified with a gravestone placed by the National Spiritual Assembly. [Bahá'í News No 604 July 1981 p12]
- Ask a Bahá'í.
- 1912-09-30 —
Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá'í, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in California before 'Abdu'l-Bahá'í and His retinue arrive. He was buried at Inglewood. He had been named Thábit (Steadfast) by the Master. [BBD71; BFA2:XVII]
- See SoW Vol 3 No 12 16 October, 1912 p1-7 for a tribute to him upon his passing.
- For a brief biography see Bahá'í Chronicles.
- See as well Bahá'í Encyclopedia.
- See "Disciples of 'Abdu'l-Bahá" . [BW3p84–85; BW4p118–119]
- See the article Chase, Thornton: The First Bahá'í from the Western Hemisphere by Richard Francis.
- For a biography see Thornton Chase: First American Bahá'í by Robert H Stockman, Bahá'í Publishing Trust, Wilmette, 2002.
- During the early years of the Faith in North America the Bahá'ís were unclear about the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. There were those who thought Him an ordinary man who had applied the teachings of Bahá'u'lláh flawlessly through His effort. Others believed Him to be the return of Christ. See ABF244-246 for his letter to Wellesly Tudor-Pole on the station of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
- And a draft of a portion of the Stockman book, Love's Odyssey: The Life of Thornton Chase.
- Upon hearing of his passing 'Abdu'l-Bahá is reported to have said, "This revered personage was the first Bahá'í in America. He served the Cause faithfully and his services will ever be remembered throughout ages and cycles." [SoW Vol 4 No 11 p.189]
-
Photos of the grave of Thornton Chase in Inglewood Park Cemetery.
- Directions to his grave. Find a grave.
- His publications:
- A number of pamphlets, See Bibliography of English-Language Works on the Bábí and Bahá'í Faiths, 1844–1985 by William Collins, George Ronald, Oxford, 1990 page 66-67.
- In Galilee and In Spirit and In Truth, first published in 1908. This was a record of his pilgrimage. [Collins7.634]
- The Bahai Revelation, first published in 1909. This book was an introduction to the Faith intended for a Christian audience. [BEL7.629]
- See the trailer for a film entitled Steadfast-The Thornton Chase Story by Mithaq Kazimi and produced by Sam Baldoni.
- See the Thornton Chase Website created by the Local Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of Inglewood, California and The Thornton Chase Committee to honour the legacy of Thornton Chase.
- 1913-04-07 —
`Abdu'l-Bahá traveled to Bad Mergentheim by automobile to visit the hotel and mineral bath owned by Consul Schwarz (later named Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi). [AB383]
- Later, in 1916 the local Bahá'í community commemorated the visit with the dedication of a monument, a life-sized likeness of the head of 'Abdu'l-Bahá on a granite stone about two metres in height. The Nazis removed it in 1937 but it was replaced in 2007. [BWNS524]
- 1915-10-11 —
Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Freeport, New York. [SBR15]
- He had become a Bahá'í in 1895 just before moving to New York City. He visited Haifa in 1900 and Dr. Edward Granville Brown in Cambridge. He was a lawyer, publisher and self-made man. In 1898 he held the first Bahá'í classes in his home and the first public meetings on the Faith with talks given by Dr. Ibrahim Kheiralla. The first person to become a Bahá'í in NYC was Mr. James F. Brittingham, then of Weehawken, NJ who first heard the message from his sister, Mrs. Dixon of Chicago. Mrs. Mary H. Tousey organized the classes at Dodge's home. Later that year, Mr. Howard MacNutt received the message. [Highlights of the First 40 Years of the Bahá'í Faith in New York, City of the Covenant, 1892-1932 by Hussein Ahdieh p3]
- For biographies see Bahá'í Chronicles; BFA1:116-17, SBR1-16 and SW6, 13:100-1.
- For his obituary see SW6, 19:161-7.
- Dodge's books include The Truth of It (1901) [SW6, 13:101] and Whence? Why? Wither? (1907). [SW6, 13:101; Collins7.821]
- 1916-05-02 —
Louisa Aurora "Lua" Moore Getsinger, (b. 1 November, 1872 in Hume, Allegany County, New York) Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, "Mother teacher of the West" died of heart failure in Cairo. [BBD87; Find a grave; Bahaipedia; GPB257]
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá's appointmented of Lua as "Herald of the Covenant" in the June 19, 1912. [LGHC157]
- For an her obituary see [SoW Vol 7 No 4 May 17, 1916 p29-30].
- She was buried in the Protestant Cemetery in Cairo. In 1939 a court ruling enabled the Bahá'ís to reinter her in the first Bahá'í cemetery established in Cairo, El Qahira, Egypt. Her grave was now beside that of Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl. [GPB344]
- For a photo of the reinterment see BW9p87.
- See Lua Getsinger: Herald of the Covenant by Amine DeMille. [USBN No489 December 1971 p1-5]
- See also Sears and Quigley, The Flame.
- See as well Lua Getsinger: Herald of the Covenant by Velda Piff Metelmann.
- For a brief biography see 239Days as well as The Shining Lamp and Beyond Foreignness.
iiiii
- 1920-01-27 — The passing of Joseph H. Hannen, (b. January 27, 1920, Allegheny, Pennsylvania) Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá a week after he was knocked down by a truck in Washington, DC. [Washington Evening Star 29 Jan 1920]
It was Joseph Hannen who served as a note-taker for many of the talks of 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His tour in the United States. A number of the entries in Promulgation of Universal Peace have been accredited to him. [The Washington Times 28 January, 1928]
'Abdu'l-Bahá sent the first Tablet of the Divine Plan to the southern states in care of Joseph. He and his wife Pauline taught the Faith to African Americans; among those they taught were Louis Gregory and Mrs. Pocahontas Pope.
[Bahá'í Chronicles, Alain Locke: Faith and Philosophy pp 38-39 by Christopher Buck, Kalimat Press]
He was buried with his wife, Pauline Amalie Knobloch Hannen (b. 29 August, 1874 d. 4 October, 1939) in Prospect Hill Cemetery, in Washington, DC. iiiii
- 1920-05-24 —
Charles Greenleaf, (b. 6 May, 1857 in Wisconsin), Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away at the home of William Harry Randall in Boston. He was interred in Rosehill Cemetery and Mausoleum, Chicago, Cook County, Illinois, USA Show Map Section K Lot 42. [SBR105; Find a grave]
- For details of his life see SBR97-105.
- For his obituary see SW11, 19:321-2.
- 1922-01-09 —
William H. Hoar, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Fanwood, New Jersey. [SW12, 19:310]
- For his obituary see SW12, 19:310-12.
- 1922-02-19 —
Helen Goodall, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in San Francisco. [SEBW33]
- See SEBW21-33 for details of her life.
- 1924-01-28 —
Isabella Brittingham, Disciple of `Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away at the Revell home in Philadelphia. [SEBW138]
- For her life see SEBW131-8.
- See Brittingham, Isabella by Robert Stockman.
- 1925-11-22 —
John Esslemont, Hand of the Cause of God, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Haifa. [BW3p84-85, BBD81, SETPE1p108-110]
- For letters of Shoghi Effendi announcing his death and giving details of his life and funeral see BA97–8 and UD40–3.
- For an obituary see BW1:133–6 and BW8:929–35.
- He was buried next to the grave of Vakílu'd-Dawlih, the chief builder of the House of Worship at 'Ishqábád. [DJEE37]
- Shoghi Effendi elevated him to the station of Hand of the Cause of God on his death. The announcement was made on November 30th. [BA7-98; BWT3:333; DJEE40; PP92; UD403, MoCxxii
- See also Moojan Momen, Dr John E. Esslemont (BPT UK 1975) and BW8p929-935 for "John Ebenezer Esslemont: His Life and Service" by Jesse E. Revell.
- In addition to the publication of Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era in Britain by George Allen and Unwin in 1923 he also published a booklet called
Bahá'u'lláh and His Message in New York by the Bahá'í Publishing Committee in 1921. (32 p). It was reprinted in London by the National Bahā'i Assembly of England, 1924. (23 p.), and a revised and edited publication was done by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the British Isles. London, 1938.
- The Message of Bahá'u'lláh: (Based on "Bahá'u'lláh and His Message") was published in London by the Bahá'í Publishing Trust in 1945. (30 p.). [DJEE28; RG77; The Story of J. E. Esslemont and his Bahá'u'lláh and the New Era: Bibliography by Jan Jasion]
- 1926-12-26 —
Howard MacNutt, Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, (b. 13 July, 1858 in Philadelphia) passed away in Florida after being struck by a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in a "Coloured" area. [Bahaipedia]
- He died as a result of injuries sustained from a collision with a motorcycle while walking to a meeting in the Coloured section of the city. There was speculation that the traffic mishap was not accidental. See the newspaper article written by Beatrice Cannnady.
- See AY321-323 for an account of his death and his funeral.
- He had lost his beloved wife Mary about one month earlier. He had been a student of Ibrahim George Kheiralla in New York and became a Bahá'í in 1898. He had learned both Persian and Arabic to better understand the Writings. Howard MacNutt was elected to the Bahá'í Board of Counsel for New York when it was established on December 7th 1900 and served on the body for many years. [SEBW42]
- In 1905 Howard and his wife went on pilgrimage and attended a Nineteen Day Feast held by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, Who encouraged him to establish the practice in America. MacNutt consulted with the New York Board of Counsel after returning and a Feast was held in New York on May 23, 1905.
- Howard wrote a booklet consisting of what he learned while on Pilgrimage titled Unity Through Love.
- MacNutt also edited Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl's Bahá'í Proofs before it was first published in 1902 and revised Ali Kuli Khan's manuscript translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán for publication in 1904.
- He held a belief that `Abdu'l-Bahá had no extraordinary spiritual station and he did not regard Him as being different in Spirit from other men, that through works and service and overcoming all He attained to His station. This opinion resulted in MacNutt failing to appreciate the Bahá'í teaching that Covenant-breaking is a spiritual disease. When `Abdu'l-Bahá came to the United States in 1912 He assigned to MacNutt the task of meeting with a group of potential Covenant-breakers in Chicago and warning them. He also ordered MacNutt to break all communication with Ibrahim Kheiralla and other Covenant-breakers. When MacNutt failed to do as directed, `Abdu'l-Bahá advised him that he had violated the Covenant himself and commanded him to repent before a group of New York Bahá'ís, which he did on 18 November 1912. The matter was not resolved; `Abdu'l-Bahá cabled Ali Kuli Khan on 16 April 1913, "MACNUTT REPENTED FROM VIOLATION OF COVENANT BUT WAS NOT AWAKENED." After several months of correspondence between MacNutt and `Abdu'l-Bahá via Ali Kuli Khan, MacNutt satisfied `Abdu'l-Bahá that he had come to understand and had repented for his earlier errors. Even though `Abdu'l-Bahá recognized MacNutt as a Bahá'í his reputation in the Bahá'í community remained tarnished. To redeem himself he took on the task of compiling `Abdu'l-Bahá's talks in the United States and Canada and editing them. It was published as The Promulgation of Universal Peace, the name chosen by 'Abdu'l-Bahá himself, in 1922. MacNutt's preface contains a long and important statement about `Abdu'l-Bahá's station. His redemption was complete. [PUPxx]
- See his "A Statement of Belief" written January 4, 1926 and published in Star of the West Vol 16 No 11 February 1926.
- His obituary was published in Star of the West Vol 17 No 10 January 1927 p301.
- For further details of his life and his brush with Covenant-breaking see SEBW35–42.
- Also see "In Memoriam: Arthur Pillsbury Dodge, 1849-1915", SoW, Vol. 6, No. 19 (2 March 1916) p165 as well as BFA1p125, 168-17, DJT369-372, AOY111-133 and FMH35.
- See BW2p218 for a photo.
- HIs crowning achievement was the publication of The Promulgation of Universal Peace (1922) which was a compilation of the public talks given by 'Abdu'l-Bahá while in America.
- See Bahaipedia.
- He was posthumously appointed as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
- 1927-09-13 —
Dr George Augur, (b. 1 Oct 1853 New Haven, New Haven County, Connecticut, USA d. 13 Sep 1927 Honolulu, Honolulu County, Hawaii, USA), Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Hawaii. He was buried in the O'ahu Cemetery in Honolulu. [SBR198]
- Find a grave
- For the story of his life see SBR187–98.
- 1928-12-20 —
Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, (b. 12 Apr 1873, Paris, France, d. 20 Dec 1928, Paris, France), Disciple of Abdu'l-Bahá, passed away in Paris. He was buried in Cimetiere de Montmartre in Paris. [UD84–5; BN No 29 January 1929 p2]
- See Find a grave for a succinct biography.
- For Shoghi Effendi's eulogy of him see BW3:210–14 and UD84–5.
- Shoghi Effendi's letter to his widow.
- See Biography of Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney by Laura Clifford Barney and Shoghi Effendi, edited by Thomas Linard.
- 1929-02-11 —
William 'Harry' Randall, (b. 1863), passed away in Medford, MA. After his death, Shoghi Effendi named him one of the 19 Disciples of Abdu'l-Baha, a "Herald of the Covenant". [BBD71]
- For his obituary written by Shoghi Effendi see BW3:213.
- For his biography see William Henry Randall: Disciple of Abdu'l-Baha by his daughter Bahiyyih Randall-Winckler, with M. R. Garis.
- 1930-11-17 —
Ethel Rosenberg, (b.6 August, 1858, Bath) Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá, 'England's outstanding Bahá'í pioneer worker', passed away in London. She was buried in Gap Road Cemetery, Wimbledon, England. [BW4:118–119, 262-263; EJR274–5; Find a grave]
- She became a Bahá'í around 1899 and went on her first pilgrimage in 1901.
- While 'Abdu'l-Bahá was in London, Ethel Rosenberg was His social secretary, arranging appointments for the Master.
- 'Abdu'l-Bahá asked Ethel Rosenberg and a number of other people to form a committee to decide what to do about collecting funds and publishing Bahá'í books. Their first published book was 'Abdu'l-Bahá in London.
- She made her third pilgrimage in November 1921, but arrived just after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing. Shoghi Effendi sent her home with instructions to call for the election the first National Spiritual Assembly of England. She served on this body for a number of years. Shoghi Effendi named her an 'Apostle of 'Abdu'l-Bahá'. [In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p9]
- For her obituary see BW4:262–3.
- For her biography see Weinberg, Ethel Jenner Rosenberg and SEBW55–64 as well as The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community 1898-1911 p70-75.
- 1935-07-00 —
The Archives Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada made an appeal to collect all of the Tablets sent by 'Abdu'l-Bahá to those western believers who had been designated Disciples of 'Abdu'l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi.
- The Disciples were:
Dr. J. E. Esslemont, Mr; Thornton Chase, Mr. Howard MacNutt, Miss Sarah Farmer, M. Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney, Miss Lillian Kappes', Mr. Robert Turner, Dr. Arthur Brauns, Mr. W. H. Randall, Mrs. Lua M. Getzinger, Mr. Joseph Hannen Mr. C. I. Thacher, Mr. Charles Greenleaf, Mrs. J. D. Brittingham, Mrs. Thornburgh, Mrs. Helen S. Goodall, Mr. Arthur P. Dodge, Mr. William H. Hoar, Dr. J. G. Augur. [BW3p84]
- 1938-03-15 —
Mary Virginia Thornburgh-Cropper (Maryam Khánum), the first Bahá'í of the British Isles, passed away in Kensington, London.
- Find a Grave.
- She was known to her friends as Minnie and first heard of the Bahá'í Faith in 1898 when she was 41.
- She was an American living in London and had been married to an Englishman.
- Shortly after reading about the Báb in an encyclopedia, by coincidence, she was invited by her friend Phoebe Hearst to be part of the first group of Western Bahá'í pilgrims to visit 'Abdu'l-Bahá in the Holy Land.
- She is considered to be the first person to become a Bahá'í in the UK and throughout her life was a very active member of the community.
- She was a member of the first elected National Spiritual Assembly of England (later Great Britain).
- She made her motor-car available to 'Abdu'l-Bahá during His visits.
[SBR30, BW4p375, In the Footsteps of 'Abdu'l-Bahá p9]
- For details of her life see BSR17–30.
- For her obituary see BW8:649–51.
- Notes: It is possibly she, rather than her mother, Mrs Thornburgh, who is referred to as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in BW3:84–5. The picture is not that of Mrs Thornburgh-Cropper.
- For biographical information see The Early Years of the British Bahá'í Community 1898-1911 p70-75.
- 1940-03-01 —
May Bolles Maxwell (b. 14 January 1940 in Englewood, NJ) passed away in Buenos Aires. [BBD153; TG49]
Shoghi Effendi called her "the spiritual mother of Canada" and Montreal the "mother city of Canada". [OBCC35]
- Shoghi Effendi awarded her the honour of a 'martyr's death' and designated her as a Disciple of 'Abdu'l-Bahá. [BW8:631; MA38]
- She was the first Bahá'í on European soil and the "mother" of both the French and the Canadian Bahá'í communities. [PP149]
- For her "In Memoriam" and tribute written by Marion Holley see BW8p631-642.
- Hooper Dunbar quoted Shoghi Effendi in his cable to the friends in Iran announcing her passing:
May Maxwell, the severed teacher firebrand of the love of God and spreader of the fragrances of God Mrs Maxwell, forsook her native land and hastened to the most distant countries out of love for her Master and yearning to sound the call to the Cause of her Lord and her inspiration, until she ascended to the highest summit attaining the rank of martyrdom in the capital of the Argentine. The furthermost boundary the countenances of paradise invoke blessings upon her in the glorious apex
saying, may she enjoy with healthy relish the cup that is full and brimming over with the wine of the love of God for the like of this should the travaillers travail. Inform all the friends of the announcement of this mighty victory.
[A talk] given by Mr Dunbar 28:08]
- Shoghi Effendi asked her husband, Sutherland Maxwell, to design her tomb, which was to be a 'historic centre' for 'pioneer Bahá'í activity'. [BW8:642]
- For an account of the erection of the monument to her see PSBW83–6.
- Haik Kevorkian's family had come to Argentina from Syria in 1937. When Mrs Maxwell arrived he contacted her by phone just before her fatal heart attack. After her passing, he devoted himself to caring for her grave. [KoB225]
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