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Bahá’í News

April 1987

Bahá’í Year 144

‘Abdu’l-Bahá in America: the 75th anniversary

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“Are you happy?” He would ask. What wouldn’t we give to have been one of the thousands of Americans to meet and hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His historic visit to North America 75 years ago so we could answer, “Yes!” Instead, we have been given the bounty of serving the Cause in the closing years of the 20th century, a century that He said would illumine the whole earth, a century in which humanity would at long last see the first glimmerings of the Dawn of the Most Great Peace. Seventy-five years ago, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived aboard the steamship Cedric, the American Bahá’í community was small and disorganized. Pockets of believers met here and there to pray and meditate, and knew somehow that they had learned of a great new Messenger of God, but few of them could even so much as outline the history, teachings or principles of their new-found Faith. Then came ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and for the Bahá’ís of America, in the words of Howard Colby Ives, “life has never been quite the same since.” We take pleasure in devoting this issue of Bahá’í News to the 75th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the U.S. and Canada, and during the next nine months we’ll be following His remarkable journey of three-quarters of a century ago across the continent. We also intend to share with you news of the celebrations marking this anniversary, not only in the cities visited by the Master but also in the many other cities, towns, villages and hamlets where the Bahá’ís of today live and teach. We’d also like to share an excerpt from a Tablet written by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about the magazine Star of the West, the spiritual forebear of today’s Bahá’í News, World Order magazine, and The American Bahá’í: “O thou Star of the West! Be thou happy! Be thou happy! Shouldst thou continue to remain firm and eternal, ere long thou shalt become the Star of the East and shalt spread in every country and clime. Thou art the first paper of the Bahais which is organized in the country of America. Although for the present thy subscribers are limited, thy form is small and thy voice weak, yet shouldst thou stand unshakable, become the object of the attention of the friends and the center of the generosity of the leaders of the faith who are firm in the Covenant, in the future thy subscribers will become hosts after hosts like unto waves of the sea; thy volume will increase, thy arena will become vast and spacious and thy voice and fame will be raised and become world-wide—and at last thou shalt become the first paper of the world of humanity. Yet all these depend upon firmness, firmness, firmness!” Your support and interest can help Bahá’í News live up to those lofty ideals, for today it is indeed read and shared in “every country and clime.” Please share this issue with the friends, show it at the Nineteen Day Feast, and use the enclosed subscription forms. Bahá’í News is not a secret; you may use it in your teaching and deepening, and, while they last, extra copies of this issue can be ordered for only $2 each. We are always excited and happy to receive articles and photographs of events in your community, as the purpose of Bahá’í News is to share the victories and progress of the Cause of God in this Day with the entire Bahá’í world community. Happy reading!

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‘His face was light itself’

“His face was light itself,” wrote Wendell Phillips Dodge, a reporter for the New York City News Association. Mr. Dodge and other reporters had gone to the steamship Cedric to interview the “Wise Man Out of the East” as the ship carrying Him to America passed the Statue of Liberty, steamed up the North River and docked in the future City of the Covenant.

In his account of their meeting, Mr. Dodge left with us a vivid word-picture of the 67-year-old ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: “He is strongly and solidly built, and weighs probably 165 pounds. As he paced the deck, talking with the reporters, he appeared alert and active in every movement, his head thrown back and splendidly poised upon his broad, square shoulders, most of the time. A profusion of iron grey hair bursting out at the sides of the turban and hanging long upon the neck; a large, massive head, full-domed and remarkably wide across the forehead and temples, the forehead rising like a great palisade above the eyes, which were very wide apart, their orbits large and deep, looking out from under massive overhanging brows; strong Roman nose, generous ears, decisive yet kindly mouth and chin; a creamy white complexion, beard same color as his hair, worn full over the face and carefully trimmed at almost full length—this completes an insufficient word picture of this ‘Wise Man Out of the East.’ ” (Star of the West, Vol. 3, No. 3, April 28, 1912) ‎1912) ‎

The reporters asked Him questions about newspapers, liberty, women’s suffrage, and at last, “What is a Bahá’í?” “To be a Bahá’í,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied, “simply means to love all the world, to love humanity and try to serve it; to work for universal peace and the universal brotherhood.” He then gazed in wonder at the “rugged skyline of the lower city formed by the downtown skyscrapers” and remarked, pointing at the towering structures, “These are the minarets of Western World commerce and industry, and seem to stretch these things heavenward in an endeavor to bring about this universal peace for which we are all working, for the good of the nations and mankind in general.” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Servant of God, the Most Great Branch, the Exemplar and Interpreter of His Father’s teachings, had arrived in America.

In God Passes By, Shoghi Effendi writes: “It was reserved, however, for the North American continent to witness the most astonishing manifestation of the boundless vitality ‘Abdu’l-Bahá exhibited in the course of these journeys. The remarkable progress achieved by the organized community of His followers in the United States and Canada, the marked receptivity of the American public to His message, as well as His consciousness of the high destiny awaiting the people of that continent, fully warranted the expenditure of time and energy which He devoted to this most important phase of His travels.”

It was a journey of more than 5,000 miles, from April to December, and carried Him from the Atlantic to the Pacific coast and back. In New York alone He delivered public addresses in, or made formal visits to, no less than 55 different places. He spoke, says the Guardian, to “Peace societies, Christian and Jewish congregations, colleges and universities, welfare and charitable organizations, members of ethical cults, New Thought centers, metaphysical groups, women’s clubs, scientific associations, gatherings of Esperantists, Theosophists, Mormons and agnostics, institutions for the advancement of colored people, representatives of the Syrian, the Armenian, the Greek, the Chinese, and Japanese communities.” Of all His talks, interviews and meetings in America, Shoghi Effendi lists seven acts that “fully demonstrated the importance He attached to that visit.” These seven most important events were: the laying, with His own hands, of the dedication stone of the House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois; the reading of the Tablet of the Branch to an assemblage of His followers in New York; His pilgrimage to the grave of Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá’í; the Unity Feast that He hosted in West Englewood, New Jersey; His participation in an Open Forum at Green Acre in Eliot, Maine; His address to the last session of the newly founded Bahai Temple Unity in Chicago; and last but not least, His uniting in wedlock two members of the black and white races, Louis Gregory and Louisa Mathews. These acts, writes the Guardian, “must rank among the outstanding functions associated with His visit to the community of the American believers, functions designed to pave the way for the erection of their central House of Worship, to fortify them against the tests they were soon to endure, to cement their unity, and to bless the beginnings of that Administrative Order which they were soon to initiate and champion.”

In the following pages, and in future issues of Bahá’í News during this 75th anniversary year of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to North America, we hope recreate in some small measure the excitement of those times and to provide you with an insight into the history and significance of these seven most important acts.

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‘The Temple is already built’

Within days of the close of the 1909 convention (of Bahai Temple Unity) a committee of the Executive Board—consisting of Albert Hall, Bernard Jacobsen, and Mountfort Mills—began working on the purchase of the 12 lots for which Corinne True held option.¹ On 17 May the Bahá’ís purchased that land from Silas Crandall for a reported $32,500. The Chicago Examiner, mixing fact and fiction, reported that

While none of those interested in the movement can give any definite date, it is believed work will be started within the next two months.

The work is to be accompanied by unique ceremonies. Many members of the local cult, it is said, will give up their homes and live on the sacred grounds while the work is going on. With their own hands they will construct the temple, men and women alike carrying brick and mortar ...

The temple will be built to symbolize the new man—the perfected man—to justify the perfected world. It will have nine outer walls and nine fountains, each fountain representing a world religion and a world Messiah, all meeting and unifying through the latter day revelation of truth made through triune manifestations of God through the three great Bahai messengers. The temple will be erected on a triangular plot and will represent the trinity of teachers* who brought to the world the gospel of Bahaism.²

This article about the laying in 1912 of the dedication stone for the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, is reprinted from Bruce W. Whitmore, The Dawning Place: The Building of a Temple, the Forging of the North American Bahá’í community, pp. 53-65, copyright © 1984 by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States.

Since ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had already indicated that the gardens should be circular, the Executive Board was not pleased with the triangular shape. In an effort to make the plot more circular the Executive Board convinced the village of Wilmette to eliminate roadways running through the property. The board also negotiated with the Sanitary District Board of Chicago, which was building a canal along the western boundary, in order to straighten out that boundary.³ But a misunderstanding between the Executive Board and the Sanitary Board almost caused the negotiations to fail. When the Sanitary Board did not hear from the Executive Board—because the Executive Board was waiting to hear from the Sanitary Board—the Sanitary Board assumed that the Bahá’ís were no longer interested in site modifications, and workers were ordered to begin construction of the canal. On the day the digging was to start, a fierce storm broke out that prevented work on the canal for four days. Communications were reestablished during that time, and the land transactions were completed. By April 1910 Honore Jaxon, negotiator for the Executive Board, reported, “As the matter is now agreed upon, by all the parties in interest, our holdings are so consolidated that on our own land we can draw a circle of nearly five hundred feet diameter....”⁴

Payment for the land seemed formidable at first. Although the Chicago House of Spirituality had given a Temple Fund of $3,666.44 to the Bahai Temple Unity, along with the title to the two lots, the amount in the fund was far short of what was needed, for the contract on the land required the payment of $5,000 every six months, plus interest. Corinne True, as the new financial secretary of the Executive Board, wrote to Helen Goodall that “every effort will need to be made to meet” the payments and that “all must unite in sacrificing.” The initial response of the Bahá’ís was heart-warming: “The Contributions to the Fund came in so fast,” Mrs. True recalled, “that I was rushed to death receipting for them.”⁵

During the first year of the Bahai Temple Unity, several methods for collecting money were devised, including a Widow’s Quilt Fund, the use of 3,500 “blessing boxes,” and the private sale of Bahá’í hymn books. Children in Bahá’í Sunday school groups nationwide sent in their offerings—sometimes only a few pennies, but often several dollars. In Washington, D.C., a variety of programs were begun, including one in which Bahá’ís performed odd jobs for other Bahá’ís and then contributed their wages. One woman from Greenwich, Connecticut, convinced that the Temple would be completed with unusual swiftness, sent her donation of $19 and wrote, “I hope that I am not too late!” By the end of the year, contributions had been received from 61 cities in 22 states. Although the amount received from North America (Canada, Mexico, the Hawaiian Islands, and the United States) and Europe (England, France, and Germany) totaled $7,638.66, this sum was nearly equaled by gifts totaling $7,092.85 from Bahá’ís in India, Turkey, Syria, Palestine, Russia, Egypt, and Persia.⁶

These contributions from the East were encouraged by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Who bade the Oriental Bahá’ís to

*The Bahá’í Faith has only one founder, Bahá’u’lláh. The Chicago Examiner may be referring to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and to the Báb, Prophet-Forerunner of Bahá’u’lláh, as the two other teachers.

[Page 3] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addresses a group of believers from the Chicago area in a secluded grove of trees in Lincoln Park during His six-day visit to Chicago that began on April 30, 1912.

“strive to gather these funds to be sent to the Occident that it may become known and evident throughout the universe that the Bahá’ís of the East and West are as members of one household and the children of the one Lord.” In reference to the particularly large contributions from Persia, He wrote:

“From the inception of the world until now there has been no uniting bond between Persia and America....Now consider what a joy and bliss have united these two regions in the shortest space of time! ...

“The beloved in the East are striving with heart and soul to contribute to the best of their ability, although the internal conditions of Persia have, during the last few years, been exceedingly disturbed....There has been no agriculture, no trade and no commerce; nay, rather, in all the provinces there have been political disputes and quarrels....Thus, they have been wholly occupied with their own affairs. Notwithstanding this, they have striven to contribute to the Mashrak-el-Azkar in Chicago according to their best ability, and they will never be found wanting! If Persia should obtain order, the beloved there will make a worthy contribution.”⁷

Referring to the contributions from the East, Corinne True wrote to Helen Goodall, “My soul is thrilled and thrilled (and) I see the marvellous work of Union of the whole world being done by the Mashrak-el-Azkar.”⁸

During October 1909, when Louise Waite, an early Bahá’í from Chicago, visited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Akka, He said to her, “You must tell the believers in the West that they must work equally hard, with great love and zeal, to show the East their appreciation.” Mrs. Waite described to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the many sacrifices being made for the project all over America. When He heard about the work of the children, she recalled, “All would have felt a thousand times repaid could they have seen His face so illumined with love and real joy. ‘Very good! very good!’ He said over and over.”⁹

Another visitor to Akka in 1909, Isabella Brittingham from New York, asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá if He would visit America. After 40 years of imprisonment in Akka, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá regained His liberty in 1909 as a result of the Young Turks revolt. Now that He was no longer a prisoner, the Bahá’ís in America hoped that He would visit them. Corinne True recorded that conversation later, writing, “ ‘He laughed very joyously ... emphasizing the first word “If they build the Mashrakel Azkar.” ’ ” When Mrs. Brittingham asked Him again, “ ‘His face grew very serious and a great majesty came upon it. After a second or two He continued “If the ground in America is well prepared so that much work can be done for the Cause....The building of the Mashrakel Azkar will prepare that ground.” ’ ”¹⁰

Many requests were sent in the following months, to which ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied:

If ye are yearning for my meeting, and if in reality ye are seeking my visit, ye must close the doors of difference and open the gates of affection, love and friendship. Ye must pulsate as one heart, and throb as one spirit....

Verily, verily, I say unto you, were it not for this difference amongst you, the inhabitants of America in all those regions would have, by now, been attracted to the Kingdom

[Page 4] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during a quiet moment in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

of God, and would have constituted themselves your helpers and assisters. Is it meet that you sacrifice this most glorious bounty for worthless imaginations? No, by God! Should you reflect for one moment, you shall become enabled to destroy instantly the foundation of this difference by absolutely refraining from backbiting and faultfinding amongst yourselves. Adorn with infinite love and concord the assemblage of beatitude, bring about the meeting of happiness, establish the banquet of the oneness of the realm of humanity, loosen your tongues in praising each other, and then anticipate the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in your midst.¹¹

In August 1910 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá left the Holy Land and traveled to Egypt, where He remained for nearly a year. From Egypt He sailed for Europe, a trip that greatly raised the expectations of the Bahá’ís in America that He would journey to their shores. Their hopes, however, were soon extinguished. Writing to them again, He said, “With great love you have asked for the presence of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in America, I also greatly wish to go to the friends and see their interesting faces. But during this journey I have no time. I must go back to the East, this is according to wisdom. Therefore with great regret and sorrow at separation I am obliged to return. If it pleases God next year I will take a journey towards the West so that I may engage myself in seeing the faces of the friends, in proclaiming the Word of God and in spreading the Divine Fragrance and the calling of the Kingdom of God in the great meetings and assemblies.”¹²

After hearing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s letter, Corinne True wrote to Helen Goodall, “At first my heart went down to my boots but in a moment a great strength came to me and I saw it was of His Great Mercy to us. We have slumbered over the Mashrakel Azkar work and now we can make atonement if we will, and get the land paid for and prepare the building.” In an earlier letter she had written, “I feel like mounting the housetops ... (and) shouting to the people to Arise for the Temple—because if you do this Abdul Baha will bless the Land of America with His Holy Presence.”¹³ Many Bahá’ís did increase their efforts. The Executive Board succeeded in retiring $24,500 of the mortgage on the land, which left only $10,000 still to pay. Eventually, the momentous news arrived, and the Bahá’ís rejoiced: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was coming to America.

He arrived in New York aboard the S.S. Cedric on 11 April 1912 and spent the next two-and-one-half weeks in New York and Washington, D.C. The purpose of His visit was “to set forth in America the fundamental principles of the revelation and teachings of Bahá’u’lláh.”¹⁴ While in New York and Washington He gave addresses daily in the homes of various Bahá’ís and at several churches and educational institutions, including Columbia and Howard universities. Late in the afternoon of 28 April He departed for Chicago.

The fourth Bahai Temple Unity convention opened the following morning in the Corinthian Hall of Chicago’s Masonic Temple. The most stirring aspect of the gathering was the announcement on the third line of the printed program: “Guest of honor Abdul Baha Abbas.” The delegates expected ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to arrive in Chicago early on the 29th and “passed an anxious morning and afternoon meeting inward-bound trains....” The second page of the Chicago Daily News’ evening edition reported: “Bahaist Chief Missing: Abdul Baha, Head of Cult, Disappears on His Way to Convention in Chicago: Puzzles His Followers.” The train reached Chicago that night. “The moment the friends saw the Beloved,” Mízá Mahmúd-i-Zarqání recorded, “they cried out ‘Allah-O-Abha’ and ‘Ya Abdul Baha,’ and the whole station resounded with their voices.”¹⁵

On the following morning, 30 April, the delegates learned that the Executive Board had purchased 292 feet of lake frontage on the east side of Sheridan Road, which thereby allowed for an unobstructed view of the lake.¹⁶ Corinne True reported that contributions had been received during the past year from Bahá’ís in 88 cities located in 27 states, and from Bahá’ís in Canada, England, Egypt, France, Germany, Hawaii, Italy, Persia, and South Africa.

That same day several Chicago Bahá’ís and newspaper reporters crowded into ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s suite at the Plaza Hotel. After an interview ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, accompanied by Dr. Zia Bagdadi, traveled north to Corinne True’s Kenmore Avenue home to visit Davis, her critically ill son.¹⁷ The young man, a star athlete at the University of Michigan, had injured his knee during a pole vaulting competition shortly after his father, Moses True, had died of a heart attack in December 1909. For several months the knee bothered Davis, and, at the invitation of one of his classmates, he decided to spend the summer at a lumber camp in Oregon, where he hoped his knee would have a chance to heal. Rather than live at the camp’s main house with the rest of his friend’s family, the two boys decided to stay in one of the workers’ cabins. Several weeks later they learned that one of the former occupants of the cabin had since contracted tuberculosis and died. By the time Davis returned to school he was not feeling well, and in November his doctor determined that

[Page 5] he, too, had the disease. The doctors felt that the attack was mild and sent him east to a sanatorium. Nevertheless, his condition deteriorated. In April 1911 Corinne True took him to a sanatorium in Denver, Colorado, where the doctors hoped that he would benefit from the climate. As the summer months passed, Davis seemed to improve, but by the end of the year his condition again worsened. In March 1912 the doctors determined that he had only a few weeks to live. He returned home from the sanatorium shortly before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in Chicago.

After visiting Davis, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came downstairs and told Corinne True that her son was a wonderful young man and that He found him much better than expected. She was overjoyed and confident that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence would cause Davis to recover. Hence she joyously accepted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s invitation to accompany Him to the lectures He was scheduled to give that afternoon. Shortly after they left, Davis died. His final words were that he was happy ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was present to comfort his mother. Only later did Mrs. True realize that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had been referring to Davis’ spiritual rather than physical condition.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Corinne True had driven to Hull House, the civic center founded by scholar and philanthropist Jane Addams in 1889 to provide “the ignorant, inarticulate immigrant tenement-dwellers of Chicago’s congested slum areas” with “a center for a higher civic and social life.”¹⁸ After ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was introduced, He urged the several hundred people there to promote unity among the races:

In the human kingdom itself there are points of contact, properties common to all mankind; likewise, there are points of distinction which separate race from race, individual from individual. If the points of contact, which are the common properties of humanity, overcome the peculiar points of distinction, unity is assured. On the other hand, if the points of differentiation overcome the points of agreement, disunion and weakness result. One of the important questions which affect the unity and the solidarity of mankind is the fellowship and equality of the white and colored races. Between these two races certain points of agreement and points of distinction exist which warrant just and mutual consideration....In fact numerous points of partnership and agreement exist between the two races; whereas the one point of distinction is that of color. Shall this, the least of all distinctions, be allowed to separate you as races and individuals? In physical bodies, in the law of growth, in the sense endowment, intelligence, patriotism, language, citizenship, civilization and religion you are one and the same. A single point of distinction exists—that of racial color. God is not pleased with—neither should any reasonable or intelligent man be willing to recognize—inequality in the races because of this distinction.¹⁹

Following the talk He spoke on the same subject to the Fourth Annual Convention of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People at Handel Hall in downtown Chicago.

More than one thousand persons gathered that night to hear ‘Abdu’l-Bahá speak at the closing public session of the Bahai Temple Unity convention in the Masonic Temple’s Drill Hall. After a choir had sung several selections, and Albert Hall, Mountfort Mills, and Lua Getsinger had given talks, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was introduced. “At once, the vast concourse, as one person, arose,” Joseph Hannen recalled, “and in a breathless silence the one awaited by many there for years, entered and proceeded to the platform.”²⁰ The theme of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s talk was the building of America’s Temple:

Among the institutes of the Holy Books is that of the foundation of places of worship. That is to say, an edifice or temple is to be built in order that humanity might find a place of meeting, and this is to be conducive to unity and fellowship among them. The real temple is the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn, and it is the center of unity for all mankind. It is the collective center, the cause of accord and communion of hearts, the sign of the solidarity of the human race, the source of eternal life. Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force so that when the people gather there in the House of God they may recall the fact that the law has been revealed for them and that the law is to unite them. They will realize that just as this temple was founded for the unification of mankind, the law

‘Abdu’l-Bahá visits the Lincoln Park Zoo with a group of friends from the Chicago area.

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preceding and creating it came forth in the manifest Word. Jesus Christ, addressing Peter, said, “Thou art Peter, and upon this rock I will build my church.” This utterance was indicative of the faith of Peter, signifying: This faith of thine, O Peter, is the very cause and message of unity to the nations; it shall be the bond of union between the hearts of men and the foundation of the oneness of the world of humanity. In brief, the original purpose of temples and houses of worship is simply that of unity—places of meeting where various peoples, different races and souls of every capacity may come together in order that love and agreement should be manifest between them. That is why Bahá’u’lláh has commanded that a place of worship be built for all the religionists of the world; that all religions, races and sects may come together within its universal shelter; that the proclamation of the oneness of mankind shall go forth from its open courts of holiness—the announcement that humanity is the servant of God and that all are submerged in the ocean of His mercy....²¹

At the conclusion of the talk the audience sang Louise Waite’s “Temple Song.” Before returning to the Plaza Hotel, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá presented 2,000 francs as a personal gift to the Temple Fund.”²²

The following day, 1 May, dawned chilly and overcast. Amid the trees at Grosse Point stood a large tent, erected for the dedication by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of the Temple site. The day was coincidentally the 19th anniversary of the dedication ceremony for the World’s Columbian Exposition. Nearly 400 Bahá’ís traveled to Wilmette via automobile or the Northwestern Elevated Railroad and gathered at the corner of Linden Avenue and Sheridan Road. Standing along a wide pathway leading toward the tent, they patiently awaited ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s arrival at 11 a.m.²³

One of those unable to be present was Thornton Chase. Two and one-half years earlier his company had transferred him to Los Angeles in an attempt to redirect his ever-expanding concentration upon the affairs of the Faith and his concurrent decrease of attention to company duties. Yet the company failed to alter his allegiance. His duties as a supervisor required that he make frequent business trips, usually to western coastal cities and sometimes as far north as Canada. At every stop he spoke about Bahá’u’lláh; during one trip he conducted 13 public meetings in 14 evenings. When in Los Angeles he held meetings each Sunday afternoon in a hall he rented for $4. Although he no longer lived in Chicago, he never ceased to consider himself a member of the Chicago House of Spirituality, and he continued to correspond frequently with members of that institution. It is ironic that Thornton Chase, the first American Bahá’í and a devoted teacher and leader of the nascent American Bahá’í community, never lived to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His trip through America; for Mr. Chase died on 30 September 1912, less than 24 hours before ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s train would cross into California several months after the dedication in Wilmette. When visiting his gravesite a few weeks after his death, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said, as reported by Mírzá Ahmad Sohráb:

“Mr. Chase was of the blessed souls. The best time of his life was spent in the path of God. He had no other aim except the good pleasure of the Lord and no other desire except the attainment to the Kingdom of God....He summoned the people to the religion of God; he suffered them to enter into the Kingdom of God; he wrote books and epistles....In reality he has left behind him certain signs which will never be forgotten throughout the ages and cycles....The traces of this personage will ever shine. This is a personage who will not be forgotten. For the present his worth is not known but in the future it will be inestimably dear....”²⁴

With the dedication of the Temple site imminent, Thornton Chase’s nine-year-long effort was beginning to bear its hard-won fruit. But the Bahá’ís began to wonder if the dedication was going to take place at all when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not arrive at the appointed time. He did not come down from His room at the Plaza Hotel until 10:30 a.m., the time already uncomfortably close to the scheduled beginning of the ceremony at 11. Because several Bahá’ís and other people were waiting to see Him in the lobby, He spoke at length before departing. “Mounted in a modern taxicab,” He arrived at the dedication site a few minutes before 1 p.m. “after mystifying his followers by unexpected delay,” reported the Chicago Daily News. “He had been counted on to arrive two hours before and was ‘lost’ between the Plaza hotel and this village.”²⁵

The Bahá’ís were even more mystified when the taxicab stopped in the center of the road, where one of the Persians accompanying ‘Abdu’l-Bahá called for Corinne True. Despite her grief over Davis’ death, she had felt duty-bound to be present at the dedication. She stepped forward and was directed to enter the car. The driver then continued north on Sheridan Road and stopped at the bridge over the canal. One account of this event stated that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted to see the new bridge and canal locks at the end of Wilmette Harbor. Another indicated He wanted to inspect the boundaries of the property. It is more likely that the loving and compassionate ‘Abdu’l-Bahá wanted a few minutes to comfort His bereaved daughter.

The trees made it difficult to see where the taxicab had gone. Nevertheless, some of the children spotted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Corinne True on the other side of the property and went running toward them. Surrounded by this happy group of youngsters, all of whom He lovingly patted, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá walked toward the northern side of the tent.

Nearly 300 people took seats inside “in three concentric circles, with a broad open space in the center across which the friends could read the love in each other’s eyes....” Around the outside of the seating area stood many more people who could not be accommodated. A committee had been formed to plan a program for the dedication, but it soon realized that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá “needed no guidance other than that of the Holy Spirit.”²⁶ After walking down one of the nine aisles, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood in the center of the tent and began His address:

The power which has gathered you here today notwithstanding the cold and windy weather is, indeed, mighty and wonderful. It is the power of God, the divine favor of Bahá’u’lláh which has drawn you together. We praise God that

[Page 7] May 1, 1912: ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addresses the Bahá’ís who have assembled beneath a large tent in Wilmette, Illinois, to witness the historic dedication of the cornerstone for the Mother Temple of the West.

through His constraining love human souls are assembled and associated in this way.

Thousands of Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs, dawning points of praise and mention of God for all religionists will be built in the East and in the West, but this, being the first one erected in the Occident, has great importance. In the future there will be many here and elsewhere—in Asia, Europe, even in Africa, New Zealand and Australia—but this edifice in Chicago is of especial significance. It has the same importance as the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Íshqábád (Ashkhabad), Caucasus, Russia, the first one built there. In Persia there are many; some are houses which have been utilized for the purpose, others are homes entirely devoted to the divine Cause, and in some places temporary structures have been erected. In all the cities of Persia there are Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs, but the greatest dawning point was founded in Íshqábád. It possesses superlative importance because it was the first Mashriqu’l-Adhkár built. All the Bahá’í friends agreed and contributed their utmost assistance and effort....From such a mighty and combined effort a beautiful edifice arose. Notwithstanding their contributions to that building, they have assisted the fund here in Chicago as well. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Íshqábád is almost completed. It is centrally located, nine avenues leading into it, nine gardens, nine fountains; all the arrangement and construction is according to the principle and proportion of the number nine. It is like a beautiful bouquet. Imagine a very lofty, imposing edifice surrounded completely by gardens of variegated flowers, with nine avenues leading through them, nine fountains and pools of water. Such is its matchless, beautiful design. Now they are building a hospital, a school for orphans, a home for cripples, a hospice and a large dispensary. God willing, when it is fully completed, it will be a paradise.

I hope that the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in Chicago will be like this. Endeavor to have the grounds circular in shape. If possible, adjust and exchange the plots in order to make the dimensions and boundaries circular. The Mashriqu’l-Adhkár cannot be triangular in shape. It must be in the form of a circle.²⁷

After the talk ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, followed by His audience, left the tent and requested that Nettie Tobin’s stone be brought to Him. The stone had been lying several feet northwest of the tent and had probably been pointed out to Him by Corinne True earlier. He walked back and forth on the property and, after asking where the center of the land would be, turned to someone who showed Him the approximate point.

As the stone was being carried to where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood, Irene Holmes of New York stepped forward and handed Him a leather case. Inside was a golden trowel she had hoped would be used for laying a cornerstone within the foundation of the building. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá tried to use the trowel to dig a resting place for the dedication

[Page 8] stone, but it was too dull to cut through the spring grass. He placed the trowel in its case and asked for more practical tools. When it was discovered that plans had not been made to have such tools available, one of the young men ran to a nearby house to borrow an ax. “Like an athlete,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá took it and “swung it high in the air.” “After several blows,” wrote Louise Waite, He “cut through the resisting turf and reached the earth below.”²⁸ The scene inspired the Bahá’ís to sing—first the “Benediction” and then “Tell the Wondrous Story,” both written by Mrs. Waite.

In the meantime another young man, Herbert Anderson of Chicago, had run west on Linden Avenue in search of a shovel. He found a work crew on the Northwestern Elevated tracks about four blocks south of Linden Avenue, near Isabella Street, and convinced them to loan him one of their shovels, which he whisked back to the ceremony. As the shovel was handed to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Corinne True reportedly stepped forward and encouraged Him to let a woman participate in the ceremony.²⁹ Turning to Lua Getsinger, He bade her to come forward despite her resistance. It was not until He called her a second time that she responded, grasped the shovel, and turned the first earth. Following her was Corinne True, after which, one by one, individuals of many races and nationalities—Persian, Syrian, Egyptian, Indian, North American Indian, Japanese, South African, English, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian, Swedish, Danish, Jewish—were called forward to participate in the digging.

Now that a rather large hole had been dug, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá reached down and scooped up handfuls of dirt, which He shared with several individuals. Then He “consigned the stone to its excavation, on behalf of all the people of the world.” After retrieving the golden trowel, He pushed the earth back around the stone and declared, “The Temple is already built.”³⁰

NOTES

1. For more information about Albert Hall and Mountfort Mills see appendices 3.2 and 3.6 respectively in The Dawning Place.
2. Chicago Examiner, 18 May 1909.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá looks on as people from many nations and races break ground for the Mother Temple of the West in Wilmette, Illinois.

3. Early in 1910 the Executive Board reported that “Harmonious and mutually helpful co-operation has been effected with the village council of the Village of Wilmette and the officers of The Sanitary District of Chicago, as a result of which arrangements have been consummated in an agreement (now in the process of being carried out), whereby the alley running through our tract, and Greenleaf Avenue on its northern boundary, will be vacated; and in return the Unity will convey, and dedicate to public use, land for Sheridan Road through part of our triangular tract formerly lying north of Greenleaf Avenue. This permits a greatly improved line for Sheridan Road, curving in a graceful line to the north and west at our eastern and northern boundary and across the bridge over the Drainage canal. The agreement also contemplates the granting to the Sanitary District Board of some additional width it needs for its abutments, in return for which we acquire a greater width to our tract at points that clear up and straighten our westerly line leaving us a somewhat enlarged tract of symmetrical outline.” (Bahai Temple Unity to unidentified “Bahá’ís and Friends in the Cause of God,” n.d., author’s personal papers)
4. Honore Jaxon, “Brief Report to Date on Site Negotiations,” Bahai News, 1, no. 4 (17 May 1910), 26.
5. “Record of the Second Annual Convention of Bahai Temple Unity, held April 25 and 26, 1910,” Bahai News, 1, no. 4 (17 May 1910), 12; True to Helen Goodall, 29 June 1909, 23 January 1911, Helen S. Goodall Papers, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.
6. Chase to Albert Windust, 29 April 1908, Star of the West Records, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill. By 1915 contributions had also been received from Ireland, Italy, South Africa, Brazil, New Zealand, Mauritius, and the Isle of Pines.
7. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to “his honor Ameen,” trans. 19 April 1910, quoted in “Record of the Second Annual Convention,” p. 14; ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to “the beloved of God in America” (delegates to the 1910 annual Bahá’í convention), trans. 18 March 1910, quoted in “Record of the Second Annual Convention,” pp. 8-9. (Since authoritative translations of these letters have not yet been made, the letters are to be considered only as historic documents.)
8. True to Goodall, 29 June 1909, Goodall Papers.
9. Louise R. Waite, Words of Abdul-Baha In regard to the Mashrak-el-Azkar in Chicago (n.p., 1909), author’s personal papers. (Because this statement was conveyed verbally, it does not have the authority of a signed letter in an approved translation.)
10. True to Goodall, 2 March 1911, Goodall Papers. (Because this statement was conveyed verbally, it does not have the authority of a signed letter in an approved translation.)
11. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá), “Tablet to the American Friends from Abdul-Baha,” Star of the West, 2, no. 4 (17 May 1911), 7.
12. (‘Abdu’l-Bahá), “Tablet from Abdul-Baha,” Star of the West, 2, no. 13 (4 Nov. 1911), 3.
13. True to Goodall, 2 March 1911, 25 February 1910, Goodall Papers.
14. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, quoted in Howard MacNutt, “Introduction to 1922 Edition,” in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Talks Delivered by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during His Visit to the United States and Canada in 1912, comp. Howard MacNutt, 2d ed. (Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1982), p. xv.
15. “Program, Bahai Temple Unity Convention, April 27 to May 2, 1912,” Star of the West Records; Chicago Daily News, 30 April 1912, 29 April 1912; Mírzá Mahmúd-

[Page 9]

i-Zarqání, “Kitáb-i-Badáyi’u’l-Athár: Diary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s travels in Europe and America, written by His secretary,” TS, entry for 29 April 1912, National Bahá’í Archives, Wilmette, Ill.

16. The report on the land was presented by Bernard Jacobsen, secretary of the Executive Board: “After numerous interviews a price of $17,000 was finally agreed upon. Mr. Conrad originally wanted $65 per foot for this ground and required $7,000 cash and $5,000 per year until paid. We felt that this was more than we could carry, so the proposed plan for the use of the grounds was laid before him and he finally agreed to give us our present terms of $17,000,—$5,000 cash, $3,000 per year, at 5 per cent interest until paid. This gave us a saving in interest and a longer term to pay the balance, which was a decided advantage for the Unity.

“Mr. Conrad became so enthused with the object of our institutions that he has since then offered us the use of the $3,000 which we were to pay him in September as a loan for the purchase of other grounds if desired. The spirit of good-will has followed all of our transactions with these people....

“Then there is another piece of property owned by Mr. Yost, which lies north and adjacent to the piece we bought from Mr. Conrad and consists of about 140 feet frontage on Sheridan Road. Several meetings have been held with Mr. Yost, but his price is exorbitant at present. Therefore, we have decided to let this matter rest until some future time” (Bernard M. Jacobsen, “Record of the Fourth Annual Convention of Bahai Temple Unity: Chicago, April 27th-May 1st, 1912,” Star of the West, 3, no. 5 (5 June 1912),4.)

Mr. Yost’s property was later purchased by Benjamin Marshall, a noted architect who designed the Drake and Blackstone hotels in Chicago and the Orrington Hotel in Evanston. In 1921 Marshall spent more than $1 million constructing one of the most fabulous residences ever built in the Chicago area, complete with a fifth-century Chinese temple and a glassed-in tropical garden, the trees and shrubs for which required a five-car train to transport. In 1936 the mansion was purchased by Nathan Goldlatt. Several years later, as real estate taxes soared, he offered the property to the village of Wilmette as a gift. The offer was rejected, and the mansion was torn down in 1950 following a fire that did extensive damage to the structure. The 2.6 acres of land were purchased by the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States for $50,000. The ornamental iron gates leading to the lakeside parking lot are the only remaining evidence of Marshall’s magnificent creation.

17. For additional information about Dr. Zia Bagdadi, see appendix 3.1 in The Dawning Place.
18. News of the Nation, 2 July 1890.
19. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, 67-68.
20. Joseph H. Hannen, “The Public Meetings of the Fourth Annual Convention of Bahai Temple Unity: Chicago, April 27th-May 2d, 1912,” Star of the West, 3, no. 4 (17 May 1912), 32.
21. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, p. 65.
22. The “Temple Song” can be found on pages 266-67 in The Dawning Place.
23. See appendix 4.6 in The Dawning Place, “Some Individuals Present at the Initial Ground-Breaking Ceremony, and the Cities They Represented,” 1 May 1912.
24. Mírzá Ahmad Sohráb, “Abdul-Baha at the Grave of Thornton Chase,” Star of the West, 3, no. 13 (4 Nov. 1912), 15.
25. Chicago Daily News, 1 May 1912.
26. Honore J. Jaxon, “Dedication of the Mashrak-el-Azkar Site,” Star of the West, 3, no. 4 (17 May 1912), 5-6.
27. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, Promulgation, 71-72.
28. Louise R. Waite, “My Visits With, and Instructions From, Abdul Baha While He was in Chicago, from April 30 to May 6, 1912,” Star of the West Records.
29. Ibid.
30. Jaxon, “Dedication,” p. 7; Mardíyyih Nabil Carpenter, “Commemoration of the Twenty-Fifth Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to America,” in The Bahá’í World: A Biennial International Record, Volume VII, 1936-1938, comp. National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada (New York: Bahá’í Publishing Committee, 1939), p. 219.

The Master at the Mother Temple of the West, May 1, 1912. At His feet is the Temple’s dedication stone.

[Page 10]

The 25th anniversary observance

“It was a long, long trip. The more we traveled, the greater seemed the expanse of the sea. The weather was brilliant and fine throughout; there was no storm and no end to the sea.”

At last the American Bahá’ís were hearing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s voice, seeing Him there before them. It was the afternoon of April 11, 1912; they had met His ship in the morning, and now they gathered to welcome Him at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Edward B. Kinney, 780 West End Avenue, in New York. They had thronged the rooms, so that many had to stand; and He had begun to address them:

“How are you? Welcome! Welcome!

“After arriving today, although weary with travel, I had the utmost longing and yearning to see you and could not resist this meeting. Now that I have met you all My weariness has vanished, for your meeting is the cause of spiritual happiness.

“I was in Egypt and was not feeling well; but I wished to come to you in America. My friends said: ‘This is a long journey; the sea is wide; you should remain here.’ But the more they advised and insisted, the greater was my longing to take this trip, and now I have come to America to meet the friends of God. This long voyage will prove how great is my love for you.

---

‘After arriving today, although weary with travel, I had the utmost longing and yearning to see you and could not resist this meeting. Now that I have met you all My weariness has vanished, for your meeting is the cause of spiritual happiness.’

---

There were many troubles and vicissitudes but in the thought of meeting you, all these things vanished and were forgotten.

“I am greatly pleased with the city of New York. Its harbor entrance, its piers, buildings and broad avenues are magnificent and beautiful. Truly this is a wonderful city. As New York has made such progress in material civilization, I hope that it may advance spiritually in the Kingdom and Covenant of God so that the friends here may become the cause of illumination of America; that this city may become the city of love, and that the fragrances of God may be spread from this place to all parts of the world. I have come for this. I pray that you may be the manifestations of the love of Bahá’u’lláh; that each one of you may become like a clear lamp of crystal from which the rays of the bounties of the Blessed Perfection may shine forth to all nations and peoples. This is my highest aspiration....

“I am very happy to meet you all here today. Praise be to God that your faces are shining with the love of Bahá’u’lláh! To behold them is the cause of great spiritual happiness. We have arranged to meet you every day at the homes of the friends.

“In the East people were asking me, ‘Why do you undertake this long voyage? Your body cannot endure such hardships of travel.’ When it is necessary, my body can endure everything. It has withstood 40 years of imprisonment and can still undergo the utmost trials.

“I will see you again. Now I will greet each one of you personally. It is my hope that you will all be happy and that we may meet again and again.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá now shook hands with each one, and left for the Hotel Ansonia.

He had been a prisoner most of His life. Born in Tehran, Iran, on May 23, 1844, at the age of eight He was one of that little band of exiles who crossed the Iranian border, going toward Baghdád. With them He was exiled from prison to prison, and was confined at last in the fortress-city of ‘Akká, on August 31, 1868. Forty years passed; then the Sultán, ‘Abdu’l-Hamíd, fell; on August 31, 1908, the gates of ‘Akká were flung open and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went free. He was

This article, “Commemoration of the 25th Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s Visit to America,” was written by Mardíyyih Nabíl Carpenter (Marzieh Gail) and is reprinted from The Bahá’í World, Vol. VII (1936-38), pp. 213-221. In it she reports on the gathering held in 1937 at the Bahá’í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois, to commemorate the Master’s visit to the Chicago area and His laying of the dedication stone for the House of Worship.

64, He had lived 40 years in a place where the air broke men and killed them, and there was no pain that had not struck at His heart. He was free now, but He could not rest. He saw mankind on the brink of war; He saw the passing of the old world, and He came West, to lay the foundation of the new. In 1911, He brought the teachings of His Father, Bahá’u’lláh, to Europe. Returning to Egypt, He then sailed for the United States, where He traveled and taught from April 11 to December 5, 1912.

His fellow-travelers on the steamship Cedric, of the White Star Line, spoke with Him, inquiring as to His mission. To one, the owner of an American newspaper, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá said: “I am going to America at the invitation of the Peace Congresses of that place, as the fundamental principles of our Cause are universal peace, the oneness of the world of humanity and the

[Page 11] equality of the rights of men. As this age is the age of lights and the century of mysteries, this great object is sure to be universally acknowledged and this Cause is certain to encompass the East and the West.” A woman, member of the Unitarian faith, asked Him to give her a message for the Unitarians. He answered her: “The most important of all purposes is to diffuse divine love, amity and accord among the people ... hence tell your Assembly: Rejoice, the standard of the kingdom of heaven is hoisted! Rejoice, the divine springtime has appeared! Rejoice, the Proclaimer of the kingdom has raised His voice!” On April 8 and thereafter greetings and welcome were wirelessed to the ship by Bahá’í communities from coast to coast. On April 11, crowds of Bahá’ís stood at the pier, waving hats and handkerchiefs, while the Cedric docked. As soon as the gangplank was lowered, newspapermen went aboard to interview ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; they asked the object of His voyage, and He said: “Our object is universal peace and the unity of mankind....I have come to America to see the advocates of universal peace. I hope the Peace Congresses of America will come forward and take the first practical step.” They questioned: “How can universal peace be realized?” He said: “Its realization depends upon effecting a change in the ideas of the inhabitants of the world. Today, universal peace is the panacea for all human ills.” “What are those ills?” “One of those ills is the restlessness and discontent of the people under the yoke of the war expenditures of the Powers of the world. What the people earn through labor is extorted from them by the governments and spent for war purposes....Thus the burden on men is becoming more and more unbearable....” The reporters asked, “May not peace lead to trouble and may not war help progress?” He answered, “No. Today war is the cause of all trouble! If war can be gotten rid of, all these troubles will disappear....However, this cannot be brought into existence except through the education of the people and the development of their thought and ideas.”

The docking of the Cedric in New York was the direct fulfillment of the words of a man of Shíráz, who, 68 years before, at the very hour of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s birth, had proclaimed the coming of a great world Teacher. For 62 years now the Báb had lain dead, Persian bullets in His breast. But out of Persia a young nobleman had arisen, and had brought a world Faith. They had seized His jewels and palaces, they had closed Him in an underground pit, and hemmed Him in with guards. They had killed His followers, and not dared to kill Him, and they had exiled Him from one land to another, and the Sháh of Persia and the Sultán of Turkey had used all their power to shut back the words that came from His lips. And He, Bahá’u’lláh, had established His Faith. He had revealed new laws, suited to future world civilization, based on that oneness of the human race and that coming of age of mankind, which His advent proclaimed; He had regenerated and brought into harmony the religions of the past; He had provided for agencies to safeguard His new World Order. And whereas before, once the Founder of a Faith had passed away, His followers turned one against another and destroyed the unity that He had created—Bahá’u’lláh with His own hand appointed an Exemplar, an Interpreter, so that Bahá’ís the world over were bound by their devotion to His eldest son, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. “The promise of all ages is now fulfilled,” wrote Bahá’u’lláh. “That which had been announced in the holy writ of God, the Beloved, the Most High, is made manifest.”

‘Abdu’l-Bahá is pictured at a barbecue given in His honor by Mr. Topakyan, the Persian Consul-General (to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s right) at his summer home in Morristown, New Jersey.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá, standard-bearer of the civilization of the future, set foot in the United States, prototype of the future federation of mankind. In every city, on every train, people crowded close to Him. In New York City alone, during the 79 days He spent there, He made public addresses in, or formal visits to, 55 different places. His rooms were filled with visitors wherever He went, all day long, from early in the morning. Philosophers, scientists, ecclesiastics, social workers, educators, diplomats, were found in His audiences, intently listening to Him, studying His presentation of the Bahá’í teachings as the means of regenerating and unifying humanity. Everywhere in editorial comment and publication of news concerning Him, the daily press was reverent and respectful. He addressed Columbia and Leland Stanford Universities; He attended a conference at Lake Mohonk, visited the open forum at Green Acre in Eliot, Maine, spoke before scientific associations,

[Page 12] socialistic bodies, welfare organizations. Temples and churches, synagogues, women’s clubs, colleges, metaphysical groups—willingly opened their doors to His message. He was guest of honor in leading mansions throughout the country, and He visited as well the homes of the very poor. He addressed Bowery Mission, in the slums of New York. He spoke with all types of men and women; children of all races clung to Him. And never, in all His traveling and teaching, did He accept remuneration, for His service was given without price.

By the shore of Lake Michigan near Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá laid the foundation-stone of a great Temple; the first world temple, the first sanctuary for all sorts and conditions of men, and all races, and all faiths—ever to be raised in the western hemisphere.

When, in 1937, Bahá’ís throughout the country commemorated in numberless gatherings the 25th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s coming to the United States, a special meeting was held in the Temple, marking the arrival of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York, April 11, 1912; on this occasion representatives of many groups that had been addressed by Him during His journey, joined with the Bahá’ís to do Him honor. Among the guest speakers, Mrs. Dorothy Bushnell Blumberg, president of the Chicago branch of the Women’s International League for Peace, said in effect that thinking people, as they see the increase of material comfort and security, do not wish the achievement of these ends to be made at the cost of spiritual values; that a new age of cosmopolitanism is upon us, whose ultimate outcome will be a world race and culture; that those of us who believe in the oneness of the human race are fortunate, and must strive for the enlightenment of the many who will resist the onward march of cosmopolitanism.

Mr. Albert Windust, chairman, then read from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s address before the New York Peace Society, in part as follows: “Today, there is no greater glory for man than that of service in the cause of the ‘Most Great Peace.’ ... His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh was imprisoned and subjected to severe persecutions....Through all these ordeals He strove day and night to proclaim the oneness of humanity and to promulgate the message of universal peace. From the prison of ‘Akká He addressed the kings and rulers of the earth in lengthy letters summoning them to international agreement and explicitly stating that the standard of the ‘Most Great Peace’ would surely be upraised in the world.”

Another guest, Mr. A.C. MacNeal, president of the Chicago branch of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People, quoted from the address given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá before the fourth annual Conference of the NAACP: “According to the words of the Old Testament, God has said: ‘Let us make man in our image, after our likeness.’ This indicates that ... the perfections of God, the divine virtues, are reflected or revealed in the human reality....This is an evidence that man is the most noble of God’s creatures....Let us now discover more specifically how he is the image and likeness of God, and what is the standard, or criterion, by which he can be measured and estimated. This standard can be no other than the divine virtues which are revealed in him....If a man possesses wealth, can we call him an image and likeness of God? Or is human honor and notoriety the criterion of divine nearness? Can we apply the test of racial color and say that a man of a certain hue—white, black, brown, yellow, red—is the true image of his Creator? We must conclude that color is not the standard ... for color is accidental in nature.

Glimpses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá ...

“We were taken to the smaller room of the suite, where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave private interviews. There He told Margaret (LeGrange) He had prayed for her parents (who had passed into the life beyond some months before). Her eyes filled with tears and overflowed; mine then did likewise. The interpreter, perhaps at a loss, shook his head at us and said in an admonishing tone that we should never cry in His presence. It made Him sad. As I looked up, I saw that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s sadness was for us—not for Himself—for with hands outstretched to calm and protect us, like a mother bird hovering over her young in the nest, He exclaimed in English, Laugh! Laugh! I shall never forget that voice, vibrant and powerful beyond any words of mine to express. In that voice I have come to see the power of heaven to rout all the negative forces of existence, and in arising to obey that command to find the eternal joy of life.” (By Ella C. Quant in The Bahá’í World, vol. XII, p. 919) “‘Abdu’l-Bahá is of medium height, but He holds Himself so superbly, with such commanding dignity, and carries His head so high and with such an air of majesty, that He ever gives the impression of great height. His voice is full and vibrant, each word uttered with marked distinctness and with that tonal quality which leaves a faint echo, as it were, or wave vibrations such as come from a beautifully toned bell. Always when I heard His voice, I felt its vibrations most deeply. Like His face, His voice expresses every emotion, from tones that are stern and emphatic to those as tender and loving as the cooing of a dove.” (by Louise Waite in The Bahá’í World, vol. VI, pp. 625-26)

The spirit and intelligence of man is the essential....Man is not man simply because of bodily attributes. The character and purity of the heart is all-important.”

A third speaker, Mr. Brenes-Mesén, representing the president of the Theosophical Society, conveyed to the Bahá’ís the following message: “Out of the Morning of Eternity, where infinite Wisdom and all-embracing Love abide, at intervals, when duty weakens and nations decline, splendorous souls come to this earth again to grace mankind with a new Springtime of faith....They come forth to enkindle the dormant fires in the souls of men, to point out once more the guiding star rising on the horizon of a new humanity. Such are the Masters of Wisdom and Compassion, manifestations of the omnipotent Love, the Holy Spirit.

“To this saintly lineage do belong Bahá’u’lláh, the Splendor of God, and ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the Servant of God. They have brought before the eyes of

[Page 13] ‘Abdu’l-Bahá (at left in white robe) takes a leisurely stroll in Chicago’s Lincoln Park.

men, amidst a divided world, the principles of the Unity of Mankind; and in the midst of so many sects, the salutary doctrine of the common foundation of all forms of religion in the manifestation of the Holy Spirit; and amidst the contentious social and economic conflicts of our epoch they remind us of our obligation to do some fruitful labor in the spirit of service, of the need of voluntary sharing of our wealth with others to foster universal peace and that we may realize the brotherhood of men.

“Knowing and without stint admiring those principles, when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set foot in the United States the Theosophical Society bestowed on Him the gracious hospitality of its platform. He was a Teacher and a brother, He had our heartfelt welcome.

“The achievements of Bahá’ísm in this country, so magnificently embodied in this Bahá’í House of Worship, are proclaiming the satisfaction that so many souls find in the beauty, the truth and transcendence of the teachings flowing from this wellspring of Wisdom.

“In behalf of the Theosophical Society of America, and at the request of its president, I tender to you, with our congratulations, our cordial wishes for the spiritual prosperity of Bahá’ísm, for we are one in our endeavors of spiritualizing the world.”

In introducing this speaker, the chairman had remarked that one of the outstanding addresses of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Chicago was that delivered before the Theosophical Society, on which occasion He had said: “In the matrix of the mother, we were the recipients of endowments and blessings of God, yet these were as nothing compared to the powers and graces bestowed upon us after birth into this human world. Likewise if we are born from the matrix of this physical ... environment into the freedom and loftiness of the life and vision spiritual, we shall consider this mortal existence and its blessings as worthless by comparison.”

An extract from the address of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Plymouth Congregational Church was now read, in part as follows: “In our solar system the center of illumination is the sun itself ... the one source of the existence and development of all phenomenal things....But if we reflect deeply we will perceive that the great bestower and giver of life is God; the sun is the intermediary of His will and plan....Likewise, in the spiritual realm ... there must be a center of illumination, and that center is ... the Word of God ... the prophet or manifestation of God....” Following this, guest speaker Mr. Kennicott Brenton, house secretary and resident of Hull-House, representing Mrs. Kenneth F. Rich, resident head of the famous institution founded by Jane Addams—spoke as follows:

“Hull-House is deeply aware of its honor in being invited to join you in honoring your departed leader. In this we recognize an inner significance. Both this wonderful temple and our busy, homely group of classrooms and

[Page 14] workshops are expressions of the same life principle. In yours is a realization of world unity; ours of the common interest uniting neighborhoods and races, ignoring religious and class barriers. Throughout history, the spirit of discord has been able to ‘divide and rule.’ Man’s pattern has made him peculiarly susceptible to factional loyalties. We have seen how love of country and adherence to group loyalties can even lead to self-destruction....Hull-House and the things which it has done for the betterment of its neighbors were possible only because it became a rallying point for the combined goodwill of widely separated groups and sections. Accomplishment in prevention of child labor, sweatshops, bad housing, was won by a call to unite the good intention of all factions—never by appeal to factionalism or strife.

“Instead of emphasizing man’s diversity of interest, Jane Addams said: ‘The things which make men alike are finer and better than the things that keep them apart.’ ... Rather than hope for justice from some materialistic system, she knew: ‘Justice can only be worked out upon this earth by those who will not tolerate a wrong to the feeblest member of the community.’

“Both our great leaders have gone on but we recognize in them the spirit which can reclaim the world.”

The chairman called attention to the fact that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s first public address in Chicago was delivered at Hull-House, and quoted from that address: “There is need of a superior power to overcome human prejudices; a power which nothing in the world of mankind can withstand....That irresistible power is the love of God.”

In introducing the next speaker, Mr. Allen B. McDaniel of Washington, D.C., a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, the chairman read from the words of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá delivered at All-Souls Church: “In Persia, His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh was able to unite people of varying thought, creed and denomination. The inhabitants of that country were Christians, Muhammadans, Jews, Zoroastrians, and a great variety of subdivided forms and beliefs, together with racial distinctions such as Semitic, Arabic, Persian, Turk, and others, but through the power and efficacy of religion, Bahá’u’lláh united these differing peoples, and caused them to consort together in perfect agreement. And now let us consider that the American, British, French, Germans, Turks, Persians, Arabs, are all ... members of the same household. Why should dissension exist among them? ... There is no doubt that the only cause is ignorance....” Mr. McDaniel then spoke on “The Gathering of the Peoples and Nations,” ably epitomizing the excerpts from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s addresses that had been read throughout the meeting.

This program, which was followed by a reception, closed with the showing of the motion picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá: His arrival by automobile at the home of Mr. and Mrs. Howard MacNutt in Brooklyn, New York; His walking and conversing with Persian interpreters and others, His greeting the children present, His delivery, as He strode back and forth before the large gathering on the grounds, of a message of glad-tidings to all humanity: “Rejoice! ... The divine Gospel has appeared! Rejoice! ... The Great Day has come! Rejoice! ... The glad-tidings and prophecies of the Prophets are fulfilled! Rejoice! ... The Glory of Carmel has shown on the worlds! Rejoice! ... The East and West have joined hands!”

In memory of that other day when ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had dedicated the Temple site, the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada, assembled at the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár for their annual Convention, heard the story of how, exactly 49 years after Bahá’u’lláh, then a captive about to be exiled from Baghdád, had declared His mission—‘Abdu’l-Bahá, His Son, had laid the cornerstone of the Bahá’í Temple in the heart of the American continent.

During the evening of His arrival in Chicago, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá addressed an audience of several hundred at the last session of the Bahai Temple Unity, speaking in part as follows:

“The real temple is the very Word of God; for to it all humanity must turn and it is the center of unity for all mankind....Temples are the symbols of the divine uniting force, so that when people gather here ... they may recall the fact that the law has been revealed for them and that the law is to unite them....That is why His Holiness Bahá’u’lláh has commanded that a place of worship be built ... that all religions, races and sects may come together within the universal shelter....It is the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár (the Dawning-Point of the remembrance of God) ... For thousands of years the human race has been at war. It is enough....For thousands of years the nations have denied each other, considering each other as infidel and inferior. It is sufficient....” And He closed with a prayer for the American nation: “O thou kind Lord! ... Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world....”

The next day, on the windy shores of the lake at Wilmette, they had pitched a tent, large enough for 500 persons, and had made a special entry way to the grounds for the carriage of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá; but He entered on foot, walking briskly, a long line of Bahá’ís following Him. Within the tent, seats had been placed in three circles, with a broad space at the center, reached by nine aisles. At high noon, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advanced to the inner circle and spoke:

“The power which has gathered you here today notwithstanding the cold and windy weather is indeed mighty and wonderful. It is the power of God, the divine favor of Bahá’u’lláh which has drawn you together....

“Thousands of Mashriqu’l-Adhkárs for all religionists will be built in the Orient and Occident, but this being the first one erected in the Occident has great importance....It has the same importance as the Mashriqu’l-Adhkár in ‘Ishqábád, Caucasus Russia, the first one built there. In Persia there are many; some are houses which have been utilized for the purpose, others are homes entirely devoted to the Divine Cause....But the great ‘Dawning-Point’ has been founded in ‘Ishqá-bád. It possesses superlative importance....”

Outside the tent, in the woods and fields along the lake shore, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá prepared for the breaking of the Temple ground; using first a golden trowel presented by Irene C. Holmes of New York, He then slipped this back

[Page 15] into its leather case, and called for other implements; an ax was brought, then a shovel; with these, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and members of every race and nationality present, excavated a place to hold the dedication stone. As each man or woman came forward, his race or nationality was announced: Persia, Syria, Egypt, India, Japan, South Africa, England, France, Germany, Holland, Norway, Sweden, Denmark, the Jews of the world, and the North American Indians, were of those represented; at the end ‘Abdu’l-Bahá set the stone in its place, on behalf of all the peoples of the world. And He said, “The Temple is already built.”

Now, within the Temple, those who had been present that other day were asked to rise; they numbered 15. One of them, Mrs. Nettie Tobin of Chicago, was called upon to tell how she had brought, painfully, from far away and as though driven to it, a fragment of limestone rock to the Temple site, and how this had been chosen by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the dedication stone. Mrs. Corinne True of Wilmette, whose devotion to the work of building the Temple was compared to that of a mother rearing her child, gave a brief message of inspiration, and Dr. ‘Alí-Kulí Khán, sent by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the United States in 1901 to spread the Bahá’í teachings, spoke of the work still to be accomplished in completing the outer ornamentation of the Temple, and of the plan drawn up by the Guardian of the Faith, Shoghi Effendi, for the realization of this within the first century of the Bahá’í era. This second commemorative gathering, program-chairmen of which were Edna Eastman and Albert Windust, and further participants, Ruth Randall Brown, Nina Matthisen, and Mountfort Mills, was climaxed by the darkening of the auditorium, after which the motion picture of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was shown. In deep silence, the audience watched as the majestic figure of the Center of the Covenant stood before them; many had never viewed this scene before, while some were still left who could remember His face, His walk, and could hear in memory His ringing voice.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá with a group of Bahá’ís at Dr. Swingle’s sanatorium in Cleveland, Ohio. The date was May 6, 1912.

“It is my purpose,” ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had said on the day of His arrival in New York, “to set forth in America the fundamental principles of the revelation ... of Bahá’u’lláh. It will then become the duty of the Bahá’ís in this country to give these principles unfoldment and application in the minds, hearts and lives of the people.” During the long months of travel, of daily association with hundreds of groups and individuals, He had spared Himself no hardship in order to give to America this fresh revelation of spiritual power, this new Faith, suited to the needs of a new age. Everywhere, at every hour He had taught the principles brought by Bahá’u’lláh: that each must search after truth for himself; that all races are as one; that all religions are fundamentally one, and have as their purpose the establishment of harmony; that religion, “the sole ... basis of ... an ordered and progressive society,” must go hand-in-hand with science; that equal opportunities are to be provided for men and women alike; that extremes of wealth and poverty are to be abolished; that an auxiliary international language is to be adopted; and He had shown that the Bahá’í world system provides the agencies for the establishment of permanent and universal peace.

It was a clear, not a beautiful day when they gathered on board the steamship Celtic to take leave of Him. He spoke to each one, distributed to each the flowers that had been brought. Then He addressed them for the last time:

“This is my last meeting with you, for now I am on board the steamship ready to sail away. These are my final words of exhortation. I have repeatedly summoned you to the cause of the unity of the world of humanity, announcing that all mankind are the servants of the same God; that God is the creator of all; He is the provider and life-giver; all are equally beloved by Him and are His servants upon whom His mercy and compassion descend. Therefore you must manifest the greatest kindness and love toward the nations of the world, setting aside fanaticism, abandoning religious, national, and racial prejudice.

“The earth is one nativity, one home, and all mankind are the children of one Father. God has created them and they are the recipients of His compassion. Therefore if anyone offends another, he offends God. It is the wish of our heavenly Father that every heart should rejoice and be filled with happiness; that we should live together with felicity and joy. The obstacle to human happiness is racial or religious prejudice, the competitive struggle for existence and inhumanity toward each other.

“Your eyes have been illumined; your ears are attentive, your hearts knowing. You must be free from prejudice and fanaticism, beholding no dif-

[Page 16] ferences between the races and religions. You must look to God, for He is the real shepherd and all humanity are His sheep. He loves them, and loves them equally. As this is true, should the sheep quarrel among themselves? They should manifest gratitude and thankfulness toward God, and the best way to thank God is to love one another.

“Beware lest ye offend any heart, lest ye speak against anyone in his absence, lest ye estrange yourselves from the servants of God. You must consider all His servants as your own family and kindred. Direct your whole effort toward the happiness of those who are despondent, bestow food upon the hungry, clothe the needy and glorify the humble. Be a helper to every helpless one, and manifest kindness to your fellow creatures in order that ye may attain the good pleasure of God. This is conducive to the illumination of the world of humanity and eternal felicity for yourselves. I seek from God everlasting glory in your behalf; therefore this is my prayer and exhortation.

“Consider what is happening in the Balkans. Human blood is being shed, properties are destroyed, possessions pillaged, cities and villages devastated. A world-enkindling fire is astir in the Balkans. God has created men to love each other, but instead they kill each other with cruelty and bloodshed. God has created them that they may cooperate and mingle in accord, but instead they ravage, plunder and destroy in the carnage of battle. God has created them to be the cause of mutual felicity and peace, but instead discord, lamentation and anguish rise from the hearts of the innocent and afflicted.

“As to you, your efforts must be lofty. Exert yourselves with heart and soul so that perchance through your efforts the light of universal peace may shine and this darkness of estrangement and enmity may be dispelled from amongst men; that all men may become as one family and consort together in love and kindness; that the East may assist the West and the West give help to the East, for all are the inhabitants of one planet, the people of one original nativity and the flocks of one Shepherd.

“Consider how the Prophets who have been sent, the great souls who have appeared and the sages who have arisen in the world, have exhorted

---

‘Direct your whole effort toward the happiness of those who are despondent, bestow food upon the hungry, clothe the needy and glorify the humble. Be a helper to every helpless one, and manifest kindness to your fellow creatures...’

---

mankind to unity and love. This has been the essence of their mission and teaching. This has been the goal of their guidance and message. The Prophets, saints, seers and philosophers have sacrificed their lives in order to establish these principles and teachings amongst men. Consider the heedlessness of the world, for notwithstanding the efforts and sufferings of the Prophets of God, the nations and peoples are still engaged in hostility and fighting. Notwithstanding the heavenly commandments to love one another, they are still shedding each other’s blood. How heedless and ignorant are the people of the world! How gross the darkness which envelops them! Although they are the children of a compassionate God they continue to live and to act in opposition to His will and good pleasure. God is loving and kind to all men, and yet they show the utmost enmity and hatred toward each other. God is the giver of life to them, and yet they constantly seek to destroy life. God blesses and protects their homes; they ravage, sack and destroy each other’s homes. Consider their ignorance and heedlessness!

“Your duty is of another kind, for you are informed of the mysteries of God. Your eyes are illumined, your ears are quickened with hearing. You must therefore look toward each other and then toward mankind with the utmost love and kindness. You have no excuse to bring before God if you fail to live according to His command, for you are informed of that which constitutes the good pleasure of God. You have heard His commandments and precepts. You must therefore be kind to all men; you must even treat your enemies as your friends. You must consider your evil-wishers as your well-wishers. Those who are not agreeable toward you must be regarded as those who are congenial and pleasant, so that perchance this darkness of disagreement and conflict may disappear from amongst men and the light of the divine may shine forth; so that the Orient may be illumined and the Occident filled with fragrance; nay, so that East and West may embrace each other in love and deal with one another in sympathy and affection. Until man reaches this high station, the world of humanity shall not find rest and eternal felicity shall not be attained. But if man lives up to these divine commandments, this world of earth shall be transformed into a world of heaven and this material sphere shall be transformed into a paradise of glory. It is my hope that you may become successful in this high calling, so that like brilliant lamps you may cast light upon the world of humanity and quicken and stir the body of existence like unto a spirit of life. This is eternal glory. This is everlasting felicity. This is immortal life. This is heavenly attainment. This is being created in the image and likeness of God. And unto this I call you, praying to God to strengthen and bless you.”

They left the ship and looked up to where ‘Abdu’l-Bahá stood on the deck. He was smiling very faintly, His eyes tender, thoughtful, somehow full of sorrow. He waved His hand gently toward them. And they knew that they would never fail Him, and still they wept.

——————————————————>
Opposite page: The Prayer for America by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with
calligraphy by Michael Hughey of Asheville, North Carolina.

[Page 17]

Prayer for America THOU KIND LORD! THIS GATHERING IS TURNING TO THEE. These hearts are radiant with Thy love. These minds and spirits are exhilarated by the message of Thy glad-tidings. O God! Let this American democracy become glorious in spiritual degrees even as it has aspired to material degrees, and render this just government victorious. Confirm this revered nation to upraise the standard of the oneness of humanity, to promulgate the Most Great Peace, to become thereby most glorious and praiseworthy among all the nations of the world. O God! This American nation is worthy of Thy favors and is deserving od Thy mercy. Make it precious & near to Thee through Thy bounty and bestowal.

—‘Abdu’l-Bahá

[Page 18]

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