Bahá’í World/Volume 20/Edris Rawshan Rice-Wray
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DR. EDRIS RAWSHAN RICE—WRAY
1904—1990
Edris was born in Newark, New Jersey, U.S.A., on 21 January 1904, to Theron Canfield and Mabel Rice—Wray. She had two brothers, Landon Carter, who died as a Child, and Colston, two years yopnger than Edris. Mabel had become a Bahá’í sometime before 1900, a few years before her marriage. Although Theron never became an active Bahá’í, he held ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in great esteem.
In 1909, the family moved to the Los Angeles area where Mabel became a good
THE Bahá’í WORLD
friend of Kathryn Frankland, one of the distinguished early American believers. With Kathryn’s help, Mabel began to seiye the Faith quite diligently. She held firesides and study classes in her home, and became active in women’s organizations.
On 18 October 1912, having heard that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Los Angeles, Mabel took Edris and Colston to the hotel where the Master was staying. They spent over an hour with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in His room. Both Edris and Colston sat on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s knee and were given cookies. Some years later, in response to a letter from their mother, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá bestowed the name Rawflan (“brilliance”) on Edris, and Rfihi on Colston, and revealed in their honor the well—known prayer for children that begins: “O my Lord! O my Lord! I am a child of tender years. Nourish me from the breast of Thy mercy...”
The family moved to Detroit, Michigan, in 1914, and during the next few years, summers were passed at Green Acre Bahá’í School where Edris and Colston spent much time with many of the most distinguished of the early North American believers: the Maxwells, Haneys, Randalls, Obers, and Keith Ransom-Kehler, among others. Theron and Mabel eventually divorced, and in 1920, Mabel married Howard Colby Ives.
Edris graduated in 1927 from Vassar College, then entered Cornell University Medical College. She soon transferred to Northwestern University Medical School, there receiving her medical degree in 1932. On 30 March 1929, she had married Robert Carson, and later bore two daughters, Lynn and Barbara.
In the midst of this intense period, she was a devoted Bahá’í, speaking on occasion at the House of Worship in Wilmette. She was famous for her hospitality, sometimes having guests for months. One frequent guest was Dorothy Baker, who often stayed with Edris during the late 19305 when she was in Wilmette for the meetings of the National Spiritual Assembly. During this
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period Edris deputized her mother’s and Howard Colby Ives’ teaching trips, and later, when they were living with her, Edris persuaded Mr. Ives to record his memories of the Master, resulting in the much loved book, Portals to F reedom.
After a residence in medicine, and 15 years of practice as an internist in the Chicago area, Dr. Rice-Wray moved to the Caribbean in answer to the call of the Guardian for pioneers to Latin America. She arrived in Puerto Rico in 1948 with her two daughters (she and her husband had divorced), and she accepted a position with the Health Department of Puerto Rico. This change to the field of public health brought forth her organizationa1 skills, her zeal and public spirit as she became Director of Field Training for the Health Department. 1
She accepted a scholarship in Public Health at the University of Michigan, receiving her Master’s degree in 1950 and qualifying for the American Board of Preventive Medicine. Plunging into service to the disadvantaged, she found the grave problems of poor and ignorant mothers to be an overwhelming concern, and she seized upon the resolution of their material problems as her primary interest for the remainder of her professional life.
In 1956, Dr. Gregory Pincus enlisted her services as a research collaborator for field tests of Enovid, the first endocrine contraceptive agent which permitted rational family planning for needy women. Moving with her two daughters to Mexico City in 1957, she accepted a position With the World Health Organization.
In Mexico City, Dr. Rice—Wray opened a family planning clinic, organized the first national Family Flaming Association for Mexico, established a Maternal Health Association, and later a Foundation for 150pulation Studies. She published a number of scientific papers, and received international recognition and a number of awards including the Sesquicentennial Award for “Knowledge, Wisdom and the Courage to Serve” from the University of Michigan in 1967,
Dr. Edris Rice~ Wray
and the Margaret Sanger Award from the Planned Parenthood F ederation a few years before her death.
On her retirement in 1973, she became professor of population studies at the University of the Americas in Puebla.
Dr. Rice-Wray’s Bahá’í activities in Mexico continued apace with her busy professional years as physician, pioneer, mother, and teacher. She was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico in 1961, and continued to serve on it for the following six years. She was also very active in many women’s organizations, speaking at conferences and events, including the First Asian Bahá’í Women’s Conference, held in India in 1978.
On 19 February 1990, Dr. Edris Rawshan Rice—Wray passed away at her pioneering post in Puebla, Mexico. The National Spiritual Assembly of Mexico received the following message from the Universal House of Justice, sent on 22 February 1990:
SADDENED NEWS PASSING DEDICATED VETERAN PIONEER TIRELESS DISTINGUISHED
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PROMOTER CAUSE GOD DR. EDRIS RICE—WRAY. HER LONG RECORD UNFORGETTABLE SERVICES BOTH TEACHIN G AND ADMINISTRATIVE FIELDS ESPECIALLY MEXICO HOLDS PROMISE BOUNTIFUL REWARD. OUTSTANDING SCIENTIFIC SERVICES MANKIND ALSO RECALLED. FERVENTLY SUPPLICATING SACRED THRESHOLD PROGRESS HER RADIANT SOUL WORLDS BEYOND. KINDLY CONVEY HEARTFELT SYMPATHY HER RELATIVES AND FRIENDS.
Adapted from Tributes by MRS. JEANNE SERRANO AND DR. DAVID RUHE