William Sutherland Maxwell

William Sutherland Maxwell

John Robarts - Hand of the Cause of God

Elisabeth Charlotte (Lottie) Tobias

Lottie Tobias became a Baha'i in 1950 when there were only a few dozen believers in Netherlands. She was elected to the first Local Spiritual Assembly of Den Haag in 1952, and in 1957 was elected a member of the first Spiritual Assembly of the Benelux countries (Belgium, Netherlands, Luxembourg), serving as secretary for the Netherlands. In 1962 she was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the Netherlands, and served on that body until 1986. For 24 years she was the secretary.

Sears Family: on their way to South Africa

Bill, Marguerite and Michael Sears - absent from photo is Billy (Baha'i International Community's Media Bank)

Hands of the Cause of God Dorothy Baker and Ali-Akbar Furutan

Dorothy Baker and Ali-Akbar Furutan

Edward Kinney

Edward Kinney

Carrie Kinney

Mary Maxwell - circa 1935

Mary Maxwell (Ruhiyyih Khanum) on a ski trip in Germany, circa 1935

John David Bosch - "saintly life, pioneer services, historic contribution of institution of summer school"

John David Bosch (1855-1946)

"His saintly life, pioneer services, historic contribution of institution of summer school, entitle him to rank among outstanding figures of the closing years of heroic, and opening years of formative age of the Baha'i Dispensation. Concourse on high extol his exalted services." (Shoghi Effendi)

Marzieh Gail

Mirza Abu'l-Fadhl with Ali-Kuli Khan

Mirza Abu'l-Fadhl with Ali-Kuli Khan

Hyde Dunn – Hand of the Cause; “Australia's spiritual conqueror”

John Henry Hyde Dunn

Dr. Youness Afroukhteh -- 'Abdu'l-Baha's secretary, translator, envoy and physician

Dr. Youness Afroukhteh, 'Abdu'l-Baha's secretary, translator, envoy and physician from 1900 to 1909

Ella Goodall Cooper

Ella Goodall Cooper

Emogene Hoagg – “exemplary pioneer (of the) Faith”; typed the voluminous manuscript of 'The Dawn-Breakers' at Shoghi Effedi’s request; first confirmed believer in California

Emogene Hoagg (1869-1945)

Henrietta Emogene Martin Hoagg - known to the Bahá'ís as Emogene - learned of the Bahá'í Faith in California in 1898 from Mrs. Phoebe Hearst, and after studying with Lua Getsinger became "the first confirmed believer in California."

In 1899, in Milan, she received her first Tablet from 'Abdu'l-Bahá, in acknowledgment of her acceptance of the Faith of Bahá'u'lláh. In 1900, she visited 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Haifa, and afterwards, at His suggestion, studied for a month with the outstanding Bahá'í scholar Mirza Abdu'l-Fadl in Port Sá'íd.

Hippolyte Dreyfus-Barney – “…the first Frenchman to accept the Faith”

Hippolyte Dreyfus Barney

To me, and particularly amid the storm and stress that have agitated my life after 'Abdu'l-Bahá's passing, he was a sustaining and comforting companion, a most valued counsellor, an intimate and trusted friend. 

- Shoghi Effendi  (From a message dated 21 December 1928; ‘Baha'i Administration’)

“…the first Frenchman to accept the Faith” 

- The Universal House of Justice  (from a message dated August 1976 addressed to the ‘Friends assembled at the International Teaching Conference in Paris’; ‘Messages from the Universal House of Justice 1963-1986’)

Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper - the first Baha'i in England

Mrs. Thornburgh-Cropper was the first Baha'i in England and one of the first Western people to recognize the Revelation of Baha'u'llah. She received the name "Maryam Khanum" from 'Abdu'l-Baha. She put her car at the Master's disposal during His visits to London. Her tall, graceful figure with her serene angel face shining beneath a crown of silver hair, her blue eyes, and the soft blend of blues and purples in her dress, gracious to all, and ready to be of constant service to her exalted Guest.