Morassa Rawhani - First woman to become a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Alexandria, Egypt

Morassa (Yazdi) Rawhani

Mrs. Morassa (Yazdi) Rawhani was born in 1887 and named Akkawiya (the one who belongs to 'Akka) by 'Abdu'l-Baha. She was the granddaughter of Haji Abderrehim Yazdi, one of the first bearers of the Sacred Standard. Born in the fortress of 'Akka, she grew up in the Sacred Household under the shelter of the Greatest Holy Leaf.

With her mother, she moved to Alexandria, Egypt where for a few months she was in charge of cleaning the private room of 'Abdu'l-Baha and was asked by Him several times to sew some of His clothes. She was entrusted to be the Early Prayer Reader of His private quarters.

Mrs. Rawhani was the first woman to become a member of the Spiritual Assembly of Alexandria, Egypt, and dedicated her time to deepening the women in her locality.

Albert Hall - President of Bahai Temple Unity and Chairman of Annual Convention of the Baha’is of the United States and Canada – 1910 to 1914

Albert Hall

Albert Hall will ever be remembered for his services in the early development of the Bahai Temple Unity, the body entrusted with the building of the Mashriqu’l-Adhkar in America.

From 1910 to 1914, Albert H. Hall was selected each year as chairman of the Annual Convention; he was elected a member of the Baha’i Temple Unity during the same period, and was chosen as its president in 1911, which position he held up to and during the year 1914.

Agnes Alexander - First Baha’i to set foot on Hawaiian soil; first Baha’i to settle in Japan, and first Baha’i to teach the Faith in Korea

Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander

Additional pictures are at:

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2010/10/circa-1900-agnes-alexander.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2010/05/1915-bahais-in-japan-with-martha-root.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2010/07/1921-bahai-feast-in-seoul-korea.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2011/03/1923-martha-root-with-some-bahais-in.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2010/01/blog-post.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2011/02/march-21-1931-bahais-and-their-friends.html

http://communitybaha.blogspot.com/2010/10/circa-1918-some-western-bahais.html

Jamal Effendi - The spiritual father of India and Burma -- the first Baha'i teacher sent to India and Burma by Baha'u'llah in 1875

Sulayman Khan Ilyas, Jamal Effendi

The man whom Providence had destined to become the spiritual father of the subcontinent of India and of Burma was a nobleman of the same province of Iran which had been the home of the ancestors of Bahá'u'lláh. His name was Sulayman Khan and he was a native of Tunukabun. But when he set out in the world to serve the Cause of Bahá'u'lláh, he left behind the garb of a nobleman and attired in the garment of a humble man of the cloister travelled far and wide. 'Abdu'l-Bahá says that he 'was given the title of Jamali'd-Din'. He became known as Jamal Effendi. 

Louis and Louise Gregory -- the first black-white marriage in the American Baha'i community

Louis and Louise Gregory

Mary Fantom - First Hawaiian Baha'i

Mary Fantom

Mrs. Mary Fantom has the distinction of being the first Baha'i of Hawaiian blood. She was affectinately known as Auntie May. She was a long time resident of Maui and closely associated with Hand of the Cause Agnes Alexander. This photograph was taken on Auntie May's ninety-first birthday. 

(Baha'i News, March 1971)