Chester I. Thacher

Chester I. Thacher
Born	April 5, 1841 Hornell, Steuben County, New York, USA
Died	May 31, 1907 Bronx County, New York, USA
Appointed by	Shoghi Effendi
Spouse(s)	Julia Gross Thacher (1851 - September 16, 1898)
Media

Dr. Chester Ira Thacher (April 5, 1841 - May 31, 1907) was an early American Bahá'í who resided in Chicago and was named a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

Biography

He was born in Hornellsville, New York, in 1841 to a Puritan father, who died when he was young, and an Irish mother. He studied medicine at Michigan University, and progressed to studying at the Homeopathic Hospital College of Cleveland, Ohio, graduating in 1879. In 1880 he moved to Chicago, where he began studying electricity. In 1881 he began investigating whether there was a connection between magnetism and healing and founded the Thacher Magnetic Shield Company which manufactured a device which purported to improve circulation and cure illness by exposing the patient to magnetic waves, claiming that magnetism is the life of the blood. This alienated him from the medical community, nevertheless the company continued to operate even after Chester's passing.

Chester was a member of the Oriental Order of the Magi, a fraternal society. He came into contact with Ibrahim George Kherailla in the 1890's, likely because they both had offices located in the Chicago Masonic Temple. He attended a course of classes on the Faith taught by Kherailla, finishing the course and becoming a Bahá'í on June 18, 1897. Lua Getsinger was a servant in Chester's home and was likely introduced to Kherailla's class through him.

In 1899 the Bahá'í community of Chicago was reorganized and Chester was selected as President of the community. In 1900 he likely assisted Thornton Chase in establishing the Chicago Board of Council, an administrative body for Bahá'ís loyal to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and not Kherailla, who had attempted to usurp leadership of the western Bahá'ís, and he was elected as an inaugural member of the body. In May 1901 the Board of Council was reconstituted on the advice of Mírzá Asadu'lláh, who provided the community with guidance ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had written for the local administrative body of the Tehran Bahá'í community, and Chester was not re-elected to the newly formed body. He was elected to the body in March 1902, then called the House of Spirituality, and chosen as Chairman.

Chester passed away due to heart disease in New York in 1907, having traveled to the city to visit his son and nephew. He was buried with a Bahá'í burial ringstone, and both a Bahá'í and Episcopalian service were held at his funeral. He was survived by his son Fielding Javonne Thacher (August 24, 1878 - November 11, 1914) who had also become a medical doctor and remained an Episcopalian. Fielding donated an oil painting of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the Chicago House of Spirituality (a precursor to the Local Spiritual Assembly) shortly after his fathers passing.

References

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