Coverage of the Baha'i Faith in the Daily Trojan

The Bahá'í Faith has been mentioned in the Daily Trojan, University of Southern California's student newspaper, many many times. The digitized collection begins in the Fall of 1912 though mention of the religion begins 1925. Initially there were sporadic indirect references to the religion some of which indicate a Bahá'í presence on campus. It is known that Dorothy Nelson joined the religion while attending the USC law school in 1954. The first Bahá'í named in the Trojan so far known is Sylvester Obi in 1960 when he was a speaker off campus. Starting in 1966 there is increasing mention of Nelson and her husband. The campus Bahá'í Club was noted organizing for the first time in December 1971 with the first profile of the religion printed in the paper in January 1972 by Gloria Ferguson. Numerous talks and concerts, in addition to regular meetings of the club, are noted through the 1970s into the 1980s including the club appearing in the yearbook twice and the first mention of the situation in Iran. But in the late 1980s activities wains though not disappearing all together. Activity picks up fairly consistently from about 1992 with the club co-sponsoring activities, noting Bahá'í Holy Days as excused absences, and Bahá'ís serving on panels of campus wide events and representation on the campus Interfaith council. Coverage of persecution in Iran rises approaching 2010 and continued into 2012.

Past presidents of the club include 1980/81 Jeff Barnes, 1986 Peyvand Khademi, 1998 Arghavan Rahimpour, and 2012 Laleh Mehrrafiee. Advisors to the club have included Gloria Ferguson (later Haithman), Dorothy Nelson, and Tierney Sutton.

Sporadic and indirect mention

While mention of the Bahá'í Faith occurs as early as 1925, for many years all that mention is indirect. It is known Dorothy Nelson, later chair of the National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá'ís of the United States, attended the University of Southern California from about 1954, the same year she joined the religion through contact at the university.

The first appearance of the religion in the Daily Trojan was a 1925 review by James Main Dixon of a book - Lovell Bearse Pemberton's (1925). A Modern Pilgrimage to Palestine. published by Dorrance. - which discusses the Bahá'í Faith extensively. Pemberton compares the civic growth on Mt. Carmel with the growth up the Hollywood hills. The reviewer mistakes that `Abdu'l-Baha was still alive whereas He had passed in 1921.

The next mention is that Bahá'ís hosted a "third" youth symposium at the West Hall "Beaux-Arts" building (it may no longer be standing) in February 1938. Nearly a decade later in March 1947 the Daily Trojan had an advert that N. Forsyth Ward and Elsie Austin were to speak at a meeting on World Peace off campus. Ward had become a Bahá'í while sick in Cornell University in 1921, and he and his wife Janet were well known at the Geyserville Bahá'í school(later renamed Bosch Bahá’í School), and would be invited to be custodians of the Shrine of Baha'u'llah at Bahji a decade later. Austin had joined the religion a decade earlier and would soon pioneer to Morocco as a Knight of Bahá'u'lláh and serve the international community in a number of ways. In 1948 a UPI story from New York was echoed in the Daily Trojan and mentioned there were some 5000 Bahá'ís in the States.

The first specific mention of Bahá'ís on campus was through their registration of religion. A series of these were published in the 1950s and 60s with a few mentions of meetings here and there. From 1952 through 1965 or so usually there were two Bahá'ís who registered in each incoming class . A Bahá'í advertisement noted meetings at the city Bahá'í Center in October 1955. In December 1960 the Bahá'ís in LA hosted a Human Rights Day - speakers included USC student Sylvester Obi, graduate of USC and then of the Japanese Chamber of Commerce Frank S. Kurihara, and Hand of the Cause William Sears.

In April 1966 there was a reprint from the Trojan Bar, the Law School publication, of Dorothy Nelson's article on marriage laws in Israel. The article mentions Bahá'ís briefly but not that Nelson was herself a Bahá'í. Between Winter 1960 and Spring 1966 something interesting must have happened because there were 18 Bahá'ís were registered among the 7409 students who responded (about 42% of the some 17,500 total number of students) but only three Bahá'ís were noted out of 7446 registered of about 19000 students in the Fall of 1966. Nothing particularly speaks to this in the Bahá'í News but this was the era of "giant firesides" in the region and there was a youth conference held in Pasadena in mid-February 1964.

Almost continuous presence noted

Where Bahá'ís had been mentioned indirectly for decades, from about 1970 they are regularly and directly referred to in the Daily Trojan for some years. It begins with an article reviewed the Bahá'í music group Seals and Crofts in December 1970 which noted their Faith briefly as part of their whole story getting into the music industry though no mention is made they were on campus. While this mention was indirect relative to Bahá'ís on campus, the next school year the Bahá'í club was officially first organized in December and held meetings Friday evenings. A brief profile of the religion was written by Gloria Ferguson in January 1972 and published in the newspaper. Don Grubb is noted giving a talk for the group in January 1972, and several Bahá'ís gave talks that April - Dorothy Nelson came to give a talk as Dean of the USC law school, followed by Lloyd Haynes and Gloria Ferguson.

Bahá'í club meetings were noted the next school year from November into January. Dorothy Nelson is profiled again in an article in February, mentioning joining the religion and its importance to her and her husband, and that they host meetings in their home of up to 120 people on Sundays. Campus meetings are noted again in April. The SoCal periodical mentioned Bahá'ís holding meetings in April too.

Club meetings were held in the next school year starting in December 1973. Seals and Crofts were noted this time clearly on campus and talked at Bahá'í club meetings in May 1974.

Club meetings were published in October 1974. That same month an article in the Daily Trojan also identified Dorothy Nelson as a Bahá'í and how the fact that she didn't side with a political party earned her a place to arbitrate a matter. Club meetings continued in November including a talk by Burrell Bullock on unity in diversity and Dorothy Nelson spoke for the club on "Unity: the essence of human rights" at the campus YWCA in December. In February James Nelson, Dorothy's husband, gave a talk for the club also at the YWCA. while club meetings were held as well. Musical group England Dan and John Ford Coley met with the club in March too. Club meetings were held April, including a sponsored talk by John Barnes and a dramatic performance. In May Don Fouche of South Africa gave a talk on racial harmony while meetings continued.

The next school year meetings were advertised for the club in October. In November around ongoing meetings the club donated a book to the Doheny Library - the book was "Revelations of Baha'u'llah" (not sure if it was was the Taherzadeh "Revelation of Baha'u'llah" set or one volume. or something else,) and David Villasenor presented his sand painting art through the club. Club meetings were advertised in December, and continued into February including a concert during Ayyám-i-Há with performances included Stu Gilliam as MC, Baha'i New World Singers (pictured), McPhersons, Baha'i Youth workshop, John Barnes, Steve and Elaine King. Club meetings continued in March, and into April. James Nelson gave a talk in March, and meetings were advertised into May, when Seals and Crofts also gave a preview concert before their tour in 1976.

An article on faith offerings on campus listed the Bahá'ís in September. A concert like the previous year's was held in the Ayyám-i-Há period - again John Barnes, the McPhearsons, Steve King, and Bahá'í New World Singers were contributing, and this year the Children of Baha choir sang. Lastly a June-July edition of Trojan family noted Dorothy Nelson as advisor to the club.

September 1977 started with a brief mention in a long list of possible clubs for students while an October report of interest cards included in registration packs noted Bahá'ís were present though no count is reported, (3814 cards overall were turned in.) Kara Woods is noted as the contact person for the club in October, and regular meetings were advertised starting in November. An article on fasting noted the Bahá'ís and quoted "Sol Sohrab". An article profiled the religion in November noting Soheil Sohrab as a club member and Seals and Croft manager Chris Schroeder, as well as teachings of the religion. Meetings continued into December.

There is a break in mention of the religion from the Spring of 1978 until that Fall but then meetings were advertised from October through January through In February Dorothy Nelson is listed as the faculty advisor for the club. In May 1979 an advertisement reviewed persecution of Bahá'ís in Iran.

The Club is pictured in the El Rodeo year book for 1982

Meetings were noted from October 1979. Jeffrey Barnes was noted as the contact for the club. Meetings were noted again in January. In February a front page article appeared profiling Dorothy Nelson starting with reviewing her meeting with Mrs. Anwar Sadat. Her initial comment included mentioning she was a Bahá'í and focuses on another approach to feminism. It also quotes her husband James. The article reviews her career in some detail. It notes she joined the religion in 1954 and outlines her service in the religion as well. Multiple meetings were scheduled in March. Jalil Mahmoudi gave talks on "Divine Art of Living" and "What in the World is going on?" - and a contact for the club was listed as Farhib-Tabb. Later in March several people contributed to a talk late March 1980 - Joan Nemour spoke and music was provided by John Ford Coley and a duo "Leslie and Kelly". Club Meetings continued in April and James Nelson and David Villasenor gave a talk too In May Daniel Jordan gave a talk while general meetings continued to be advertised. In December 1980 Jeff Barnes was noted as the president/chairman of the club. In April advertising for the religion appeared.

In the following October an article reviewed persecution in Iran but also noted Libya, Egypt, and Jordan. It noted Jeff Barnes still as president of the club. Dorothy Nelson is quoted in the article and mention of a student named "Taleb" also occurs. Meetings were noted in November and December. Meetings were advertised in March and a talk by Dorothy Nelson was in April. Other materials at USC Libraries shows Mahyad Zaerpoor earned a MS from USC that year with a thesis "Educational Implications of Baha'i Philosophy with special consideration of the concept of unity". The Club is pictured in the El Rodeo year book for 1982. The group of 13 people are named: Lisa Marie del Valle, Jeffry Barnes, Farshia Taleb, Gloria Haithman, Morgan Lagghaei, Carlos Cadena, Moohan Khazra, Badak Bagha, Farid Samandari, Slamuk Sahand, Ruhullah Massoudi, Camelia Varga, and Navid Nabet.

In 1982 meetings were advertised in October, and November.

Meetings were noted in the following October, February, and in March. April Trey de Pass wrote a letter to the editor in April 1984 about the persecution in Iran and the relevance of practicing faith including service on campus. Initially Andrea Christopher was credited with the letter.

The Club is pictured in the El Rodeo year book for 1986

Doug Cameron performed "Mona" and other songs at a concert at USC was covered afterwards in the October 25 1985 issue of the Daily Trojan. Notably fairly few USC students were believed to have attended the concert amidst the general public showing and some performance kinks were noticed. But the writer of the article like the music and message. Omid Furutan and John Khadem were advertised coming from North Carolina colleges on a national tour appearing November at Waite Phillips Hall. In April 1986 president of the Bahá'í Club - Peyvand Khademi - wrote a letter to the editor about cold war rhetoric in the Daily Trojan. A June edition of Summer Trojan had an advertisement for a Bahá'í Youth Workshop presentation with John and Marva Barnes. The Bahá'ís on campus were noted in a chaplain sourced article in the El Rodeo for 1986 and the club had a picture on page 73. Named in the picture were Gloria Haithman, Peyvano Khademi, Mohgan Laghaie, Linda Long, Fardin Sarraf, Ramin Mirhashemi, and Perry Roshan-Zamir.

Sporadic mention again

After this period of fairly continuous activity from the Fall semester of 1971 to the Spring semester of 1986 there is a bit of a break - the next mention was in October 1988 when Gloria Haithman was noted giving a talk sponsored by the Bahá'í Club. A talk by Marsha Dayand Sandy Tjitendero were noted in November.

In October 1989 Gloria Haithman was noted as the resource person for the club and a meeting series through November was mentioned. A brief profile of the club occurs in later November among a review of many religious clubs on campus and noted Gloria Haithman was the director of the Club. The club was noted supporting winter season collections of clothing for homeless through the Peace Center at USC as well as their regular meetings in Taper Hall. There is then a break in mention of the religion until the Fall semester of 1992.

Almost continuous again

From the Spring semester of 1992 through nearly present day there has been mention of the Faith nearly every semester. This begins with the Bahá'í Club co-sponsoring a discussion on events in the Balkan War March 10. Gloria Haithman was visible again in Fall of 1993 leading the Norman Topping Student Aid Fund and the Bahá'ís community of LA to offer a free 9 week program on racism, sexism, and discrimination in general, (and she is pictured on the second page of the story.) A practice of fasting of Jews, Christians, and Bahá'ís was noted starting March at the University Religious Center - and Gloria Haithman was noted co-hosting a talk with Rabbi Susan Laemmle on fasting in the religions.

A story reviewing Olya Roohizadegan and the story of The Shiraz Ten - 10 women who were persecuted in Iran for their Faith in October 1994, (she wrote Olya's Story: A Survivor's Dramatic Account of the Persecution of Bahái̓ś in Revolutionary Iran.)The club was noted sponsoring a musical fireside - Jamie Findlay was listed at the contact person - and continued with regular meetings. Meetings are also noted in November, On Naw Ruz for the Bahá'ís, March 21 1995, there was a full page advertisement calling people to "Speakout for the oneness of humanity" at "Tommy Trojan".

A memoranda published in the USC Chronicle noted religious holidays that students may be excused for. It noted three days for Bahá'ís: The Birth of the Bab (on the date as observed then, October 20), Naw Ruz, and the Ninth and Twelfth Day of Ridvan (oddly missing the First Day of Ridvan.) It was repeated Sept 1996. Gloria Haithman, again noted as the director of the Bahá'í Club, was a discussion co-leader for the fifth of 10 segments held at the Topping Student Center paralleling Bill Moyer's PBS "Genesis: a Living Conversation" in February 1997. Tajalli Greengus is noted as the contact for a weekly series of deepenings/firesides at Marks Tower lobby Thursdays in March and Victor Villasenor was noted presenting on cultural diversity, a global family, and signed copies of his books at an event March 27; he was cosponsored by the "LSA", the Program Board Speakers committee, American Studies Program and Office of Mexican-American Alumni Programs though nowhere in the blurb about him does it actually say "Bahá'í". The Bahá'ís are listed among religious organizations on campus in a March article, and meeting of the club noting Tajalli Greengus continue in April.

Gloria Haithman was again noted in September 1997 - again as the director of the Bahá'í Club and this time a discussion co-leader for the third of 10 segments held at the Topping Student Center paralleling Bill Moyer's PBS "Genesis: a Living Conversation". The Bahá'í club handed out cupcakes for the Birthday of Baha'u'llah in November. followed by "dinner and discussions" Sundays from November - the contact person named was "Arghavan". After Winter Break the Bahá'í club was profiled because of a series "One Voice Campaign" it was sponsoring on campus promoting gender equality in February. Club members Samir Koirala and Tajalli Greengus are mentioned - as well as a talk being given by Wilma Ellis at the Leavey Library Auditorium. The club was noted having 8 members that year. In March there was a notice that a program on Tahirih was going to be held at the city Bahá'í Center. In April the club held a film showing and discussion by Ryan Haidarian on race issues. The presentation was reviewed on the April 13 front page. Arghavan Rahimpour was noted as the club president.

Mentions of the religion are a bit thinner in the latter 1990s. Arghavan Rahimpour was herself profiled in November 1998 telling the story of her family fleeing Iran. A picture featuring the ringstone symbol was shown on the front page with an unnamed Bahá'í explaining the religion at a "Fishbowl Chapel" in 2000. The Faith was noted contributing a prayer to a commemoration following the Sept 11 attacks. Shabnam Magharbari,(Shabnam Mogharabi, (see CEO of SooulPancake) was mentioned. Tierney Sutton is noted as a faculty advisor for the Bahá'í Club in April 2003 and commenting on religion-and-dating views of Bahá'ís as part of a survey of religious views.

The pace of activity seems to rise starting when Riaz Dini is among those noted in the Interfaith Council on campus for the Summer of 2004 and mentions he is a Bahá'í in an article in the USC Trojan family magazine. That Fall in November the "Association for Bahá'í Studies USC" was a cosponsor of a "Fast-a-thon". and "Bahá'í" was listed associated with the Interfaith Council. A Bahá'í community performance was noted in March 2005 over at the Bahá'í Center noting contact person of Riaz Dini. In August 2005 the Office of Religious Life offered a list of religious connections available on campus and included "Bahá'í". In November Devon Gundry and Andy Grammer presented a sung prayer for the Bahá'í Student Association contribution to a multi-faith program on campus. The following February 2006 an article on interfaith marriage briefly mentioned the Faith as did another on a Christian Crusade for Christ forum, and a multi-faith fair held on campus nicely timed with Ayyám-i-Há. The festival was covered in an article that also briefly mentioned Bahá'ís. The article mentioned Arash Payan, who recently graduated, and Devon Gundry. An opinion piece was contributed by Riaz Dini In March about the situation in Iran for Bahá'ís and he is noted as the representative to the USC Interfaith Council.

An Interfaith Council advertisement included the Faith in a list of religions on campus in the Fall of 2006. A year later in September 2007 an advert called for Bahá'ís and interested people to come to a meeting. An article reviewing religions on campus noted Bahá'ís in the list on campus in March 2008.

In September 2009 Riaz Dini again contributed an article on the persecution in Iran. This was followed up in October a front page picture noted Bahá'ís in a performance about the persecution in Iran. Among those named were Andy Madadian and Rainn Wilson who was the host for the event "Stand by me". In November the Interfaith Council wrote a letter to the editor about the anti-Muslim tone of recent media coverage - and listed Bahá'ís as one of the groups "standing together" on the issue. The winter edition of the USC Trojan family magazine had an obituary listing for Don DeWald, MS'89, who had worked editing and publishing a Bahá'í monthly newsletter after retiring and on the Santa Barbara Interfaith Council for Peace and Justice.

The next mention, in the Summer of 2011, was in the USC Trojan family magazine which had an article "The Un-chaplain" that listed "Bahá'í" as present on campus. That Fall an article on religious activities had a picture of the Bahá'í club meeting (the "Baha'i Student Association".) It listed Laleh Mehria, Kasra Behizad, and Ailene Huang and the club adviser Timothy Conley. A screening of Education under fire was held at USC in that Spring in February 2012. Dean of Religious life on campus, Varun Soni, was quoted in support of the event as was USC Bahá'í Club president Laleh Mehrrafiee. Members of the club were also interviewed on campus radio.

The live website of the newspaper, however, only lists the 2011 article as of 2015. Rainn Wilson did, however, give the 2014 commencement speech. The Office of religious life lists several details mentioning the religion.

External links

Daily Trojan live website.