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Horace Holley

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Horace Holley
Horace Holley
BornApril 7, 1887
Torrington, Connecticut, United States
DiedJuly 12, 1960 (aged 73)
Haifa, Israel
NSA memberUnited States
1923 - 1925
U.S. & Canada
1925 - 1948
United States
1948 - 1959
Custodian1959 - 1960
Spouse(s)Bertha Herbert (1909-1919)
Doris Pascal (1919-)
ChildrenHertha (1910 or 1911, Italy)
Marcia (1916, Greenwich Village, United States)
Signature
 Media •  Works

Horace Hotchkiss Holley (April 7, 1887 - July 12, 1960)[1] was an American Bahá’í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and was appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 to be a Hand of the Cause of God. He served as a Custodian of the Bahá’í Faith, a body of nine Hands elected to temporarily serve as Head of the Faith after the passing of Shoghi Effendi, from 1959 to 1960.

Biography[edit]

Holley was born in Torrington, Connecticut, in 1887 into a family descended from the Puritans and he had many Congregational ministers in his ancestry. He attended Lawrenceville School in New Jersey in his youth and completed his higher education at Williams College in Massachusetts from 1906 to 1909 majoring in literature and becoming a member of the Phi Delta Theta Fraternity and Gargoyle Society during his college days.[2]

In 1909 Holley moved to Europe to travel where he met Bertha Herbert who lent him the book Abbas Effendi: His Life and Teachings by Myron H. Phelps and in September 1909 he married her in Paris. In 1911 they were living in Siena, Italy, when Holley heard that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was visiting Europe and was in Thonon-les-Bains, France. He immediately traveled to Thonon-les-Bains and met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on August 29 and was given a Bahá’í ringstone which he asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to hold in His hands as he wanted to give it to his daughter, Hertha. He later wrote regarding this meeting:

"I saw among them a stately old man, robed in a cream-coloured gown, his white hair and beard shining in the sun. He displayed a beauty of stature, an inevitable harmony of attitude and dress I had never seen nor thought of in men. Without having ever visualized the Master, I knew that this was He. My whole body underwent a shock. My heart leaped, my knees weakened, a thrill of acute, receptive feeling flowed from head to foot. I seemed to have turned into some most sensitive sense-organ, as if eyes and ears were not enough for this sublime impression. In every part of me I stood aware of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s presence. From sheer happiness I wanted to cry—it seemed the most suitable form of self-expression at my command. While my own personality was flowing away, a new being, not my own assumed its place. A glory, as it were from the summits of human nature poured into me, and I was conscious of a most intense impulse to admire."[3]

Holley lived in Paris during ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to the city in 1911 and was able to attend many of his talks. In 1913 Holley's first book about the Bahá’í Faith, Bahá’ísm: The Modern Social Religion, was published and a copy was sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Egypt and Holley received a Tablet from Him praising him for writing the book.[3]

In 1914 Holley returned to the United States, settling in New York City, due to the onset of the First World War. In 1916 he published a second Bahá’í book, The Social Principle, and received another Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which included reassurance about some personal matters he had written to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about. In 1917 he abandoned writing in order to pursue a more lucrative career and in 1918 he began working for the Iron Age Publishing Company in New York in its sales promotion department. In 1919 he divorced Bertha and married Doris Pascal. In 1921 he left his Publishing Company position and began working for the Redfield Advertising Agency.[4]

In 1923 Holley was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, although it was not yet following the administrative procedures set out by Shoghi Effendi who later recorded 1925, when it became the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, as the year the Assembly was established.[4] In 1924 Holley received the following message from Shoghi Effendi:

"My most precious brother: The recent activities of the Publishing Committee with you as its central figure and moving and directing force, are indeed worthy of the highest praise. Words are inadequate to express my admiration, gratitude and appreciation."[5]

In 1925 Holley retired from his advertising position and became full-time Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, and in May 1926 Shoghi Effendi wrote that he felt it would be desirable for Holley to serve as his secretary in the Holy Land in light of the recent passing of his secretary John Esslemont, but ultimately the Guardian concluded Holley should remain to serve the American community.[5] In 1925 Holley also established an American Bahá’í newsletter under the auspices of the National Spiritual Assembly with Shoghi Effendi's approval.[6]

Throughout the 1930's Holley assisted Shoghi Effendi in preparing statistical reports with the Guardian forwarding information to him and he also titled his messages such as The Promised Day is Come, The Goal of a New World Order, The Dispensation of Bahá’u’lláh, and others.[7] In 1939 Shoghi Effendi instructed the American Bahá’í community to relocate its National Secretariat from New York to Wilmette so it could be near the House of Worship which required Holley to move his residence and in Wilmette he became a Rotarian and founded the Wilmette Historical Commission.[8] In 1944 he suffered a heart attack which weakened his health. In 1948 he visited Montreal to represent the disbanding National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada at the formation of the independent National Spiritual Assembly of Canada and in 1951 he visited Panama City with Dorothy Baker to attend the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly of Central America.[6]

In December 1951 Shoghi Effendi appointed Holley a Hand of the Cause of God. The message was received at the U.S. National Office while he was away and he received the news upon arriving at the airport and he initially rejected the appointment out of humility.[9] In 1953 four Bahá’í Intercontinental Conferences were held across the world to launch the Ten Year Crusade and Holley attended all four held in Kampala, Stockholm, Chicago, and New Delhi. In December, after the conferences, Holley went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land and met Shoghi Effendi in person for the first time.[10] In 1957 he visited Lima, Peru, to represent Shoghi Effendi at the formation of the National Spiritual Assembly for the northern countries of South America as Hand of the Cause.[6]

In November 1957 Holley was ill and in hospital when Shoghi Effendi passed away in London, and was unable to attend his funeral. However, he was able to attend the Conclave of the Hands in Haifa that December, despite suffering nerve damage in his legs which had caused significant pain and a weakened heart. In 1959 he was elected to serve as a Custodian of the Faith by his fellow Hands of the Cause; he subsequently resigned from the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, ending his long uninterrupted service, and arrived in Israel on December 31, 1959.[10]

Holley was very frail due to old age while serving as Custodian, and passed away after six months in the Holy Land, on July 12, 1960. The Hands in the Holy Land cabled the following after his passing:

"Grieved announce passing Haifa much loved distinguished Hand Cause Horace Holley outstanding champion Faith since days Master praised by beloved Guardian for unique contribution development Administrative Order. His indefatigable services protection teaching administrative fields culminating service Holy Land inspiring example present future generations Bahá’ís."[11]

Publications[edit]

Books[edit]

  • 1913 - Bahá’ísm: The Modern Social Religion
  • 1913 - The Inner Garden: A Book of Verse[12]
  • 1913 - The Stricken King, and Other Poems[13]
  • 1914 - Creation: Post-Impressionist Poems[14]
  • 1916 - Divinations and Creation[15]
  • 1916 - The Social Principle
  • 1917 - Read-Aloud Plays
  • 1921 - Bahá’í: The Spirit of the Age[16]
  • 1931 - The World Economy of Bahá’u’lláh[17]
  • 1939 - The Bahá’í Faith[18]
  • 1943 - The Bahá’í Principle of Civilization[19]
  • 1946 - The Revelation of Baha'u'llah[20]
  • 1953 - The Meaning of Worship[21]
  • 1954 - Challenge to Chaos[22]
  • 1954 - The God Who Walks with Men[23]
  • 1956 - Religion for Mankind

Study Guides[edit]

Compilations[edit]

Talks[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Rabbani, R. (Ed.) (1992). The Ministry of the Custodians 1957-1963. Bahá’í World Centre. pp. p. xxiii. ISBN 085398350X. {{cite book}}: |pages= has extra text (help)
  2. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 849. View as PDF.
  3. ↑ 3.0 3.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 850. View as PDF.
  4. ↑ 4.0 4.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 852. View as PDF.
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 853. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 856. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 854. View as PDF.
  8. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 855. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 856. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 857. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ The Bahá’í World, An International Record. (1970). Bahá’í World Centre. Haifa. Volume 13 (1954-1963), Pg(s) 858. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ https://archive.org/details/theinnergarden00hollrich
  13. ↑ https://archive.org/details/thestrickenking00hollrich
  14. ↑ https://archive.org/details/creation00holliala
  15. ↑ https://archive.org/details/divinationscreat00hollrich
  16. ↑ https://archive.org/details/bahaispiritofage00holl
  17. ↑ https://bahai.works/World_Economy_of_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99u%E2%80%99ll%C3%A1h
  18. ↑ https://bahai.works/The_Bahai_Faith_(Holley)
  19. ↑ https://bahai.works/_Principle_of_Civilization
  20. ↑ https://bahai.works/The_Revelation_of_Bah%C3%A1%E2%80%99u%E2%80%99ll%C3%A1h_(Holley)
  21. ↑ https://bahai.works/The_Meaning_of_Worship
  22. ↑ https://bahai.works/Challenge_to_Chaos
  23. ↑ https://bahai.works/The_God_Who_Walks_with_Men

References[edit]

External links[edit]

Bahai.media has a related page: Category:Horace Holley
Bahai.works has a related page: Author:Horace Holley
  • Works by Horace Holley at Project Gutenberg
    • Read-Aloud Plays (1916). A collection of stories involving the Bahá’í Faith
  • Biography by R. Jackson Armstrong-Ingram
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