Howard MacNutt

Howard MacNutt
Born	July 13, 1858 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Died	December 26, 1926 Miami, Florida, USA
Appointed by	Shoghi Effendi
Spouse(s)	Mary Jane Stokes (1890-death)
Parent(s)	Ira MacNutt and Caroline Baker
Media

Howard MacNutt (13 July 1858 or 1859, Philadelphia, PA - December 26, 1926, Miami, FL) was a prominent member of the Bahá'í Faith and was posthumously appointed as a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He was notable for aiding in the publication of many talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the editing of many early Bahá'í publications, and teaching the Faith in the cities of Washington, DC, New York City, and Miami, Florida.

Background

He was raised in Philadelphia and earned post-secondary education as did several of his family. Late in his schooling he is known to have taken up the game of cricket and the profession of bookkeeping. His performance in cricket led to representing the US in international competitions and won the George W. Childs Batting Cup for high bowling scores twice. In 1890 Howard married Mary Stokes (13 Feb 1851, Philadelphia, PA - November 27, 1926, Miami, FL) who was also raised in Philadelphia. Circa 1890-1 the MacNutts moved to New York where Howard took up business, some of his international cricket games took place and was captain of the city-wide New York team for a time, while Mary began to appear in women's clubs events. By 1897 his activity in cricket wained but their interest in New Thought philosophy and Hinduism waxed.

He was also soon business partners with early Bahá'ís Thornton Chase, William Hoar and Arthur P. Dodge. When Ibrahim Kheiralla brought his classes to New York in February 1898 both the MacNutts took classes and joined the religion. By June 1898 more than a hundred Bahá'ís were noted in New York and were organized with Howard having a prominent secondary position. However the failure of Kheiralla to abide by the Covenant was soon obvious and the MacNutts joined the mainstream of Bahá'ís in distancing themselves from him - though a book Kheiralla had asked for MacNutt's help on before was later published giving Howard credit. The MacNutts may not have gone on the same pilgrimage to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá where this situation became more obvious because of the imminent death of Mary's mother Nancy Stiles Stokes. After her grieving Mary began to be visible founding a club she was president of which in time became prominent in New York. Howard worked with the Bahá'ís around another formulation of administration not dependent on Kheiralla's ideas. By 1900 the MacNutts were living comfortably with servants providing cleaning and cooking services and Mary was a rising personality in women's clubs circles.

After this controversy over the Bahá'í covenant and the leadership of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, the next strain was over understandings of the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá which started also during a strained relationship with Arthur P Dodge. Arthur preferred the "common man"'s approach and was suspicious of education and Howard was quite the reverse, being known by many as a "cultured man" of higher society and education. The former insisted ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the "Return of Jesus" even after it was denied and the latter that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was a man like any other earning the spiritual station of leadership through long years of "works". Neither were right according to Bahá'í scripture as well as ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's own explanations.

Among the growing communities in New York and Chicago there was an initial lead in publishing materials in New York and of which Howard took on many editorial responsibilities. Howard began working with Ali Kuli Khan and Khan came out with an oft-reprinted version of the Kitáb-i-Íqán giving credit to Howard. In time, however, Chicago's community took more of the lead of publishing. Howard was also visible making presentations at Greenacre. Along these years back to 1900 the MacNutt home was often a place of meetings and classes on the religion. The family did struggle upon the death of Mary's brother Edward Stiles Stokes with questions of inheritance. and with the growing interest in the religion at the MacNutt's home meetings, many others were arranged at the nearby Lockwood Academy.

The couple went on pilgrimage accompanying the return of Abu'l-Fadl, a renowned scholar and Apostle of Bahá'u'lláh, from the US back to the Holy Land. During the pilgrimage Howard was singled out for a couple special events - to hear the testimony of a repentant brother of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and of a community Feast where he was introduced as a great speaker. With another Feast organized by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá the practice was brought back and instituted through Howard and the New York Board of Council, a precursor of the Spiritual Assembly of New York. Howard gave a talk on the pilgrimage experience that was turned into a book with the aid of Hooper Harris, and another account of it was rendered by co-pilgrim Julie Grundy. Another marked difference after the pilgrimage is now both Mary and Howard gave presentations at Greenacre and Mary was published in newspapers giving talks related to the trip as well.

The disunity over views of the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá did not go away however. Howard was asked to be the delegate to the national convention though soon after the Council's membership was abruptly flipped and differences were such that Howard was not invited to speak in the New York area across the north east. However he was invited to meetings with the black community of Washington, DC, about the time a wave of enrollments was underway that culminated in that of Louis Gregory in another year and joining with them for presentations before the leading African-American institution of DC, the Bethel Literary and Historical Society. Meanwhile Howard went on to the national convention stopping to give talks on the religion in Buffalo. In the period Mary was a member of the leadership of the federation of the women's clubs of New York. The community celebrated the release of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá upon the Young Turks Rebellion and Howard was again visible giving talks in New York. The MacNutts again went to national convention and stopped in Buffalo, NY for talks on the religion. Regular meetings on the teachings of the religion had been and continued to be significant usages of the MacNutts home and time while Mary's club work continued to involve hundreds, near a thousand, women. And Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were arriving that responded to many letters being sent by community members. Howard became involved in the Persian-American Educational Society and suffrage events began to be noticed in Mary's activities.

In 1912 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to America. Howard MacNutt and Mountfort Mills conveyed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá off the RMS Cedric on His arrival. An undertaking of the MacNutts, though more so of Howard, was to not only attend various speaking engagements but to take notes to assist the publication of speeches that occurred, first in Star of the West and then later in the collected work Promulgation of Universal Peace. The MacNutts also hosted the filming of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and recording his voice as a racially integrated event in the socially white part of Brooklyn. Following ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to Dublin, New Hampshire, Howard was given a task to clarify the teachings of the Faith to the remaining friends that were still attracted to Kheiralla in the area north of Chicago. On Howard's return he attended the wedding of Louis Gregory and Louise Matthews, the first inter-racial Bahá’í marriage. When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá returned to New York, Howard's mission was judged a failure and in a talk with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at a tense meeting the community again turned a cold shoulder to Howard. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá encouraged a healing between the community and Howard but it was not resolved. Within days of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá leaving America Howard's mother died.

Following these intense events, the MacNutt family took a trip across America and ultimately to Hawaii while rumors circulated in New York society that they had gone to Persia. A talk offered in California by Howard alarmed the Bahá'ís there. While they were then in Hawaii word spread of this and reports were sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who raised a concern over both Howard's understanding and the division spreading in the community. Much of this communication back and forth went through Ali Kuli Khan. Upon the MacNutts return to the mainland and while continuing their vacation along the west coast they were astonished to find the division in the community and followed Ali Kuli Khan's advice not to address it or attempt to explain - to just inform ‘Abdu’l-Bahá of specifics and let him make a ruling. The MacNutts did not associate with the Bahá'ís as they returned to New York and waited. By mid-1913 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was satisfied of Howard's understanding on the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and his faithfulness to the covenant and this was circulated in the community.

The MacNutts were among the Bahá'ís that gathered for the Congress held at the Panama–Pacific International Exposition in San Francisco in 1915. Back in New York the community began to reach a stage of racial integration during the years of WWI and following the example of Washington,DC, including appearances of Howard at events across the color line such that Edward Granville Browne would highlight the achievement of the community in a few years.

Significant progress towards the publishing of the Promulgation of Universal Peace was being made leaving Howard with more free time for other projects. Mary also began to experience declining health in the winters of New York. Taking advantage of the broadening road system they took trips to Miami, Florida, and found new environments in which to give public talks about the religion between/among singing performances with Julia Grundy. Though coming back to New York often, they increasingly spent their time in Miami and Mary began to withdraw from the leadership of clubs or they had meetings noting her absence. In spring of 1924, a series of traveling presentations with the MacNutts in Florida extended along the east coast and then around the United States - along the northern tier of states and down the west coast and back by May 1925. Howard worked with the Race Amity Convention of 1925 at Green Acre and then returned to Florida and began to reach the black community of Miami. A regional teaching campaign with Louise Gregory, Alain Locke and others including Howard took place the winter of 1925-6 and Spiritual Assembly was elected and participated in the voting for the national assembly. Later in August Howard was at Green Acre. In September there was a catastrophic hurricane that destroyed much of Miami - it is unknown if the MacNutts were present. But less than a month later the MacNutts were visible there. A contrast to their race-unifying actions and integrated meetings in Miami was the Ku Klux Klan arising to spread racial prejudice and terrorize the community with violence.

It was in this atmosphere that both Mary and Howard died. Mary fell down some stairs and was a month in deteriorating condition before she passed on. Only one month after that Howard was struck down by a motorcycle while crossing a street in a black part of town, possibly for a Local Spiritual Assembly meeting. The young motorcycle rider was released on a $1000 bond. A memorial was attended by members of the black community. However, rather than being buried locally, both bodies were transported north and the couple were buried in a township in Philadelphia in late December, 1926.

Howard's eminent status in the Bahá'í Faith was established in 1935 when Shoghi Effendi named him as a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and editions of the Promulgation of Universal Peace and Howard's statement on the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were considered important contributions to Bahá'í literature. After several decades biographies of MacNutt began to appear.

In Philadelphia

Early life

Howard was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, however his date of birth varies between sources. A 1905 passport request records it as 13 July, 1859, whereas Bahá'í historian Robert Stockman places it in July 1858.^p206 The US Census recorded his age as 11 months in June 1860, and as living with his parents and one sister with another sister living next door.

The 1870 US Census records Howard's age as 9 years old. His father Ira was working as a carpenter, his mother as a home keeper and all children of the family over 5 years old had attended school that year. Howard graduated with a “meritorious” grade from the Boy's Central High School in June 1875. Howard is recorded as being 5’10” with gray eyes in later years.

Cricket

Howard began playing Cricket in his early 20's, completing a degree at the same time. As of 1880 he was working as a book keeper in Philadelphia and living with his parents. His father, Ira, was still employed as a carpenter, aged 52, and his mother, Caroline, was 46.

Howard continued to play cricket over the next several years playing for Philadelphia teams. His performance was distinguished and commented on, and he played cricket throughout the 1880s, save for the year his sister Lulie died in 1887, and from 1883 to 1885 he played five first-class games, the highest standard of cricket available to Americans. At first-class level he scored 70 runs at an average of 7.00, and took fourteen wickets at an average of 18.64. He returned to playing in 1888 and continued playing cricket into the 1890's, albeit not at first-class level. In 1882 and 1885 Howard was winner of the George W. Childs Cup during the Halifax Games for high bowling scores. In 1884 Howard played in a UK tournament, and his team was the subject of an extended report. His play in the tournament was considered inconsistent though he did have one particularly good game.

Married and New York

Howard married Mary Stokes on 24 September 1890. living in New York City, They went on a trip to the UK and arrived home in 1891 via Liverpool, on the RMS Etruria. In 1893 Mary was visible at a horse show. They may have moved to Staten Island as of 1895 as Howard is noted playing cricket with Staten Island teams around this time, and he was also captain of the city-wide New York team. No children are recorded being born to the couple.

Howard wrote a poem in memoriam for Thomas Armitage in Jan 1896, which was later published in the Bahá'í-associated Reality magazine in Feb 1921.

Contact with the Bahá'í Faith and first teaching

In January-February 1897 Kheiralla offered classes on his understanding of the Bahá'í Faith in Ithaca.^{p xxviii} By December 1897 Howard was business partners with Bahá'ís William Hoar and Thornton Chase in a company “Standard Motive Power Company”.^{pp39, 209} It was reorganized in 1902, with a plant for producing train engines in Clarksburg, West Virginia, based on the patents of Arthur P. Dodge. The company tried for a major installation in April 1903 in Canal Dover, Ohio, and probably failed circa August. In the mean time MacNutts primary income seems to have been as a cafe manager and or business regulation/law associated work.

Dr. Robert Stockman traces the MacNutts first connection to the Faith by January 1898. In February 1898 Kheiralla-style classes begin in New York city followed by secondary classes in March,^{p xxviii} while staying with Arthur P. Dodge. Mary was part of a secondary class hosted by Edgebert Guernsey organized under Dodge. The class included Annie Boylan and Alice Gibbons and was at least partly the result of reaching out to people interest in the philosophical New Thought religious movement approximately February or March the previous year. The MacNutts had hosted a Vedanta swami at their home at 731 St Nicholas Ave. Following a meeting that discussed the Faith with Dodge, Howard took classes under Kheiralla.^p102 In June 1898, 141 Bahá'ís of New York elected a board to oversee the community. Dodge was elected president and Kheiralla appointed Howard as “teacher” which Howard undertook slightly modifying Kheiralla’s class procedures.^{pp xxviii, 122, 125-6p96} There is a picture of some of the Bahá'í community of 1898/1899 including Anton Haddad, William Hoar, and Arthur Dodge. There are 13 women and 15 men, though no people of color, plus 4 children, in the picture. Most of the people have not been identified.^p124

OZ Whitehead wrote of an interview with Helen Morrette Carrie Kinney where she says she heard of the Faith through the MacNutts. She dates it to the winter of 1895 but it is more likely winter of 1897-8 or 98-99. Carrie speaks of the MacNutt home in the Bronx and describes Edward Kinney as an old friend of the Howard's and that Edward brought Carrie along to a class despite protests. They used to drive in a horsecar for an hour and a half to reach the MacNutt home. He accepted the religion before she did. She was frightened by the claims of the Bahá'ís before accepting them herself.

Before Kheiralla left for pilgrimage at the end of September, 1898, to see ‘Abdu’l-Bahá^{p xxviii} he left a draft of his book Beha’Ullah with MacNutt and Thornton Chase each that they might make suggestions. However the text was never translated and presented to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for approval as MacNutt himself noted.^{pp140, 153-4} One set of pilgrims arrives to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá November 11, and another set December 10.^{p xxviii}

A possibly contributing factor to the MacNutts not going on this pilgrimage was the imminent death of Mary's mother Nancy Stiles Stokes in March 1899.

Obeying the Covenant I

Kheiralla was among those to first leave Akka and arrived in New York May 1.^{p xxvix} The MacNutts hosted returning pilgrims - newspaper coverage of Kheiralla began about the time he left for Chicago and ahead of the Getsingers arriving.^{p xxvix} There were already negative comments circulating from Kheiralla about the other returned pilgrims.^pp159-60 About May 20 the other pilgrims (the Getsingers, Phoebe Hearst, Robert Turner…) returned and shared a picture of young ‘Abdu’l-Bahá with the community, the first calligraphy of the Greatest Name in America, a copy of the Kitab-i-Aqdas in Arabic, and a wax cylinder recording of the voice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá done by Edward Getsinger. The MacNutts undertook to make copies of the picture for sale to Bahá'ís. Kheiralla had brought a number of letters from Bahá'ís to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá presented during the pilgrimage. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s replies arrived in Feburary previous including to James and Isabella Brittingham, Howard and Mary MacNutt, Arthur Dodge, Eliza Talbot, and Thornton Chase.^p143

Later in the summer Mary began to be visible in woman's clubs of New York - first in the Minerva Club. less than a month later Howard was called a veteran cricketer at a game he played in later June.

In July the Stokes family yacht sunk in New York while in use by the MacNutts. In October Mary was in a woman's club comment about a horse riding styles between women and men.

In January 1900 Howard MacNutt's assistance to Khieralla resulted in the publication of the Beha'u'llah text. About the same time Anton Haddad circulated some materials from his pilgrimage: a tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s only a pilgrim note of which remains saying that “neither he [Kheiralla] nor any other teacher should expect to have themselves appointed a chief among the Behaists…” as well as Haddad’s own pilgrim notes noting the problem of ego - for teachers of the Faith to “…deny themselves, love all sincerely….” Following this Howard MacNutt sent communications denying there was a problem between the community and Kheiralla and that all had praised Kheiralla.^pp167-8 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's envoy Abdu’l-Karim arrived in April and left a set of rules for the community with Howard for its organization before he headed west to confront Kheiralla but conditioned that these “rules” had to be sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to be approved. It was probably translated by Anton Haddad and Howard MacNutt into English.^p17 A May 1900 meeting of Bahá'ís was held in New York chaired by Howard.

The MacNutts are listed on the US 1900 Census - they had two servants; Mennie Kahn (from Germany as “waitress”, arrived 1897, born 1877,) and Annie Caldwell (from Ireland, as “cook” arrived 1891, born 1865,) and lived in Manhattan on St. Nicholas Ave. They had been married 11 yrs. Howard was a secretary for Hoffman Houses Corp. Circa 1901 Howard was president of the company, which had connections with the Stokes family. Stockman calls Howard a successful businessman and aristocrat by 1900, and prone to personality clashes with Arthur Dodge who “put great emphasis on the ‘common sense’ of the average man… and a distrust of the educated….” Dodge maintained ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the return of Christ while Howard regarded Him “as being different in Spirit from other men…(and by works) attained to this station.” Dodge continued this stance even after denials by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as early as 1900. Remey felt the argument was “hackneyed”.^pp206-7

In June 1900 Kheiralla refused to sign a declaration drafted by `Abdu’l-Karim recognizing ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as head of the religion and Howard ceased to be part of the organized institution Kheiralla had established in New York. Support for Kheiralla continued for a time in Chicago and Kenosha, however most followed ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and by 1906 there were only a few followers of Kheiralla and none reported in a 1916 US census of religions.^pp176-7

Early Bahá'í activity

In August 1900 MacNutt was still publicly being associated with Kheiralla. Mary was visible in club and social events.

On 7 Dec 1900 a “Board of Council” was selected in New York by the Bahá'ís replacing the one organized by Kheiralla. It's members were Arthur P Dodge, Hooper Harris, William H Hoar, Andrew Hutchinson, Howard MacNutt, Frank E Osborne, Edwin A Putnam, Charles E Sprague, and Orozco C Woolson.^p36

Across 1900-1903 New York Bahá'ís published most of the materials on the Faith in the US - more than in Chicago. After 1903 the Chicago based leadership took the lead. During this early period MacNutt edited the majority of works from the New York Board of Counsel. “In Dec 1902 Thornton Chase wrote to Howard MacNutt on behalf of the Bahai Publishing Society to propose collaboration … However, New York City preferred to pursue an independent path.”^pp113–4 According to Stockman the pronunciations in the period suggested following Kheiralla’s “Beha Ullah” approach. Chicago Bahá'ís began to use the Persian pronunciation “Baha”. Chicago Bahá'ís asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Nov 1903 which way to go and He said Baha is right and Beha is wrong but don’t let the issue cause "inharmony.”

There were often changing officers of the Board of Council over the several years.^p336 Despite the process uniting in some ways, various divisions that arose in NY limited the activity of the community among a few rather than a universal endeavor. They were described as "right but not loving" in the eyes of Harlan Ober.^p211

Kheiralla's book with MacNutt given credited continued to make news in New York as 1901 opened and into the spring. But the MacNutts and Bahá'ís gathered at Green Acre vs Kheiralla in Chicago in May. 1901 was also the arrival of Ali Kuli Khan, with whom Howard MacNutt began to regularly work with on translations.^p233

In early November of 1901, Mary Stokes MacNutt's brother Edward Stiles Stokes was deathly ill and in the care of an unmarried woman. Mary sought to intervene and Edward died at the MacNutt home and ultimately no will was found to include the woman in family decisions and inheritance. Newspaper coverage of these events carried into early 1902. Howard resumed teaching lessons on the Bahá'í Faith in later November twice a week in Manhattan. In 1902 there were study classes on the religion many times a week in various places - the MacNutts led classes on Monday nights at the nearby Lockwood Academy. The Academy was a boys school dating back before the Civil War. Howard was again visible at a cricket series in the summer/fall of 1902. And Mary was visible on a committee for a club arranging fundraising for a school. The MacNutts moved to Brooklyn during the year. Ali Kuli Khan's collaboration resulted in Behai Proofs in 1902. Newspaper coverage of the split between Bahá'ís and Kheiralla and Howard's place in it closed the year out of New York. 1903 opened noting the growing community including Howard in coverage in Chicago, and Mary was active in a federation of women's club activity in New York, as well as late in the year in other club activities, and as 1904 began. Mary's prominence rose and she was included in newspaper coverage of leading women in the country about social issues and raising money.

Ali Kuli Khan’s translation of the the Kitáb-i-Íqán, assisted by Howard, came out in 1904^p233 and was reprinted a number of times. As summer came on Mary was again visible in club activity, and in July Howard was visible offering talks at Green Acre as it widened its presentations on the Faith. Howard's presentations were: - Spiritual Evolution, July 8/10; Beauty of Holiness July 12; Babylon July 19; Seven Valleys July 26; Faith Aug 2, The Son/song of Man, Aug 7; The Abha Glory Aug 9; Chosen People Aug 16, Servitude Aug 23 and lecturer in Monsalvat School for Comparative study of Religion under Myron Phelps.

James Brittingham reported three weekly meetings going on in New York City - at the Dodges, the MacNutts, and at the home of Charles Sprague.^p211

Howard MacNutt applied for a passport for himself and Mary November 21, 1904.

Pilgrimage

Developments in NY

Before leaving Green Acre, Howard announced the gIft to Green Acre of a pipe organ, costing five hundred dollars. In December of 1904 Abu'l-Fadl returned to Syrian Palestine and nine Bahá'ís accompanied him on pilgrimage with him on the RMS Majestic: Isabella Brittingham, Lua Getsinger, the MacNutts, Julie Grundy, Mr. and Mrs. Percy Woodcock, Miss Woodcock of Montreal, Canada, and Mrs. Mary H. Lucas of Boston - apparently Colonel Ingersoll also went along as a non-Bahá'í. Newspaper coverage of the MacNutts going to the Holy Land also mentioned it, as well as Mary's absence from a club meeting. While in Palestine Howard met with Badi'u'llah, one of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's half-brothers, at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. This brother was between sides in the dispute on the covenant going on between them. The meeting was on January 10, 1905, and the interview explaining the unfaithfulness of the brother was published at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1912 in Star of the West. The pilgrims stayed in what was called the prison house though it also hosted a Feast at which Adadullah-i-Isfahan attended who had done several notable services for the Faith including a trip to the US during the disaffection of Kheiralla at the request of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Isfahani introduced Howard at the meeting as a great speaker. An anecdote of Mary during the pilgrimage is made linking Jesus, Muhammad and Bahá’u’lláh as stages of service and resignation. Those on this pilgrimage included attending a Feast hosted by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and noted His encouragement for Bahá'ís in the US to gather along the same lines. Later in consultation with the New York Board of Counsel it took place 23 May, 1905, and they became a regular event and was endorsed by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Bahá'ís in Chicago had “teas” every 19 days and in DC there were informal gatherings but through Mrs Brittingham and Howard knowledge of this practice spread though its association with the Bahá'í Calendar was speculation at the time.^pp245-7 The date of their return from pilgrimage is uncertain but the MacNutts took an additional trip to Europe and returned via Antwerp on the SS Greenland leaving April 15, 1905 and arriving back in New York April 24. The MacNutts made the newspapers in early May.

Howard delivered a talk based on his pilgrimage experience May 7, 1905, and it was published as Unity through love late in 1906 based on notes by Hooper Harris and re-printed the next few years. Stockman judges Howard's contribution "not as an original thinker, but as a skilled orator" and overall that MacNutt is known for his editorial skill and services and oration. Stockman observed it as the first deep and imagery laden review of the idea and importance of unity in the Bahá'í Faith to western Bahá'ís. Howard came away from the pilgrimage with the idea that unity based on knowledge, regardless of the truth of the knowledge, was limited; however, unity based on love was deeper though this also reduced the dependence on rationality or common sense. His understanding also included that anyone could achieve the level of human perfection that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had and that God was Himself immanent in each human - a pantheist concept. A sense of the influence of Vedanta is discerned by Stockman.^pp239-41

So the effort towards unity was still founded on wrong understandings of an important detail.^pp239-41 OZ Whitehead then recalls MacNutt’s talk on the pilgrimage and the emphasis on behavior over beliefs. A brewing discord on the distinct station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá began and had various stages of interactions in the community. While on the one hand Howard had these observations, others still estimated ‘Abdu’l-Bahá as the return of Jesus and a prophet, especially Arthur Dodge. Estrangement in the community grew in January 1905 when Howard was not listed on the New York Board of Council membership. During all previous meetings where records still exist, Dodge and MacNutt never attended the same meeting up until now. Later in 1905 Brooklyn elected their own Board of Council, with the MacNutts now living in Brooklyn proper, while at the same time continuing to serve under the New York one. Other than the fact of it, minutes of the Brooklyn Board or a Woman’s Auxiliary that was named, have yet to be found. The New Jersey community continued in sound operation meeting regularly.^{pp207, 211, 212, 482-3} In Brooklyn the MacNutts were a nucleating presence for the community.

After the pilgrimage, for the first time both Howard and Mary made presentations during the summer of 1905 at Green Acre. Howard's included “Lift me from…” July 12; “Coudst though see” July 26, Progressive Revelation August 6; “My dominion” August 9, “Rest” August 23; and Mary gave one August 20 entitled Women in the East. There was also some newspaper mentions of the diversity of classes among many presenters including Howard.

A New York State Census of 1905 noted the MacNutts had a 35-year old house servant Kate Morgan. Late in the year public discourse on the woman's suffrage movement included Mary among the commentators.

Discontent among New York Bahá'ís over the various aspects of disunity reached a point during later November 1905 where Bahá'í youth looked at coordinating their voting to upend the whole Board. Charles Mason Remey was able to dissuade them and just focus on raising more unity in the community.^pp336-7

As 1906 opened both Mary and Howard also made presentations in New York.

Green Acre, DC and NY

Howard was noted talking in Washington DC for the then branch association of Green Acre in mid-February, 1906. The MacNutts appeared in a Club where both presented talks on Acca and their travel experience. The next day the MacNutts were back in DC where Howard presented a series of talks, and Mary spoke briefly at another club meeting. Mary led a reception back in New York for a club in another couple days - and this is the first known mention of the couple living at 935 Eastern Parkway, the eventual site of the filming of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

A meeting of the NY Board of Council listed both Dodge and MacNutt attending a meeting in 1906 - the year the debate on the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was the subject of the Board meeting with Dodge in the minority and they sent a letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and a reply was received Feb 1907. This is the “Time and again this question hath arisen” quote and the Board took it as supporting the majority which sided with Howard, (though it did not endorse a specific interpretation, it denied Dodge’s contention.) However MacNutt’s position also was opposed and by 1907 MacNutt was not being invited to DC to speak, at least in some circumstances, and other places had had a difficult time with Howard's meaning. But in March the Board election did not elect Dodge and did elect Bahá'ís from outside New York proper - most were from Brooklyn or New Jersey. Dodge may have moved to Manhattan and sought to established a Board there and Ahmad Sohrab wrote and received a letter from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in June 1907 that Dodge should be liked and is sincere. The community also failed to submit membership figures to the US religious census of 1906-7 (while other areas like North Hudson and Newark NJ did.) However this did lead to a national sense of the community among Bahá'ís as well where as only a few had traveled widely to get a sense of the community - Thornton Chase, Isabella Brittingham, Charles Mason Remey and Howard MacNutt.^{pp208–9, 211, 213, 231, 481}

In July 1906 MacNutt gave talks at Green Acre. The next found mention of either is that winter and into the spring when Mary appeared at several club events. Later in spring Mary appeared at several more club meetings including the federates association of women's clubs.

The New York Board of Council was elected in 1907 with Howard.^p308 That spring the MacNutts hosted Stanwood Cobb several days while he was set to work at the Robert College in Constantinople. A spring 1907 census by the US of religions showed an active membership across the country of 1280, returning to the 1899 strength though the three original large communities of Chicago, New York, and Kenosha lagged.^{p xvi, 230-1} In October Mary was the historian of the federated associated of women's clubs of New York city.

Julia Grundy's account of their pilgrimage was published during 1907.

In December Mary was elected president of the Minerva club. That winter of 1907-8 MacNutt was among those that spoke at the home of African-American Rhoda Turner in DC. January 1908 opened with Mary attending a meeting where women's clubs were addressing public school policies. and some other social functions in February. She attended club meetings in March, and May.

Spring 1908 the NY Board of Council was elected with Howard and the Board selected Howard as delegate to the first Bahá'í Temple Unity Convention, a precursor to the national Bahá'í convention, though the vote was highly divided.^pp336-7 This was reported to the Chicago House of Spirituality and they asked on how the group proceeded in consultation and Chase spoke individually about the love of consultation. Regardless of these changes, the delegation to the national convention went ahead and there was consultation on when to have the meeting - the first suggested date of February 20 MacNutt, William Hoar, and Hooper Harris, could not attend so the changed the date on Naw Ruz March 20-21, 1909.^pp308-9 MacNutt was giving a talk in Buffalo in February.

In June Mary gave a talk about their travel to Akka to a club.

A "Feast of Rejoicing" was arranged on August 30 upon news of the release of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá from the restrictions in Ottoman Turkey following the Young Turks rebellion. Howard also arranged for an event at their home at 935 Eastern Parkway in early September and presented a summary of the event held August 30. William H Hoar and Mrs Brittingham presented, Julie Grundy and Mary spoke of the hopes the spread of the Cause and the purposes of suffering. There were non-Bahá'ís present and moved by the enthusiasm of the good news.

The MacNutt home of ~1906-1920 is about 2 miles down this view of the Eastern Parkway of a 1890 Bicycle parade.

Howard chaired one of the interfaith meetings held in New Jersey with a presentation by Ali Kuli Khan and there were other mentions of the Faith. This series of meetings in early September included one hosted by the MacNutts at their home on the 20th.

Howard reported on the organizing of the Board of Counsel and the Auxiliary Board for Brooklyn, precursor organizations to the Local Spiritual Assembly when they were still being held separated by gender. MacNutt also commented that most of the Brooklyn Bahá'í energies were supporting New York meetings but also some work had been done in Brooklyn. Regular Feasts had been held with an attendance high of 82. Howard co-ran the meetings held at the Genealogical Hall with Hooper Harris., (among the three other regular meetings held in new York at the time) along with meetings held Sunday afternoons at the MacNutt home.

A series of club meetings were held in October with Mary president of two clubs and worked on the yearbook of the federated association of clubs.Regular Bahá'í meetings in Brooklyn continued at the MacNutt home through October and November. In November both MacNutts presented papers at a woman's club meeting, gathered children and youth of Bahá’ís at a meeting of the literary and social club Ladies Auxiliary of New York City. Late in November the meetings held at the MacNutt home Sunday afternoons grew to the point they were moved to the Lockwood Academy Sunday evenings. The first meeting there was Nov 29 and Howard MacNutt led the meetings. 1908 closed with Howard presenting at a club in New York City. Before the year was out, but of uncertain date, an unnamed professor of religion invited Bahá'ís to present at his lectures and report of this interest had been sent to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá who had replied with a tablet. The encouragements lead to the presentation by Howard MacNutt, Hooper Harris and Barakutallah at this professor's meeting in early December.

NY, DC, and beyond

Howard gave a talk back in DC opening 1909, and the same day submitted a request for a passport in New York for himself and Mary countersigned by Charles Mason Remey. The next days Mary was at meetings of her clubs including a new club organized by members of the Minerva club. A month later the MacNutts attended a dinner together, and Mary was over at Cannes, France briefly the next week. In later February the MacNutts were in Buffalo presenting on the religion on their way to the national convention to be held in Chicago. While MacNutt was still a delegate to the national convention the New York Bahá'ís voted to replace the entire Board of Council on Mar 11, 1909.^pp336-7 The especially younger women of the community coordinated their voting and particularly Annie Moylan disliked MacNutt. Mason Remey supported the change and Thornton Chase deplored it. When MacNutt and others of Brooklyn were not elected to the new Board they spent time with the Brooklyn Board reorganized and elected 1 April 1909. However unity did not result and there was another significant change over in the membership in 1910. In 1911 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised the board be widened to 27 to allow all “factions” to participate in the discussions, including women, and the name was changed to the Spiritual Assembly for the first time because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had used that new term.^pp337-8 Another question dividing the Bahá'ís was their different approaches to the question of the Faith being related to other religions. In the view of Stockman New York and New England in general tended to side with the idea of the Faith being a “spirit of the age” affecting all the religions while Chicago sided with being a distinct religion. MacNutt in particular was one of these siding with a movement rather than a religion.^pp401-2

In July 1909 Juliet Thompson was on pilgrimage in Haifa and recalled mentioning Howard MacNutt, Harris and Hoar and that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá commented “They have borne so beautifully their ordeals of the past winter.” Thompson did not mention Boylan in this regard.^p482 Juliet also gave him a letter from Howard at the mention of who's name ‘Abdu’l-Bahá smiled. Howard spoke at the national convention and some of his work was covered in the Chicago and Brooklyn newspapers. Mary was noted not at club meeting in NY. The entire organizing committee for the convention was female and designated by the Chicago House of Spirituality. The convention elected William Hoar as chair and empowered him to appoint a committee of four to make recommendations for voting - the four were Thornton Chase, Corinne True, Mountfort Mills and Howard MacNutt. They came up with a selection split between all the major communities save Boston (none of whom had attended.) The committee’s selection included only two of it’s members - Corinne True and Mountfort Mills. A public meeting afterwards sponsored by the Chicago Bahá'í Young People’s Society spoke about Vagner's Parsifal. This is the convention paralleled by the burial of the remains of the Bab in the Shrine in Haifa.^{pp309, 311} Howard wrote a letter to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about these travels among towns on the way to Chicago for the convention.

A week later the MacNutts were just back in New York. Bahá'í meetings at Lockwood Academy Sunday evenings continued through the winter. A new Board of Council was elected for Brooklyn including Howard as treasurer. Meetings continued at the Lockwood Academy Sunday evenings and the success of the meeting made them wonder if they needed to find a larger location. Mary was one of the delegates to the Temple Convention in Chicago reported to the community April 3rd and reported with intense love of the real friendship manifested when they were joined by a delegation from the East that had just arrived. A week later Howard gave a musical interlude based talk about Vagner's play Parsifal as part of a fundraiser, while Mary presided at a club meeting the next day.

There is a gap in Bahá'í sources of activities between the last Bahai Bulletin of May 1909 and the first Star of the West of March 1910. The former was largely published in and by the Bahá'ís of New York City while the latter was published in Chicago and developed a world-wide circulation. There were probably other local newsletters published as well yet to be made available. Newspapers do note the MacNutts holding Bahá'í meetings and talks in New York in May and in one Mary describes her hobby as "unity and love".

Howard next appears as part of a team with Louis Gregory, Joseph Hannen, Lua Getsinger, presenting multiple times in DC presenting at the (African-American) Bethel Literary and Historical Society in October. The following week Howard was in Baltimore for a talk on the Faith. Mary was guest at a club social in mid-December. 1910 opens with Howard giving another talk in DC.

By about 1910 the Brooklyn Minerva Club, of which Mary was president and founder, of numbered about 900 women. The Minerva club and the Daughters of the Confederacy(DoC) also put on a festival also supported by the Bahá'í Kinney family who had just returned from their pilgrimage. The interactive support between the Minerva club and the DoC extended through much of March and included a presentation by Swami Abhedananda. Mary was invited to a DoC meeting in April. Mary's other club, the Illuminati of Brooklyn met in later May. The Brooklyn Bahá'í community had let go of holding meetings at the Lockwood Academy and were now being held at the MacNutt home Sunday afternoons by June 1910. In June the women's clubs took trips to visit milk production facilities including Mary amidst a general concern for health and children. The summer series of Bahá'í meetings in Brooklyn included the MacNutts, Pauline (Knobloch) Hannen, Ahmad Sohrab, Hooper Harris, H. Dreyfus, Joseph Hannen, Lua Getsinger, Ameen Fareed, and Charles M Remey. Baltimore Bahá'í meetings also included Howard.

1910 US Census has the MacNutts in Brooklyn with 2 servants and a friend; Bridget Kenny - 59 from Ireland, arrived 1864, working as cook, and Charles Toby 30 from New York working as a gardener; the friend was Amy Wall, 29, from England, arrived 1906.

Howard had been sick but was again holding Sunday afternoon meetings at their home in July. Mary went to Staten Island for a club meeting in September. Howard was also informed of some Bahá'í activity in Japan as commented about in some pilgrim notes. There was also a Tablet to MacNutt mentioning about success of Remey in India.

In later November Mary was president of Illuminati Women’s Club and Minerva and she was a member of the Nathaniel Woodhull Club with Kate C Ives, perhaps the first woman Bahá'í in the West. Winter meetings of the women's clubs were mentioned with Mary. Meetings in various places in New York for the Faith were multiplying in halls and homes, and in particular on Sundays and Friday afternoons at the MacNutt home.

In February 1911 Howard gave a paper/talk at a theater club meeting, and a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá for another Bahá'í was sent through Howard highlighting a Feast-like meeting. A Bahá'í of New York died in early March and Howard led a Bahá'í service for him. Mary led a cub meeting; curiously another member read a paper on Persia. Mary then attended another DoC meeting, and was guest at another.

Mary's club activities continued in April and May. In Late April she was elected vice-chair of the Federated Women's Clubs of New York.

A Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá arrived in April asking in part for Arthur Agnes to share a salutation and welcome to the MacNutts. They continued their address at 935 Eastern Parkway.

In June Howard was in DC for the meeting of the Persian-American Educational Society. The discussions and MacNutt presence among the group were carried in the DC newspapers a few days.^p358 An afternoon session of Persian-American Educational Society was chaired by MacNutt and who served on the resolutions committee. MacNutt was among the speakers noting that the distance of the US from Persia was an advantage because Persia could trust that the US could not have territorial designs for being so far away.

In July the Minerva club had an outing with Mary present. In 1911 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá advised the Board of New York to be widened to 27 to allow all “factions” to participate in the discussions, including women and the name was changed to the Spiritual Assembly for the first time because ‘Abdu’l-Bahá had used that new term. This was in place by July 27, 1911.^pp337-8

The suffrage of women was taken up as a topic with Mary among the club women nationally and for New York State,

1912 opened with Mary and fellow Bahá'í Alice Ives stating they saw it as a prophetic year of other achievements reported among the hopes of several high society women.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá coming to America

Three weeks in January a newspaper article noted `Abdu’l-Bahá was coming to America amidst a profile of the religion via an interview with Howard recalling news of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in Europe and London the previous year and emphasized the recognition of truth across religions, obedience to established government while seeking refining society, and a brief review of the history of the religion from the Báb to Bahá'u'lláh to ‘Abdu’l-Bahá.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave many talks - 140 of them had verified copies of text collected for the later published Promulgation of Universal Peace worked on by Howard. The MacNutts hosted or took notes at 17 among the 140 though they appeared in various order among issues of Star of the West. Renditions not based on authenticated copies of the original Arabic or Persian are considered like pilgrim notes - reports of the words as they impressed the listener. Indeed there are some talks of which there are only newspaper reports.

It begins April 12 at the MacNutt home on Eastern Parkway. One not in Star of the West August 1912 collection is of scholar J T Bixby, and later Bahá'í Howard Colby Ives, the next day. The next day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was at the Church of the Ascension in New York with Howard contributing notes to the talk, and at a regional meeting of the Advanced Thought Centers. About Apr 14 with news of the disaster of the sinking of the Titanic in the newspapers Howard MacNutt asked ‘Abdu’l-Bahá about it. The next day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave a talk at the home of Mountfort Mills with notes by Howard. The next day ‘Abdu’l-Bahá gave an interview for a New York Peace Society, and a couple days later at the Hotel Ansonia, before leaving for the Persian-American Educational Society, just renamed the Oriental-Occidental Unity Society, meeting in DC with Howard present. A few days later ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was again with the Society with a number of Bahá'ís known present - Ali Kuli Khan, Mirza Sohrab, Hermann Schoenfeld, William Hoar, Hooper Harris, Howard MacNutt, Fannie Andrew, Agnes Parsons, Helen Goodall, Joseph Hannen, Arnauld Belmont, E. H. Young, and Mary Little. It was a month later that Howard was with Abdu'l-Bahá with the Kinney family in New York. The next day Howard took notes at ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's talk for the Theosophical Society, and back to the Kinney home in early June followed directly by another meeting with Howard taking notes. Mary took notes the next day at a talk of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. and Howard a couple days later at another, and again a couple days later. Then the MacNutts hosted a talk by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at their home.

The MacNutt home was the site of a filming of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on June 18. The idea was conceived in June following newsreel footage of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He approved of this second filming but there were delays by weather, and attendees aided in the costs for the filming. Various scenes were not according to the script. It does show several black women and children among the integrated community. There was an associated audio recording too.

Howard next took notes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's talk a couple days later, and then at another more than a week later. After July 4th another talk had notes taken by Howard.

The first collection of talks came out in Star of the West July 13. On the 14th Howard MacNutt and John G Grundy took notes of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's talk at All Souls Unitarian in NY, and on the 15th at the home of Dr and Mrs Florian Krug. The next Star of the West collection of these was published in August 1 1912.

Then ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was in Dublin, New Hampshire, and a talk Howard took notes at. The next day was a talk at the home of Agnes and Arthur Parsons with notes taken by Howard.

While ‘Abdu’l-Bahá remained in Dublin and then went on to Green Acre, on August 10 Howard presented a Feast on the request and direction of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá at the Lesch home in Chicago and presented a message from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá given two days before, and a meeting at Lesch’s the previous night, on the fundamental teachings of the "Revelation". Howard was also present on the 11th for the “Spiritual Meeting of Nine” (a precursor of the Local Spiritual Assembly.) From Green Acre ‘Abdu’l-Bahá went to Boston, Montreal, Buffalo, Chicago and parts west until His return to DC in early November, and then New York near mid-November.

The next collection of talks gathered by Howard was published in Star of the West August 20, and then another collection was published in Star of the West September 8.

Howard MacNutt attended the wedding of Euro-American Louise Matthews and African-American Louis Gregory Sep 27 in NY, reading a tablet of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá on marriage. The same day another collection of talks was published through Star of the West.

In October Howard attended the Clio Information Club which was held at the First Emmanuel Church in New York, as reported in the African-American newspaper the New York Age - see Coverage of the Bahá'í Faith in New York City via the New York Age. Around the same time the MacNutts were looking to rent out the house at 935 Eastern Parkway.

With the return of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá back to New York, in November Howard met and reported on the trip. In part Howard was to share about how those who followed the Bahá'í Faith should have nothing to do with Kheiralla and those that followed him. Mahmoud's Diary notes the meeting on November 15 and centers on a letter MacNutt had written "offering to help" a known associate of Kheiralla. This is the scene of "I was Saul now I am Paul" Howard was asked to say by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. At a second meeting November 19 it was apparent to the community that Howard lacked of distinction between Bahá'ís and followers of Kheiralla. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá made attempts to encourage the community love of Howard but it did not result in unity and at least some Bahá'ís began to actively avoid Howard despite the encouragement of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to (in the words of Mahmoud) "show kindness and love to Mr MacNutt".

A week later November Mary was visible at a Minerva Club breakfast meeting.

‘Abdu’l-Bahá left America December 5, 1912.

Howard's mother, Caroline Baker MacNutt. died December 9.

Obeying the Covenant II

After the funeral of his mother, and still digesting the implications of "I was Saul, now I am Paul", in January 1913 the MacNutts are back in Buffalo and giving talks on the Faith. After spending several days there Howard next appears in Chicago giving a talk on women's suffrage.

Howard and Mary went on a vacation trip ultimately to Hawaii. Reports are inconsistent - one report has them traveling to Persia in February.

While away Howard sent in an article of supplemental notes of being in ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's presence that was published in later March in Star of the West.

Wherever they were before April, there are letters exchanged between ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Ali Kuli Khan about reports of Bahá'ís hearing Howard give talks not carefully distinguishing the station of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. There is a reference to a talk April 5 in San Francisco. April 13 the MacNutts are reported sailing from San Francisco to Hawaii on the SS Manchuria, and arriving April 18. They had a pet dog "Feathers" along though he was not allowed on shore at Hawaii. It is unknown if they interacted with the small Bahá'í community of Hawaii - see Coverage of the Bahá'í Faith in newspapers in Hawaii. They were set to leave Hawaii May 6, and arrived back in San Francisco May 9.

A month later, June 6-7, the MacNutts were in Seattle writing to Ali Kuli Khan about being accused of “violation of the Covenant”. June 10 they were in Vancouver. They were in Chicago June 24 for a few days. By the time of reaching New York late in June Bahá'ís were not meeting with MacNutt and Ali Kuli Khan was urging him to restraint in the face of these hostile actions rather than defending or clarifying and let ‘Abdu’l-Bahá state the judgement of things. Brief mention in Brooklyn was made of their "traveling abroad all winter" and returned from Hawaii. Howard wrote a letter to Khan July 13 from Brooklyn and on July 18 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá cabled about Howard and Tablets(letters) followed. At the same same time the copies of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s voice arranged and paid for by Howard and Mary were made available to the Bahá'ís. By mid-1913 ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was satisfied that Howard was firm in the Covenant and a committed Bahá’í. Correspondence with Ali Kuli Khan was then shared with the community.

Progress towards unity

Activity among Mary's clubs occurred with her presence along the coming months of 1913. Star of the West advertisements noted disc record copies of the voice recording of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá were available for 65¢ [$16.50 in 2018] by writing to Mrs M S MacNutt at their home from December 1913 through November 1914.

Activities of the clubs picked up again from March through May of 1914 and again in the fall. Club functions including the federated group met in April of 1915, immediately before the Bahá'ís went to the Congress during the Panama–Pacific International Exposition which the MacNutts were among. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá acknowledged Howard was among those who spoke at the meeting. Perhaps during this period MacNutt visited the Lick observatory. The MacNutts were back by early May and Mary was at meeting in June as well. Howard's work assisting in publishing a translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán by Ali Kuli Khan came out in 1915 as well. On Oct 17, 1915, Howard attended and read at the funeral of Arthur P Dodge. Meetings of the clubs closes out newspaper coverage of the year for the MacNutts.

Most of 1916 is a blank without any found mentions. But in December there was a flurry of activity beginning in Brooklyn with a club meeting for Mary, followed by Howard being visible at a series of meetings in DC especially giving talks on "The Covenant".

In February 1917 they were noted at a club function, and Howard gave a talk in Trenton, New Jersey with Hooper Harris. In March Mary was at a club function joined by fellow Bahá'í Mrs John (Julia) Grundy performing. A week later Howard gave a talk at St. Mark's Church in-the-Bowery, a place with many Bahá'í connections at the time. Club meetings continued a-pace into April including at the MacNutt home at 935 Eastern Parkway. News of a Bahá'í "congress" came in late April - at the time another name for the national convention with WH Randal, Horace Holley, Howard MacNutt and May Maxwell mentioned in the newspaper notice. Howard gave a talk in Boston for the national convention on or after Apr 30, 1917 when they adjourned to meet in Chicago on June 17 to ratify the plans made in Boston. Inbetween the two Mary appeared at a club meeting May 8 in New York. In August a report of the congress to come out in Star of the West, including Howard's talk.

1918 opens with a notice of Mary at one of the club meetings in late January, followed by monthly meetings up to the summer. Howard did a presentation for the First Emmanuel Church of NY for the Literary Society with Mr Foley while known African-American Bahá'í Louisa Washington oversaw the meeting with piano music by Viola Walker. A club meeting in November closes out the known mention of the MacNutts at present.

A Tablet by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá translated Apr 13, 1919, references recent letters to and from Mary and Howard both - about January through February.

Club meetings also mention Mary in later April but she was out sick in early May.

The Promulgation of Universal Peace

A long project of producing a book of the collected talks of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá done by Howard was marked with significant progress July 19, 1919 by a Tablet/letter from `Abdu’-Bahá affirming title of Promulgation of Universal Peace. Howard signed a community letter asking ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to return to America, (Mary’s name is absent - some 36 of the about 82 of Brooklyn signed.)

A Tablet by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá to the MacNutts was written/translated July 24, 1919 reviewing letters from July 21. It encouraged the MacNutts not to sell the house He had stayed (at 935 Eastern Parkway) and “I beseech for Mr MacNutt the fluency of Peter and the eloquence of Paul.” Howard gave a talk in later November on "the Valley of Decision", at an art gallery of Alfred Pouch.

Club meetings with Mary were noted late February 1920 into March.

The 1920 US Census reports one servant living with the MacNutts - Margaret Sprague, aged 51, born in NY - and Howard is listed as retired. They are living at 935 Eastern Parkway, Brooklyn, NY.

Howard is the delegate from Brooklyn for the April 1920 national convention in Chicago. Howard was a low vote-getter for the “executive board”, a precursor of the national assembly, but tied with Ella Cooper, Mary Hanford Ford, Juliet Thompson and Roy Williams. It was at this convention that Howard summarized the condition of the forthcoming book on ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s addresses in America and declared it ready to go to the printers upon approval of the convention. The convention urged the Bahai Publishing Society to expedite the printing and the whole matter was referred to the new Executive Board. Howard was also named to the 19 member national teaching committee at the convention. It was also at this convention that Howard updated the Bahá'ís about the recording of the voice and film of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. The master record of the voice of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was kept by the Columbia Graphophone Company. The film negative was also not in the hands of the Bahá'ís as of 1920. MacNutt hoped their home would become a memorial site. Howard chaired the last night of the convention'. The Eastern Parkway home became known as the Parkside Chateau for some years but circa after 1974 and before 1980 was torn down and became a brick apartment building for the Jewish Temple after being a site of Jewish meetings many years. There is a picture of the house in 1973-4 in Baha’i News. In 2018 it was the site of the Beist Bentzion-Young Israel Orthodox Synagogue as part of a 5-story brick apartment building.

MacNutt gave another presentation at the racial integrated, black led, First Emmanuel Church’s Rainbow Circle group with Mr Woodham, (Hooper?) Harris, and Luxey and from there the whole group and audience went to the Mother AME Zion Church to listen to a recital by the First Emmanuel Choir. As part of a larger pattern of community meetings, this was observed later as succesful wiping away of the color line in this part of New York society.

In October Martha Root reported one of her contacts on the Faith in South America, a Mrs de Bischoff, had recalled and attended meetings at the MacNutt home. This may be Clara de Bischoff in Nov 1917 who had stayed in Brooklyn and lived in Argentina. Martha Root also left a copy of MacNutt’s Unity Through Love book about his pilgrimage in Panama.

1920 closes with a notice of a club meeting with Mary in October.

Florida and New York

Whitehead says that the MacNutts sold the home at 935 Eastern Parkway about 1920 and “moved to Miami”, and the 935 Eastern Parkway home was soon in other hands. Another source says they were renting it out in November 1921 and moved south in the winter, In the Fall of 1920 into the late winter of 1921 Mary was still seen in the club circles of activity in New York. From March through December 1921 Howard was a consulting editor of Reality magazine and a specific statement of thanks was made in April.

Fellow Bahá'í Mary Hanford Ford took a trip to St Augustine, Florida, where she would spend a month. But Mary Stokes MacNutt was visible among her club work in April-May, 1921 in New York.

The Faith's first Race Amity Convention was held in mid-May 1921 in DC and Howard chaired the closing session. A talk of Howard's quoted a Hidden Word for the closing session of the convention. There was also coverage of this convention and Howard's part among many speakers in the the African-American newspapers New York Age, and the Washington Bee which extended a review of the convention across two issues.

In July 1921 MacNutt published his own review of the first Race Amity Convention for Reality magazine. Mary was visible in club activities in June, and Whitehead’s biography of Howard says that a first edition of the Promulgation of Universal Peace was published November 28, 1921, several days before the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. Mention of Mary at one of her club meetings was made in late November and closes out the available mentions of them in 1921.

The developing interstate highway system established a link from Canada to Florida in 1911 albeit not all of equal quality and there were revisions in 1915, 1922, and 1924. This link was ultimately called the Atlantic Highway or the Atlantic Coastal Highway and eventually was the basis of much of the original US Interstate Route 1. In Florida the route to Miami was designated State Road #4 and opened in 1923 but significant sections dated before then.

Miami

A Bahá'í named Louise D. Boyle got a Tablet from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1919 addressed to her in Miami. There was a Bahá'í community in Lakeland, Florida from 1919 as well.

1919 Map of Miami area

Another that made it to "southern Florida" was Roy Williams, fellow traveler to promote the Faith with Louis Gregory.

It should also be noted that there was a rise in presence of the KKK in Miami starting about 1920, In June 1920 they were suspected of bombing, abducting, and murder.^{pp. 50-1, 68} The KKK was known to abduct and threaten black and white community leaders who promulgated integrated meetings and racial equality in 1920. They grew to be the second largest Klan group in Florida with aggressive moves noted in 1921 and 1923.^{pp. 42-3, 50-1, 68}

In the MacNutt trips to Florida the William M Atwater family hosted them frequently. William Atwater was himself a member of the masons of Miami.

Howard began to be visible in the local newspapers from early January 1922 in a series meetings in Fulford, today's North Miami Beach, Florida, as well as the Atwater home at 619 SW 2nd St. This series of public meetings varied in location and tone and topic and continued to late February - some were centered on their travels and musical entertainment. Julia Grundy was with them at first at the Hotel Alabama, and coverage noted Howard was a good piano player himself.

Hotel Alabama, Miami, FL

Mary and Julia were visible in New York - noting Mary was the honorary president now - March 7th, however meetings noting Howard giving talks began March 11 in Miami and continued mostly weekly into April now at least sometimes joined by Lily Vilna Hall and kept a diversity of music and talks in the repertoire of events. Mary's club meetings in New York are noted in April, May and June. There was a notice in New York that the MacNutts had wintered in Florida at least in part due to persistent illness of Mary.

Wide-scale publication of the Promulgation of Universal Peace was released in 1922, especially from October.

The MacNutts, Julia Grundy and Mary Ethel Hosier stayed in Tampa, Florida, October 25, presumably on their way south. The Minerva Club endowed a meeting room in the name of Mary Stokes MacNutt at the end of December 1922. In Miami news of the MacNutts and Howard's talks picked up in late February and continued into March and sometimes being on local radio station WQAM. In one case Howard's activity was such that a well known speaker - William Jennings Bryan - invited Howard to co-present at a church sermon. The MacNutts drove north in late March to pick up a Persian who was arriving by ship in St Augustine. This may have been the arrival of Fazel Mazandarani.

It is noted May 1 that Mary was not at a Minerva Club meeting. However Howard was visible giving a two week series of talks in Baltimore in September and one in DC in October, before Mary is visible at a club meeting in late November.

National teaching tour and Spiritual Assembly

There was activity December 1923 to April 1924 in Miami. In the spring of 1924 Fazel Mazandarani joined in the activity in Miami along with Howard MacNutt, Julia Grundy, and a "Edelmira Roe" reportedly in from South America. It is possible Mazandarani inspired Howard to undertake a national tour promoting the religion which Howard undertook with Mary and Julia Grundy coming along as well. They left Miami north with stops in St Augustine and Jacksonville and Augusta GA. They then left NY July 13, 1924, towards Buffalo and Toronto, then on to Detroit, Lansing MI, Muskegon, Racine, Milwaukee, St Paul and Minneapolis where they were visible in local newspapers in August. In September he MacNutts and Julia Grundy gave a series of talks in Portland, Oregon, while on tour going to a conference in San Francisco at the end of September. MacNutt and Grundy were profiled - that they had written/compiled books, gave a talk at the first Race Amity Conference and spoke at the Bahá'í Center, the Portland Library, First Divine Science Church and Bethel AME Church in town. MacNutt's talk at the Bethel AME Church had additional coverage. He was introduced by Latimer, gave a talk on 'rightful reconciliation' between views, rather than argument: "When argument creeps in, the Word of God and the Spirit of God goes out" he said and then Grundy sang 'Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen'. They were also in Butte, Helena and Great Falls, Montana, Spokane, and Seattle, Washington, and then they were visible in local newspapers in Medford, Oregon in mid-September. Then they were on to Alameda and San Francisco California. Still in September they went through Los Gatos, Palo Alto, Santa Barbara, Santa Paula, and Geyserville, where the MacNutts and Grundys were guests of the Bosch family for two weeks. While there Howard was credited by Marion Carpenter with “activation” of her brother Howard Carpenter, whom Marzieh Gail later married, circa November 1924 in Santa Paula and Hollywood and worked with a college group Then they pressed on through Santa Rosa, La Jolla, San Diego, Los Angeles, where they were visible in late November, where Howard visited the gravesite of Thornton Chase, and on to Hollywood, California, Phoenix, Arizona, and planning to be back to DC in May. They were indeed visible in newspapers in DC in early May. By later spring 1925 the MacNutts and Grundy are in Pasadena, FL. They had traveled some 25,000 miles and visited more than 100 communities.

During this year Star of the West published a couple of mentions of Howard. Shahnaz Waite quoted Howard about comparing the primacy of the teaching of the Faith on love like that of a symphony that has a special musical key and wanders among other keys but always returns to the initiating and special key of the whole symphony. And Howard's testimonial itself about his pilgrimage experience of 1904-5 “Unity through love” was re-published in September 1924.

July 5, 1925, Howard presided on the first day of the national meeting held at Green Acre which served as both the national convention to elect the national assembly and another instance of a Race Amity Convention. Alain Locke was the first speaker, followed by Juliet Thompson, then William H Randall. The first meeting chaired by Howard had a theme on peace and the progress of the Bahá'í efforts to promulgate the religion. Alain Locke was the first speaker which culminated in the point that "peace cannot exist anywhere without existing everywhere.”

There is a general summary of events in the winter of 1925-6 published in the July 1926 edition of Bahá'í News saying that a regional committee had undertaken much work across the South. It was a report from Mrs. Boyle which made special mention of the growth in Florida during the winter with a list of people thanked for their work: "Mesdames Corrodi and Boyle, the MacNutts, Dr. Locke, Mr Gregory, Mrs Kretz, the Atwaters, the Guys, Miss Sunshine and others…" and that they had linked "the Cause with inter-racial groups…." This Southern Regional Committee reports says in part:

Mr. and Mrs. MacNutt and Mr and Mrs Grundy reached Florida last November (1925) after touching Bahai centres in Athena and Augusta, Ga., Jacksonvilie, St. Augustine, Stuart, Orlando, Lakeland, and Indian Rocks, Fia, […where, after reaching MIami] with the cooperation of the Atwater family, Mrs. Kretz, Miss Sunshine and other friends, established a new spiritual assembly in that city. Fine meetings for inquirers have been held in their home throughout the entire Winter, and a weekly meeting is now being conducted regularly at the Doraey Hotel…..

The report goes on to name some of the African-American population as joining the religion - D A Dorsey himself, Lula Alexander and the visit of Gregory indeed making a circuit of the east and west coast of Florida before heading north.

Howard shows up on the New York State Census of 1925 with address in Brooklyn, as well as with residence in Miami at 236 NE 26 Terrace.

1926

1926 was a devastating year for the MacNutts and not one they survived. These events reached a climax when Howard MacNutt was fatally wounded in an automobile accident on his way to a meeting in the black side of town in Miami. Howard is credited in befriending the black community. By 1928 or so there was a known black component to the Miami Bahá'í community. In 1926 a Klansman died and the funeral held a procession of some 200 in full costume, and there are 34 known lynchings in Miami in 1926 and swept the democratic ticket of Florida state government.^{pp. 51, 64, 74, 94}

Backing up, in February 1926 the National Assembly of the US and Canada communicated about the national convention scheduled for April to be held in San Francisco. In it the assembly details various changes in the system of the convention. There would be no alternates and the delegates would be proportional to communities with actual assemblies recognized - groups not organzied into assemblies would not have delegates. Miami is listed and would be sending one delegate. In April just before the convention Mary presented at a club in New York. For the actual balloting of the national assembly Miami is listed among those communicating via telegraph with the convention. Howard is reported on at Green Acre in August. In September Baha'i News carried a mention of many events happening cooperated with by the Spiritual Assembly of Miami and other groups. It refers to work being done by Louis Gregory, Howard MacNutt, Alain Locke, and Louise Boyle - a racially diverse set of people - having meetings in churches and schools in the South.

Miami was struck by a Category 4 hurricane in mid-September, 1926. This was before the naming convention of more recent years - it is simply called The 1926 Miami hurricane, sometimes the Great Miami Hurricane. It was a devastating hit killing hundreds and making 2/3rds of Miamians homeless. It was of course even worse in the black community - some nearby villages were entirely swept away and surviving men were conscripted sometimes without warning to work on the cleanup and reconstruction.

Amidst these terrible events, just 6 weeks later, Mary Stokes MacNutt fell down some stairs November 3 and died November 27, "despite weeks of round-the-clock nursing by Julia and Howard. During the long ordeal Howard lost forty pounds and …[he] had grown ‘silent and absent-minded.' ” News of the death was published in local and New York newspapers the following weeks.

In events that are not entirely transparent, Howard died December 26, 1926, following a motorcycle impact on the way to a Bahá'í meeting, possibly an assembly meeting, on the black side of town. It was decided that the as yet unburied Mary, and Howard, would be transported back North accompanied by George and Julia Grundy news of which was carried in various places. Everett Allen, 19 yrs old, was charged with manslaughter and released on $1000 bond by Judge HW Penney. In 2018 terms $1000 would be over $14000. A memorial was held at Combs chapel December 28, and was “first time in history… opened to the colored man.” A funeral was held in Philadelphia December 29. The internments were private. They are probably buried in a family Section: G, Lot #: 73 in Cedar Hill Cemetery where a number of close kin are buried including Howard's father and siblings.

In the 1927 national convention Miami is silent.

Legacy

An obituary was published in Star of the West in January 1927. It says that the MacNutts had begun to travel much more some 7 years previous especially to Miami and other Florida cities other than one year going to other places across America including California. In February, early African American Bahá'í and newspaper editor and publisher in Portland Oregon Beatrice Cannady wrote a eulogy including a speech he gave when visiting in there and the conviction that he was a martyr. The 1926-1928 volume of The Bahá'í World included MacNutt’s introduction to the Promulgation of Universal Peace. An article of MacNutts was written “A short time before his passing” and published in Star of the West in February 1930. It reviews how Bahá'ís have applied Jesus (and Baha’u’llah’s) teaching of unity, formerly divided Christians and of all humanity for “Justice, equity, brotherhood, international and interracial agreement focus and find their realization only in religious unity.… Israel… proved unworthy of its trust through racial egotism and disobedience….”

Howard MacNutt was designated as a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi, and a purposeful attempt to collect Tablets sent to all the Disciples was called for in July 1935.

The 25th anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s visit to America, 1937, recalled the filming of Him at the MacNutt’s.

A revised and expanded edition of Promulgation of Universal Peace was published in 1943.

In 1944 at the centenary of the Declaration of the Báb MacNutt’s pilgrimage article was included in a collection of pilgrimages summarized.

A memorial gift to the fund in name of the MacNutts given in Jan 1951.

OZ Whitehead wrote a biography published in Baha’i News in April 1974. The article begins noting MacNutt associated with Green Acre, totally ignoring Kheiralla.

Family

Little is known about the origins of MacNutt's parents. As of 1850 his father, Ira MacNutt, was living in Bristol Township and working as a carpenter. Howard's mother, Caroline Baker, lived with her family next door to Ira. They presumably married sometime between 1850 and the birth of their first daughter, Emma Matilda, about 1853 and later moved to Philadelphia.

Available records show Howard's elder sister Lulie graduated from the Philadelphia Girl's High and Normal School in 1865. Howard's father, Ira, was arrested for propositioning girls in 1892, but he may have been suffering mental or physical problems as he died eight months later.

Howard's wife Mary Stokes was born 13 Feb 1851 to Edward Halsworth Stokes and Nancy Stiles. Philadelphia was her mother's home and the family moved back to Philadelphia from New York where Edward had made his fortune in textiles years before Mary's birth and that of her elder brother, Edward S Stokes.

Publications

Bahai.media has a related page: Howard MacNutt

Edited

• 1899 - Behá‘U’lláh by Ibrahim George Kheiralla
• 1902 - Bahá’í Proofs by Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl
• 1904 - English Translation of the Kitáb-i-Íqán (with Ali Kuli Khan)
• 1922 - The Promulgation of Universal Peace: Compilation of talks given by ‘Abdu’l-Bahá

Written

• 1905 - Unity Through Love
• 1926? - "The Baha'i Leaven" (postumously published in 1930)

External links

• Howard MacNutt on WikiTree - family tree