Philip Sprague

Philip G. Sprague
Born	January 1, 1899 New York City, New York
Died	September 23, 1951 Wilton, Connecticut
NSA member	US & Canada 1944 - 1948 USA 1948 - 1950
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Philip Goddard Sprague (January 1, 1899 - September 23, 1951) was an American Bahá'í who served on the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, and also on the Local Spiritual Assembly of New York, often as Chairman.

Biography

Philip was born in New York City to Dr. Shirley and Marguerite Morette Sprague. He was introduced to the Faith as a child by his Aunt, Carrie Kinney, and in 1912 he met ‘Abdu’l-Bahá during his visit to America. He received Tablets from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in 1919 and 1920, one of which encouraged him to go into business.

Philip taught the Faith primarily to youth and young adults via firesides which had wide attendance. From 1926 to 1929 he assisted Keith Ransom-Kehler and Dorothy Champ in holding firesides in Harlem. In 1928 he went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land where he met Shoghi Effendi, and in March 1929 he presented notes taken during his pilgrimage at a meeting of the National Spiritual Assembly in New York City and delivered two rugs and two copies of the Greatest Name entrusted to him by Shoghi Effendi. He also spoke on his pilgrimage at the 1929 National Convention.

In 1933 Philip met with Local Assemblies to assist with an appeal for funds for the construction of the House of Worship. In 1934 Philip taught at the Louhelen Summer School. Also in 1934 Philip wrote to the National Spiritual Assembly to ask them to have the Race Amity Committee strongly encourage Local Assemblies to engage in work to improve race relations, expressing a concern that some were compromising the ideals of the Faith due to public opinion. As of 1935 Philip was serving as Regional Teaching Representative for New York City, Lower New York State, New Jersey, and Eastern Pennsylvania. In 1935 Philip wrote to the Guardian, expressing a wish to radically reorganize his business in accordance with the Bahá'í Writings, and he received the following reply from his secretary:

"With regard to your wish for reorganizing your business along Bahá'í lines, Shoghi Effendi deeply appreciates the spirit that has permitted you to make such a suggestion. But he nevertheless feels that the time has not yet come for any believer to bring about such a fundamental change in the economic structure of our society, however restricted may be the field for such an experiment. The economic teachings of the Cause, though well known in their main outline, have not as yet been sufficiently elaborated and systematized to allow anyone to make an exact and thorough application of them even on a restricted scale."

By 1936 Philip was serving as Secretary of the Regional Teaching Committee for New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. He was appointed to the Green Acre Program Committee and Radio Committee in 1936. In 1938 he was appointed to a Green Acre Youth Week Committee. During the Seven Year Plan, which began in 1937, he assisted in the goals of the plan by helping settle pioneers in every state in North America.

Philip conducting a fireside in Buenos Aires.

In 1940 Philip visited South America to teach the Faith, spending six months in Buenos Aires from September 1940 to February 1941, establishing study classes which grew to have seventy attendees during his time there. He gave sixteen talks on local radio while in Buenos Aires. He also visited Rio de Janeiro while in South America. He met Mary Keene Manero on the ship back to the United States, and they later married. In 1942 Philip made a three month teaching trip to South America, and funded the translation of some Bahá'í literature into Spanish around this time. In August 1942 Philip taught at Geyserville Bahá'í School, and he taught at Green Acre in 1943. He chaired the 1943 National Convention, and spoke on his experiences in South America. He was appointed to the Centenary Committee, responsible for organizing the 1944 Centenary celebrations, in 1943.

In 1944 Philip was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada. In 1945 he was elected Treasurer of the Assembly. In 1948 the National Spiritual Assembly of the U.S. and Canada was disbanded, with independent Assemblies for the two countries being formed. Philip was elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of the United States, and elected as inaugural Treasurer of the body. That year he helped secure tax exempt status for the Louhelen Bahá'í School property. His service on the National Assembly ended in 1950.

Philip had struggled with illness for much of his life, and in 1951 he passed in Wilton, Connecticut, in his early 50s. Shoghi Effendi sent the following cable after his passing:

"Heart filled (with) sorrow (at) premature passing (of) staunch, exemplary, greatly admired, dearly loved Sprague. Memory (of his) notable services (as) teacher, administrator (in) North (and) Latin America imperishable, recompense (in) Abhá Kingdom bountiful. Praying ardently (for) progress (of his) soul."

References

• Obituary published in Bahá'í World, Vol. 12, pp 698-699.

Notes

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