Robert Moul
Robert Moul | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Born | March 17, 1924 Milwaukee, Wisconsin |
| Died | April 4, 1996 Boulder City, Nevada |
| LSA member | Ketchikan, Alaska 1956 - ???? Douglas, Alaska 1962 - ???? Aua, Samoa Honolulu, Hawaii Boulder City, Nevada ???? - 1996 |
| NSA member | Alaska 1957 - 1970 Samoa ???? - ???? |
Robert ‘Pat’ E. Moul (March 17, 1924 - April 4, 1996) was an American Baha’i who pioneered to Alaska, American Samoa and Hawaii and served as the first Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska. His nickname was Pat because he was born on St. Patrick's Day.
Life[edit]
Robert was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin in 1924. He studied Business Psychology at the University of Wisconsin and joined the US Navy after graduating, reaching the rank of Lieutenant, Junior Grade. He was to be deployed to Japan in 1945, however the end of WWII came first. After the war he moved to Chicago where he joined the National Youth Committee, even though he had not yet officially become a Bahá'í, despite his parents being Bahá'í's. He declared in the early 1950's
He was appointed to the Editorial Committee of Baha’i News in 1952, and married Georgine on October 26 in Evanston in the same year.[1] He served on the Editorial Committee in Illinois until 1953 when he pioneered to Alaska with Georgine, arriving in Anchorage on October 21, 1953 and then moving to Ketchikan in February 1954.[2][3] They received the following letter from the Holy Land commending their decision to move to Ketchikan in May 1954:
"Dear Bahá’í Friends:
Your letter of March 19th has been received by the beloved Guardian, and he has instructed me to answer you on his behalf.
He is delighted to see that you are in one of the goal cities in Alaska, and that you have been joined by Miss Meyer. He feels sure that this nucleus will soon attract to itself sufficient new Bahá’ís to create a Spiritual Assembly. He urges you to persevere, and assures you of his prayers for your success.
With warm Bahá’í greetings,
Ketchikan was one of five Cities that the Alaska Teaching Committee had designated a goal of the Ten Year Crusade, and by moving there Robert had fulfilled the Committees request that the city be settled by Ridvan 1954. A Local Spiritual Assembly of Ketchikan was established in 1956 with Robert and Georgine being elected members.[6] Robert and Georgine also visited Yukon to teach the Faith in June 1955, and Robert visited Yukon again in September 1957 on his own.[7]
In 1957 Moul attended the first National Convention of Alaska, and was elected as Chairman of the Convention. He was also elected to the first National Spiritual Assembly of Alaska as Chairman at the Convention.[8] After the convention Robert, and four other members of the new Assembly, pioneered to goal areas in Alaska, with Robert deciding to pioneer to Douglas, in southeast Alaska.[9] A Local Spiritual Assembly of Douglas was established in 1962 with Robert and Georgine being elected members.[10]
In May 1958 Robert represented Alaska at the Chicago Intercontinental Conference.[11] He delivered a talk about his experiences in Alaska, including the support the community had received:
”To give you an example of the Guardian’s inspiring leadership: when we heard that the Fund for the Haziratu’l-Quds had been spontaneously started with a contribution of thirty-five dollars, he cabled five hundred pounds for it. The impact of the institution of the Hands of the Cause, and of the teaching work of Florence Mayberry as Auxiliary Board member was electrifying.”[12]
Robert was a member of the Juneau Summer School Committee, and taught a session on the Ten Year Crusade, and a session on the Institution of the Hands of the Cause at the second School in 1959.[13]
In 1970 Robert and Georgine pioneered to American Samoa and established a print and stationary shop that Robert managed. Robert was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of Samoa and the Local Spiritual Assembly of Aua.
Robert became ill in 1974 and the Mouls sold their shop and moved to Guam, where Robert and Georgine were elected to the Local Spiritual Assembly of Yona and held regular firesides. They moved to Hawa'ii in 1978 and both Robert and Georgine were elected to the Honolulu Local Spiritual Assembly. They served on the Assembly until 1985, when they both retired as Georgine was in poor health. Georgine passed away on March 21, 1986.[14]
Robert served on the Honolulu LSA again after Georgine's passing, also serving as the Honolulu Bahá'í communities librarian. In 1994 he planned to pioneer to the Caribbean, but he became ill and moved to Boulder City, Nevada instead. He was elected as Chairman of the Boulder City Local Spiritual Assembly after arriving and served on the body until his passing in 1996.
His grave is in Boulder City Cemetery.[15]
References[edit]
- Bahá'í World, In Memoriam 1992-1997 Insert, p 293, edited by Paul Vreeland, Haifa: Bahá’í World Centre, 2010: https://bahai-library.com/bahai_world_memoriam_1992-1997
Notes[edit]
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 664, p 11
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 259, p 12
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 281, p 4
- ↑ http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/HE/he-72.html
- ↑ http://reference.bahai.org/en/t/se/HE/he-107.html
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 306, p 14
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 345, p 17
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 316, p 8
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 322
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 386, p 11
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 325, p 20
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 329, p 10
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 343, p 12
- ↑ Baha’i News, No. 664, p 11
- ↑ https://billiongraves.com/grave/Robert-Pat-Moul/4527559
