University of Manitoba
The University of Manitoba is a public university in Winnipeg, Canada. Founded in 1877, it was the first institution for higher education in western Canada. It offers a total of 79 programs granting degrees, diplomas and certificates, 51 of these being undergraduate programs. The university's Distance Education is widely recognized.[1]
Dr. Ross Woodman, later to become a member of the National Spiritual Assembly of Canada, was a student at the University of Manitoba in the 1940s. During this time, he published the first article on the Bahá’í Faith to appear in student newspapers.[2]
Coverage of the Bahá’í Faith in The Manitoban[edit]
The Manitoban is the student newspaper of the University of Manitoba. Starting in 1943 it had several stories on the religion.
The first known story in the paper mentioning the Bahá'ís comes with "Religion in the Modern world" by Ross Woodman, Oct 8, 1943, p. 2.[3] It is a broad review of the religion including twelve principles and various fundamentals. Woodman's article and world view were challenged Oct 13th.[4] Woodman would continue to be active in the summer in Baha'i circles[5] and chaired a committee on promulgating the religion on university campuses in 1947.[6]
Part I of articles of a Baha'i column began Nov 15, 1946 with "Looks at History" by "R.W" (quite possibly Ross Woodman still.)[7] Part II was published Nov 19.[8]
Following up was an article about the coming up appearance of two presenters for the religion on Nov 25th - Emeric Sala and E. Rice-Wray.[9] The next edition has a reaction and a brief reaction to the reaction. First (probably) "Mr. Jaenen" (but clearly "C. J. J.") responds with Christian criticisms,[10] to which someone replies in the top left of the page briefly.[11]
Archives of the newspaper are limited. Modern comments on the religion in the newspaper are found in it's current web presence:
- Feb 2010 "Why our generation must support Israel" about supporting Israel in a conflict ultimately with Iran and mentions the Bahá'ís suffering in Iran.[12]
- Sept. 2010 a "Letter to the Editor" responds to another article that didn't actually mention the religion but the theme followed supporting Israel.[13]
- Aug, 2011 follows a conciliatory approach to both "sides" mentioning the Iranians should be at peace with Bahá'ís.[14]
- Oct 2011 the same author underscores the failures to approach peace and the severe suffering of people.[15]
- Feb 2013 the writer summarizes a list of religion-on-religion violence and the Bahá'ís in iran.[16]
Woodman would eventually serve on the Canadian National Spiritual Assembly, and after many years of service[17] and publishing,[18][19] died in March 2014.[20]
References[edit]
- ↑ "University of Manitoba". www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca. The Canadian Encyclopedia. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "The passing of Dr. Ross Woodman". Canadian Bahá’í News Service. Retrieved 17 March 2025.
- ↑ "Religion in the Modern world", by Ross Woodman in The Manitoban, Oct 8, 1943, p. 2, middle columns top and to the right
- ↑ "Letter to the Editor", by David McKee, The Manitoban, Oct 13, 1943, p. 2, most of the 5th column
- ↑ "Meetings for the Public", Baha'i News, June 1946, No 184, p. 9
- ↑ "Winnipeg public meeting exceeds all expectations", Baha'i News, January 1947, No 192, p. 5-6
- ↑ "Baha'i: Looks at History", The Manitoban, "Passing in Review" section, Nov 15, 1946, p. 6-7 from 2nd col below middle for a three columns then next page
- ↑ "Baha'i Looks at history", by R.W., in The Manitoban, p. 7, left columns
- ↑ Exponents of a new faith, The Manitoban, Nov 22, 1946, p. 3, far right top
- ↑ "Answer: The wrong trumpet", by "C. J. J.", The Manitoban, Dec 6, 1946, p. 6, far right
- ↑ Letter from the Editor - Review of the Reviews, The Manitoban, Dec 6, 1946, p. 6, far top left
- ↑ "Why our generation must support Israel", by Spencer Fernando, The Manitoban, Feb 8, 2010
- ↑ "Letters to the Editor", by Paul Meyerson, The Manitoban, Sept 8, 2010
- ↑ "Practice and preach fraternity", by Shuja Safavi, The Manitoban, Aug. 17, 2011
- ↑ "A tragic situation", by Shuja Safavi, Oct 5, 2011
- ↑ "Freedom of religion", by Spencer Fernando, Feb 27, 2013
- ↑ Will C. van den Hoonaard (30 October 2010). The Origins of the Bahá’í Community of Canada, 1898-1948. Wilfrid Laurier Univ. Press. pp. at least 70, 153, 192, 270–272, 313. ISBN 978-1-55458-706-3.
- ↑ Ross Greig Woodman (1996). Crystallizations: 20 Works by Bahá'í Artists. Association for Bahai Studies/Association d'etudes Bahaies. ISBN 978-0-920904-29-9.
- ↑ The Role of the Feminine in the Bahá'í Faith, by Ross Woodman, published in Journal of Bahá'í Studies, 7:2, Ottawa: Association for Baha'i Studies North America, 1995
- ↑ "The passing of Dr. Ross Woodman", Canadian baha'i News Service, 27 March 2014
