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Kaubab H. (Hubertha) A. MacCutcheon

Biography

Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota

Hubertha MacCutcheon's parents and upbringing remain unknown. The available record begins with mention of her in some phonebook entries for Hubertha A. MacCutcheon in St. Paul in 1912-1914, listed as a bookkeeper with a company in Minneapolis.” In 1913 MacCutcheon wrote two letters to Nebraska state auditor W. B. Howard, "because of (his) efforts in the cause of international peace", (which he did support,) as secretary of group of the Bahá'ís about the religion and 'Abdu’l-Bahá. The address was also the site of an observance for Ridvan for the religion in 1914. Bahá'ís had been in the news as early as 1905, formed a community in 1909, with some 15 people. The religion had been introduced locally when former City Clerk of eight years, Charles F. Haney, retired, and family had visited from New York by 1903, including prominent lawyer Albert H. Hall, also son of a preacher, Fred Mortensen, and others; the membership had reached about 6 by 1906, and Hall was the delegate to the national convention in 1909.

In 1912 coverage of 'Abdu'l-Bahá in America included locally in Minneapolis, and that he was coming to the area. Mortensen was represented by Hall as his public defender and was changed by Hall's approach to him and excited to immediately go see 'Abdu'l-Bahá. In August 1912 Mortensen rode the railway to see 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and in mid-September 'Abdu'l-Bahá came to town, with newspaper coverage. He spoke before audiences totaling about a thousand in town, and pictures were taken in Loring Park - with the Halls, McCutcheon, and others. Although it had to be sourced from Nebraska, antagonistic comments were echoed locally.

In 1915, Howard Colby Ives came to town to aid in raising relief for the Armenians, though without public comment on the Faith, and Albert Hall gave a talk at a New Thought conference in 1916. Following this, regular community meetings were advertised in town, initially hosted at the Unitarian church, and then at the Northwestern National Life Insurance Company building. In November Mary Hanford Ford spent a protracted period giving talks on into December. Regular community meetings continued. By March 1917, 'Abdu’l-Bahá was offering condolences to MacCutcheon on the death of her parents and brother. Hall was the community delegate to the national convention that year. Ford returned in late June.

Chicago, Illinois

MacCutcheon was added to the national Publications Committee set to creating a collection of Bahá'í publications in 1918. In September news arrived in Minneapolis that 'Abdu'l-Bahá was safe. He was soon back in touch and in a Tablet composed May 31, 1919, addressing MacCutcheon, referring to her as Kobab "Star", and her requests - that she was seeking to be of service now that her mother, father and brother have all died. He suggests she has a meetings in her home, and though she had asked to go on pilgrimage, 'Abdu'l-Bahá said to remain; perhaps she can establish a school for children. In a letter translated in July 1919 and sent to Mrs. True in Chicago for MacCutcheon, 'Abdu'l-Bahá says she should continue to associate with Mrs. True and contribute to work raising the Bahá'í House of Worship, to present unity of white and colored peoples but that the races are just colors. In November, a comment in Minneapolis said that William Sulzer was going to present on the Bahá'ís.

At the annual convention of 1920, MacCutcheon was elected secretary of one of the sessions. In mid-April, an unnamed tablet appears to have been circulated and names a mission for MacCutcheon to “do special welfare work among colored children in Chicago” - and this is picked up by a black newspaper agency and circulated. She became known for her work reaching the Black community. In September, MacCutcheon was also present when drilling for the Temple when it reached bedrock after the community raised extra funds in the summer.

Of uncertain date, she was pictured in Chicago with blacks.

In 1923, MacCutcheon is mentioned at the national convention as having introduced updated bookkeeping for fundraising for the Bahá'í Temple. She also spoke in Kenosha on the Bahá'í teaching of equality between the genders.

Back and forth

In 1926, Roy C. Wilhelm spoke in Minneapolis, followed in 1927 by MacCutcheon is visible in Minneapolis giving Bahá'í lectures at the Radisson Hotel from after mid-May, mid-June, and into mid-July.

MacCutcheon offered Esperanto lessons called "Scrap Book Course for Beginners" in the Chicago Defender in Spring-Summer 1928. Mentions continued until she authored an article on Esperanto - she referred to the Zamenhof founding of Esperanto and developing it, the 1910 Esperanto Congress in DC, 1915 Congress in San Francisco, other meetings, Bible translations, radio stations around the world and classes being done. In 1929, Keith Ransom-Kehler also came to town for a series of meetings.

Back in Minneapolis

In 1930, MacCutcheon returned to Minneapolis, giving talks in early March giving talks on Numerology, (see Orcella Rexford.)

In 1931, she contributed the poem "Spring" for the Songs of the Spirit collection, and Zia Bagdadi came to present a talk.

In 1932, she is listed in a St. Paul phonebook as an auditor on Beaumont St.

In 1933, she returns to her interest in Esperanto in a letter to the editor in Minneapolis. She is also noted as a member of the Minneapolis Assembly for 1933-34. Orcella Rexford returned to the area in 1933, though there weren't public mentions of her Bahá'í status; she was in the area for a couple of months.

The date is uncertain, but between 1930 and 1940, MacCutcheon took a writing class with Mabel H. Oren, who taught creative writing during that period, and kept some of MacCutcheon’s poems. In 1935, well-known Bahá'ís Ali Kuli Khan, his wife, and others came to town for talks on the Faith.

In 1936, MacCutcheon was mentioned off to the national convention, living at 3407 Harriet Ave. She was the delegate from the state.

In April 1937, Bahá'ís observed the 25th anniversary of the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to the area, with a reported 150 members of the area community, Mrs. Howard Colby Ives stopped by to give a talk in June, and then in July Bahá'ís observed the Martyrdom of the Báb at Gayle Woolson home with a talk MacCutcheon. That year the St. Paul and Minneapolis communities held a joint meeting. In 1938, the Spiritual Assembly of Minneapolis incorporated with MacCutcheon as a member. In 1939, MacCutcheon received a letter on behalf of Shoghi Effendi to Kaukab H. A. McCutcheon, dated January 26, 1939, and a summarized in a letter from Ruth Moffett. In September, the Bahá'ís held an open meeting, and MacCutcheon was part of the inter-assembly meeting at the home of Charles S. Frink to commemorate the visit of 'Abdu'l-Bahá to Minneapolis.

A poem of hers, “Vacant city lot,” was anthologized in “Minneapolis skyline” by Nan Fitzgerald, published by Colwell Press, in 1940. Baha'i meetings were advertised in the community that year.

In 1941, the community observance of the Birth of the Báb was led by MacCutcheon. There was also an observance of the Birth of Bahá'u'lláh. The year closed out with notice of Louis G. Gregory coming to town.

16 Bahá'ís attended the centenary observance of the religion at the Bahá'í House of Worship in 1944. That year Hilda Yen also spoke at the Bahá'í Center, the first mention of one, and at the University.

MacCutcheon is not mentioned again in sources identified until her death in February 1948, published in April.

Posthumous

Remembered with a donation to the national fund.

She’s mentioned in.