Willard Hatch

Willard P. Hatch

Willard Packard Hatch (July 6, 1878 - July 7, 1960) was an early American Bahá’í who served as a travel teacher from at least the 1900s to the 1930s and served on the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles.

Biography[edit]

Hatch was born in Derby, Vermont, in 1878.[1] As of the early 1900's he had become a Bahá’í and was actively engaged in travel teaching in California,[2] and he was friends with Thornton Chase.[3] In 1912 he stayed up for an entire night with Hyde Dunn and another Bahá’í praying that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá would visit California during His tour of the West with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá having a cable sent advising he would visit the state the following day.[4]

In 1928 Martha Root offered a brooch she had been given by Queen Marie of Romania towards funds for the construction of the House of Worship being constructed in Wilmette, Illinois, and Hatch purchased the brooch.[5] The same year he began collecting and editing letters written by Thornton Chase that related to the Faith.[6]

In 1931 Hatch went on pilgrimage where he met with Shoghi Effendi and donated the brooch from Queen Marie to the International Archives of the Faith.[5] After returning to America from pilgrimage he toured the country sharing news from the Guardian with the community and speaking on the Institution of the Guardianship.[7] He continued travel teaching in the 1930's and also exchanged correspondence with Shoghi Effendi notably receiving a letter which clarified that Bahá’ís should not consider themselves limited to either teaching or administrating the Faith and could fulfil both functions.[8][9][10]

Hatch remained an active Bahá’í into his later life and was serving as secretary of the Local Spiritual Assembly of Los Angeles as of 1950.[11] He passed away in Los Angeles in 1960 and he was buried in Inglewood Park Cemetery.[12]

References[edit]

  1. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/161601865/willard-packard-hatch
  2. ↑ Ramona Allen Brown, Memories of 'Abdu'l-Baha, NSA of the United States, 1980, p 10
  3. ↑ O. Z. Whitehead, Some Early Baha'is of the West, George Ronald: Oxford, 1976, p 1
  4. ↑ Barron Harper, Lights of Fortitude, George Ronald: Oxford, 1997, p 54
  5. ↑ 5.0 5.1 Baha'i News (1973). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 504, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  6. ↑ Baha'i News Letter (1928). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 22, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  7. ↑ Doris McKay with Paul Vreeland, Fire in Many Hearts, Nine Pines Publishing, 1993, p 171
  8. ↑ Baha'i News (1931). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 56, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  9. ↑ Baha'i News (1932). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 67, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
  10. ↑ Baha'i News (1932). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 62, Pg(s) 20. View as PDF.
  11. ↑ Baha'i News (1973). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States. No 503, Pg(s) 2. View as PDF.
  12. ↑ https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/161601865/willard-packard-hatch
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