Willard McKay
Willard McKay (d. June 4, 1966) was an American Bahá'í who pioneered to Canada in the 1940's. He and his wife, Doris, were particularly devoted to the elimination of prejudice, and Willard toured the southern United States with Louis Gregory to promote racial unity.
Background[edit]
Willard owned a successful fruit farm near Geneva, New York. He met Doris Hill in 1923 while she was teaching in Geneva and they married in June. In early 1925 they attended a fireside held by Howard Colby Ives and they became Bahá'ís soon afterwards.[1]
In December 1929 the McKay's undertook an extensive teaching tour, teaching the Faith in Binghamton, New York, Philadelphia, Washington, Baltimore, Boston, Portsmouth, Montreal, and Buffalo.[2] In 1931 Willard conducted a teaching tour in the south of the United States with Louis Gregory, the first trip to the area made by a mixed raced teaching team.[3] By 1932 Willard had been appointed to the Bahá'í Economics Committee, which aimed to compile quotes from the Bahá'í writings relevant to economics.[4] In 1934 he was appointed to the Publicity Committee of the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada.[5]
In March 1940 Doris and Willard conducted a teaching trip to Hamilton, Ontario.[6] They taught a session together at the 1940 Green Acre Summer School titled Points of Approach.[7] In 1941 they decided to teach the Faith in the Maritime Provinces of Canada,[8] and pioneered to Moncton, New Brunswick.[9][10] They both served on the inaugural Local Spiritual Assembly of Prince Edward Island when it was founded in 1944.[11] In 1947 Willard conducted a teaching tour of Canada, visiting sixteen Bahá'í communities, and stressing the need for pioneers. He delivered a talk to over 100 people in Toronto.[12]
He passed away in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island in 1966, and was survived by his wife, Doris.[13]
References[edit]
- ↑ Bahá'í World, In Memoriam 1992-1997 Insert, ISBN 978-0-87743-357-6, p 31
- ↑ Baha'i News Letter (1930). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 40, Pg(s) 13. View as PDF.
- ↑ Willard McKay, Vol. 16, p 75
- ↑ Baha'i News (1932). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 62, Pg(s) 10. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1934). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 85, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1940). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 136, Pg(s) 15. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1940). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 135, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1941). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 147, Pg(s) 7. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1943). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 161, Pg(s) 5. View as PDF.
- ↑ Baha'i News (1944). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 167, Pg(s) 4. View as PDF.
- ↑ Bahá'í News, US Supplement, No. 103, p 3
- ↑ Baha'i News (1947). National Spiritual Assembly of the Bahá’ís of the United States and Canada. No 197, Pg(s) 8. View as PDF.
- ↑ Bahá'í News, US Supplement, No. 103, p 3
