Navigation
In other projects
Learn more
Core topics
Bahá’í Faith
Central Figures
Teachings
Practices

William Hoar

From Bahaipedia
William Hoar
BornMarch 22, 1856
Nova Scotia, Canada
DiedJanuary 9, 1922
Fanwood, New Jersey, United States
NSA memberBahá’í Temple Unity
1909 - 1911
Appointed byShoghi Effendi
 Media

William H. Hoar (March 22, 1856 - January 9, 1922) was one of the earliest American Bahá'ís. He was named as a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá‎ by Shoghi Effendi.[1]

Life[edit]

William was born in Nova Scotia, Canada. His father, John Hoar, was Irish and his mother, Elizabeth Keigan, was Canadian. They immigrated to America in 1863.[2] William married Anna Mason at Sixth Avenue Baptist Church in Brooklyn in 1889, and their two children Dorothy and Helen were born while they were living in New York.[3]

William first heard of the Faith there from Reverend Henry H. Jessup at the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago in 1893, and enrolled in a class on the Faith taught by Ibrahim George Kheiralla in Chicago shortly after. Kheiralla, who later broke the Covenant, taught the Faith in a series of lessons that culminated in students "receiving the Greatest name". William completed the lessons on January 31st, 1896, making him approximately the eleventh American Bahá'í.[4][5] He met Thornton Chase at Kheiralla's class and they became close friends. He later said that "Chicago is to me the house of my father."[6]

In late 1897 he moved from Chicago to Fanwood, New Jersey and opened a sanatorium. He served on the towns Council for two years, and eventually became the Mayor, serving three terms from 1912 to 1917.[7][8] As of December 1897 William was business partners with Bahá’ís Thornton Chase and Arthur P. Dodge in the Standard Motive Power Company.[9]

In 1900 he went on pilgrimage to 'Akka from September 26th to October 9th, and studied under ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl, gaining an in-depth knowledge of the Faith. Many misrepresentations of the Faith that Kheiralla had taught were corrected during this time.[10]

A 'Board of Counsel' for the New York Bahá'í community was established shortly after William returned to America on December 7 1900 in response to a group formed by Kheiralla who had broken the Covenant, and William was elected as one of the nine inaugural members.[11] The Board was a precursor to the Local Spiritual Assembly of New York.

In 1906 he raised funds for an American to undertake a teaching trip to India on the instructions of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, and Hooper Harris was able to visit India later that year. Harris visited 'Akka en route to India and reported that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá spoke highly of William, and displayed a photograph of him in his quarters.

In 1907 William was involved in a dispute with a fellow Fanwood resident. He purchased some slag that was left over from the construction of town sidewalks so that he could construct a sidewalk on his own property. As the slag was being transported Street Commissioner C. R. Vincent stopped the cart by grabbing the bridle of the horse, as he was unaware that William had purchased the slag legitimately. This resulted in a physical altercation, and the Fanwood Police Chief pressed assault charges on Vincent's behalf.

Vincent, who had been Williams neighbour for some time, immediately withdrew the assault charge at the trial, resulting in a round of applause. Hoare then addressed the court stating the following:

"My heart is overflowing with thanks and gratitude, and I wish to say now, in the sight of God, we are brothers. What I have suffered since I struck my brother in a passion of mad anger no one knows but myself. When this thing has blown over I will go to Mr. Vincent and say 'I am sorry.' I thank you again for this manifestation of your confidence ... I have lived here over twelve years ... and I have a right to a good name. I thank you for giving it back to me. This blow was struck in the heat of anger, and I am sorry for it."

This statement resulted in wild applause, with someone ringing a fire bell and another person setting off a skyrocket. Vincent then addressed the court, saying the following:

"I regret that there have been strained relations between Mr. Hoar and myself. I have longed for his neighborliness. Oh how I have longed for it! I am overjoyed that this matter has been settled amicably."

The Mayor of Fanwood then gave a statement, and Hoar and Vincent shook hands.[12]

In 1909 the Executive Board of Bahá'í Temple Unity, a National Administrative body for the American Bahá'í community which became the National Assembly, was established at the first United States National Bahá'í Convention, and William was elected as an inaugural member.[13] He served on the Board until 1911.[14][15] In 1910 William was appointed as Chair of a Committee to audit the Treasury of the Board, which found that the finances were in order.[16][17] He was appointed auditor of the Boards finances again in 1913.[18]

William served as President of the Persian-American Educational Society when it was established in October 1909.[19] The Society aimed to provide education in Iran that was in accordance with Western standards by funding schools and providing scholarships to students.[20][21] As of 1913 he was a participant the the organizations scholarship program, using his own money to provide scholarships for Persian students.[22]

When ‘Abdu’l-Bahá came to America he visited Hoar in Fanwood on May 31st, 1912, speaking at a public meeting in the morning and giving an address at Town Hall in the afternoon before returning to New York City. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá was encouraged to spend a few days in the village, with the reasoning that the country air would be beneficial. ‘Abdu’l-Bahá replied, "We have no time for amusement. We must engage ourselves in the service of the Threshold of God."

‘Abdu’l-Bahá hosted William and his family for dinner in New York on July 8 and met with William and other Bahá'ís from New Jersey in New York on November 17. On November 19 William and others met with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá and were encouraged to reconcile their differences with Howard MacNutt.[23]

William chaired the first session of the Bahá'í Congress held in Wilmette in 1918.[24] In 1920 he was appointed to the Committee on Permanent Organization.[25] He became ill in 1921, and his illness was worsened when he heard the news of the Ascension of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. He passed away due to chronic myocarditis in his home in Fanwood a few months later. Both an Episcopalian and a Bahá'í service were held at his funeral.

Family[edit]

William's eldest daughter Dorothy was born in May, 1890.[26] Like her father she participated in the Persian-American Educational Societies scholarship program in the early 1900's, personally funding scholarships for Persian students.[27] She moved from Fanwood to Morristown, New Jersey with her mother after William passed away and lived with her until at least 1940.[28][29]

William's younger daughter Helen was born in 1894.[30] She attended the Southern Female School in Petersburg, Virginia.[31] She married Albert Bicknell Smith in the Hoare family home in Fanwood on October 17th, 1919.[32]

References[edit]

Bahai.media has a related page: Category:William H. Hoar

Notes[edit]

  1. ↑ Baha'i World, Vol. 3, p 84
  2. ↑ https://familysearch.org/pal:/MM9.1.1/KD5P-KNJ
  3. ↑ http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspaper%2014/New%20York%20NY%20Herald/New%20York%20NY%20Herald%201889/New%20York%20NY%20Herald%201889%20-%202697.pdf
  4. ↑ Ruhe-Schoen, Janet A Love Which Does Not Wait, 1998, Palabra Publications, p 13
  5. ↑ https://bahai-library.com/stockman_hoar
  6. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 5, p 54
  7. ↑ http://www.fultonhistory.com/Newspapers%206/New%20York%20NY%20Evening%20Telegram/New%20York%20NY%20Evening%20Telegram%201922%20Jan%20-%20Feb%20%20Grayscale/New%20York%20NY%20Evening%20Telegram%201922%20Jan%20-%20Feb%20%20Grayscale%20-%200179.pdf
  8. ↑ http://news.rootsweb.com/th/read/NJUNION/2001-02/0983405322
  9. ↑ Stockman, Robert (1985). Origins 1892–1900. The Bahá'í Faith in America. 1. Wilmette, Ill.: Bahá'í Publishing Trust of the United States. ISBN 978-0-87743-199-2. pp39, 209
  10. ↑ https://bahai-library.com/stockman_hoar
  11. ↑ Ahdieh, Hussein; Chapman, Hillary, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá in New York, 2012, ISBN 978-0-9698024-4-0, p 98
  12. ↑ http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9F03E5DB133EE033A25757C2A9639C946697D6CF
  13. ↑ Baha'i Bulletin, No. 6, p 4
  14. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 1, p 23
  15. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 2, p 15
  16. ↑ Star of the West, 1(4), p 18
  17. ↑ Star of the West, 1(4), p 21
  18. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 4, p 133
  19. ↑ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1910-01-09/ed-1/seq-8.pdf
  20. ↑ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1911-04-30/ed-1/seq-26.pdf
  21. ↑ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1912-04-18/ed-1/seq-7.pdf
  22. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 4, p 222
  23. ↑ Sobhani, Mohi, Maḥmúd’s Diary, George Ronald, Oxford, 1998, ISBN 978-0-85398-418-4, p 161, 397 & 400-401
  24. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 9, p 42
  25. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 10, p 326
  26. ↑ http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hoar_and_horr&id=I285
  27. ↑ Star of the West, Vol. 4, p 222
  28. ↑ Baha'i World, Vol. 6, p 520
  29. ↑ Baha'i World, Vol. 8, p 705
  30. ↑ http://wc.rootsweb.ancestry.com/cgi-bin/igm.cgi?op=GET&db=hoar_and_horr&id=I285
  31. ↑ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83045433/1911-05-21/ed-1/seq-34.pdf
  32. ↑ http://chroniclingamerica.loc.gov/lccn/sn83030431/1919-10-19/ed-1/seq-17.pdf
Retrieved from "https://bahaipedia.org/index.php?title=William_Hoar&oldid=112755"
Powered by MediaWiki