# Artemus Lamb, 1905-1998

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-19 — 1 clipping.*

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> Source: Bahá'í Library Online (bahai-library.com), curated by Jonah Winters. Used by permission of the curator. Original citation: Quentin Farrand, Artemus Lamb, 1905-1998, bahai-library.com.
> ──────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
> 
> "~
> 
> To All National Spiritual Assemblies of the Americas
> To Members of the Continental Board of Counselors
> And to Friends of Artemus Lamb
> 
> Dear Friends:
> 
> I am sending the enclosed article on Artemus Lamb.       in
> Spanish and English. to your institutions and to friends who
> fondly remember him. I am doing this directly at the request of
> Counselor Rodrigo Tomas. You may, of course. use this as you
> deem best and make as many copies as you wish or use in national
> or local buletins.
> With loving greetings,
> 
> Quentin Farrand ABM, El Salvador
> 
> A Todas las Asambleas Espirituales de las Americas
> A Miembros del Cuerpo Continental de Consejeros
> Y a Amigos de Artemus Lamb
> Estimados Amigos:
> 
> Estoy enviando el articulo adjunto sobre Artemus Lamb, en
> espanol e  ingles~ a  sus inatituciones y a amigos quienes 10
> recuerden con car1no.     Hago esto directamente al pedido del
> Consejero Rodrigo Tomas.     Pueden, por supuesto, uaarlo como
> consideren mejor y hacer tantas copias como desean 0 usar en
> boletines nacionales 0 locales.
> 
> Con Amorosos saludos,
> 
> ~*~~
> 9 Febrero 1998
> Calle Colima 26
> Quentin Farrand, MeA El Salvador
> 
> Colonia Miramonte
> San Salvador, El Salvador
> tel. (503) 260 1671
> 
> ARTEMUS LAMB. 1905-1998
> Artemus Lamb was a tireless. focused, utterly devoted
> servant of the Cause of Baha1u1llah, who during almost six
> decades profoundly contributed to the development of the Faith in
> r~tin America.  What many of the friends do not k~ow is that his
> life prior to his becomming a baha~i indicated precious little to
> suppose or anticipate his .sterling and selfless service.
> 
> He was born on January 20, 1905 into a prosperous and
> influential family in Clinton, Iowa, but his father drowned in
> the Mississippi River when Artemus was three months old. At the
> age of one year he was almost given up for dead from milk
> poisoning and this left his nervious system damaged through most
> of his childhood.     The only lasting effect was a life-long
> stammer. These early years were spent on a large property which
> included woods, meadows, lawns and several buildings and he spent
> much of his time roaming the land with his dogs.         He loved
> fishin~. riding, swimming, went to  dancing school and took piano
> lessons. He and his sister Valeria, were attended by maids and
> educated by tutors. He was sent off to . boarding school in
> Connecticut (Hotchkiss) at age 12 as hisá mother had married a~ain
> to one who could hide a weakness for alcohol, and she did not
> want her children to be exposed to that.        After prep school
> Artemus then went to Yale University where he graduated with a
> B.S. degree in 1927. These early years were very comfortable
> economically and he was active in upper social echelons.    During
> vacations at Yale he would go by boat to watch the French Tennis
> Open in Paris. He wore a racoon skin coat when it was the rage.
> He missed some morning classes in New Haven because he had spent
> the night with friends~n Manhattan nightclubs.        He was very
> attracted to the New York social and night life.
> 
> He and his family were nominal Episcopalians. but not
> regular church-goers. and on occasions he accompanied friends to
> various other places of worship. His mother was. very spiritual
> and hi~hly moral, but not a very churchy person. As a child his
> maid had him say prayers before going to bed and his tutor made
> him and his sister Valeria learn parts of the            Bible as
> literature. He did admire the Psalms and some parables for their
> messages.  In Boarding school chapel was obligatory, so to enjoy
> it he sang in the choir. He believed in God and called himself a
> Chriatian~ but religion simply did not play an important   role in
> his life.    And like most college students~ especially those
> majoring in science, he lost what little faith he had as he could
> not reconcile the common knowledge of religion with what he was
> learning in the classes, and he became a sceptic.
> After Yale his sister and her husband persuaded him to go to
> California with them instead of Oxford or Cambridge as he had
> planned and he enrolled in law school in USC. Later he went into
> 
> business and in 1929, married the daughter of a wealthy and
> prominent family.    He was active in the social lifo of Los
> Angeles and even played golf with douglas Fairbanks Jr. at the
> Beverly Hills Country Club. He had inherited from hiD father.
> his great aunt and his grandmother and at age 21 h~d considerable
> wealth.
> 
> Then in the great depression he lost his job and a great
> deal of money. He, like so many, was brought b~ck hard to earth
> after the roarin~ twenties.    Eventually he went into the oil
> production business, but that also failed.   His whole life went
> into. as he wrote:
> stage of confusion, difficul ties and finally
> ". _ . a
> cr~s~s.  It was as i f a m.vsteriol1s hand took hold of my
> life and turned it completely upside down. includin/t
> separation fz"om m,v wife and son "_
> 
> Valeria had meanwhile become a Baha~i and mentioned it to
> him.      Though he had no interest in religion of any kind. in this
> crisis of his life he was in ever closer contact with his sister
> and mother~ who had also become a believer.           He attended his
> first "fireside" and did not understand much of what was said but
> found the atmosphere very sincere      9     wholesome. friendly and
> jntelli~ent.      He began to read Baha"'i literature and found it. to
> his surprise, "moat interesting, educa tional, forward looking and
> insp.l.r.l.ng, very different from the usual religious literature".
> He then began a serious and careful investigation. and in 1939
> entered the Faith in Los Angeles. He writes:
> 
> "I áfe1t with all my heart and mind that this was what I had
> been born for and entered intoá complete service ".
> 
> With his sister and mother he transferred to Beverly Hills
> to form the first local Spiritual Assembly there. Later he went
> to Salt Lake City, Utah, and then in 1942, to Denver at the
> request of the National Teaching Committee,á to restore the
> Spiritual Assembly which had been lost.
> He had always been interested in new places, people and
> first-hand learning, and as a youth had t~avelled extensively in
> the U.S. and Canada.    After Yale he spent the following three
> summers in Europe. and then in 1938-9~ made a seven month tour
> around the world, but he knew nothing about Central and South
> America. Now as a Baha~i he sensed that he had a destiny in
> Latin America~ and began to study the culture and learn Spanish.
> His first teacher was the official translator of the Hormon
> Church in Salt Lake City.     He offered to pioneer anywhere in
> Latin America but the National Spiritual Assembly asked him to
> stay in the Western States until the .end of the First Seven Year
> Pla~ as there were still few Baha'is in that area.
> 
> The Guardian began to urge the NSA~f the U.S. to send a
> male pioneer to establish the Faith in Punta Arenas, Chile, on
> the Straits of Magellan, ,the southernmost city of the world. He
> was in touch with Marcia Stewart (Atwater), the first pioneer to
> Chile, who had written to the Guardian that Punta Arenas was more
> suitable for a man. Marcia also encouraged Artemus to go there,
> so at the National Convention of 1944, he offered to fill this
> ~oal and this time his offer was gratefully accepted.
> 
> While preparing to leave, another letter from the NSA
> explained that there were urgent problems in Ecuador and they
> wished him to go there first, and then, perhaps, to Punta Arenas.
> Artemus was overcome. He had promised to go to Punta Arenas to
> fulfill a special request of the Guardian, and felt that he was
> destined to ~o there. For several days he prayed for guidance
> and finally decided that for confirmation he should obey the
> National Assembly and leave everything in the hands of God.   The
> war was still on and air travel from the U.S. was impossible. By
> chance (1)    he saw in the Salt       Lake City newspaper the
> announcement of the last trip' of the Argentinian steamship "Mal"
> de Plata" up the Pacific cáoast, to Los Angeles and then back to
> Buenos Aires. He rushed to Los Angeles, got passage and in a few
> weeks embarked - ostensibly for Ecuador.
> 
> On the second or third day the boat stopped in Acapulco,
> Mexico~  and all the passengers went ashore.      Some time later
> walking back along the beach toward the ship. he noticed that the
> shore was lined with people and there was lots of smoke. He then
> saw the steamship was immersed in flames and had to be towed out
> and sunk. Everything he áhad was on that boat: passport. money,
> clothes, everything but what.he had on .and in his pocket.
> 
> He found himself in'astrange l~nd, with 'no possesoions but
> a   few traveler~s    cheques.     His first' reaction  was that
> Baha~uJllah   did not consider him worthy of the mission and that
> he should return home. He then realized that this was a test of
> his determination and that by whateváer means he should continue
> the journey.    The steamship company finally got them to Mexico
> City, returned the passage money and left them on their own. The
> U.S. Embassy replaced his passport and offered him travel to any
> point in South America. He cabled the Interamerican Committee in
> Wilmette recommending that he take advantage of the offer and fl,'
> to Santiago. Chile. by-passing Ecuador. They approved and aitá
> flights lasting five days and four niQhts he arrived in Santiago,
> and     later   went    to   Punta    Arenas.       He  comments:
> 
> "How to explain these m,vsterious events? I had taken
> the corz"ect spiz"i tual action. put all my affairs i17 the
> Hands of God.     been guided to take the Mar de Plata
> which later burned and sank.       thus bringing about mv
> arrival at my cherished goal.        In any event; I got
> 
> wlJich later burned and sank.       thus bringing about: D1.V
> ar.rival at m~v cherished goal.       In an.v event: 1 got
> the.re. which is wllat is important. , Incidentally.    the
> Guardian. after the original letter regarding m~v offer.
> did not communicate with me again until I got to Punta
> Arenas. Then lJe Wl"ote through his secretar,v and added
> -in his own lJandwl"iting: JOI am delighted that at last
> VOll
> L     lJave reached .vour goal (..~nd are wholeheartedl.v
> engaged in YOUl" noble pioneer work in that far distant
> land" _ Did l1e know what was taking place and what the
> final outconJe wound be?       Did his prayers bring these
> things to pass'?      Questions we never will be able to
> Clnswel.... at least not in this world".
> 
> After helping to form the first LSA in Punta Arenas and
> other services in Chile, he returned to the u.s. in 1949 to look
> for a higher income with an international agency in Washington
> D.C.    He was recommended for an important post but learned
> through his cousin that two employees of the State Department had
> "black-balled"  his name because of his Baha"i activities en
> Chile.   He later realized that this job would not have been
> suitable for pioneer service.
> 
> So again he put all his affairs in the hands of God and in
> January of 1951 went to Costa Rica where he immediately obtained
> n good position with the Costa Rican-Northamerican Cultural
> Center.
> 
> In 1953 when he made his pilgrammage~ he had some family
> problems and committments in the the U.S. and he did not know if
> these would tie him there for an indefinite period against his
> will.    At the end of the Pilgrammage, The Guardian asked him:
> "What ,are_ .your plans? He answered unconsciously til am going to
> return" to Costa Rica". The Guardian rubbed his hands together
> with    evident pleasure    and said:   "Magnificent! Splendid!,
> Magnificent! Splendid!"
> Since he did not have any certainty of being able t~ return
> to Costa Rica, this question of the Guardian surprised him, and
> his own answer surprised him even more.    When he arrived in theá
> U_S. he   found. to his amaizement, that the problem had resolved
> itself by a strange turn of events, and that the way was clear to
> return to, Costa Rica.
> Since that time he has remained in Central America and
> Yucatan. Mexico. living in different countries according to the
> needs of the Faith.    From 1951 to 1961 he served on the National
> Spiritual Assembly for Panama, Central America. Mexico and the
> Greater Antilles and from 1963 to 1968 as Executive Auxiliary
> 
> Board member for the same area; then from 1968 to 1985 as member
> of" the Continental Board of Counselors for the Americas.  In 1958
> he married another pioneer he had known, then serving in the
> Dominican Republic, Dora (Dee) Worth.    Their wedding took place
> in Santa Ana. El Salvador, where he had established an English
> language academy and was active in the teaching work.       These
> included a successful radio program and aroused significant
> interest both among the prominent and in the towns and among the
> small indigenous communities in the area.        After a dramatic
> incident with the authorities caused by false reports from some
> religious officials, Artemus and Dee moved to Guatemala City and
> later lived in Caban, helping to establish a community in that
> Mayan area. Meanwhile the government changed in El Salvador. the
> President who ordered Artemus out. was himself exiled, Artemus~
> name was cleared and he was able, even invited by the new
> government, to return there. This he eventually did. and here he
> served for several years as Secretary of the Continental Board of
> Counselors. Later he and Dee moved to Merida. Yucatan where for
> many years he was active in the promotion of the Faith amon~ his
> beloved Mayans.     In the late 1980s they moved to La Ceiba,
> Honduras, where Dee died in 1988. After that he again lived for
> a time in Costa Rica and finally returned to EI Salvador in
> September of 1992.
> 
> There are a hundreds of episodes, hundreds of friends whose
> lives he touched and influenced toward a heightened and more
> focused service in all these places (far too many episodes and
> names to even begin mentioning here).   There are so many stories
> of his relentless drive to fulfill the wishes of the Guardian,
> and later of the Universal House of Justice. One remembers his
> " sense of ur~ency, his impatience with obstacles and his always
> pushing   the    activities   forward,  which made    him   known
> affectionately among some co-workers as "Sargent Lamb". But also
> one remembers" the blessing of his marriage with Dee and his
> subsequent mellowing; his humour and the wry and perspicacious
> observations of Dee; his profound emotion upon discovering new
> insights and meanings in the Writings; his afection for countless
> children and youth who considered him as a spiritual grandfather,
> and   in many cases      he had brought    their' parents and/or
> grandparents "into the Faith.
> 
> He mentioned that after becoming a believer he had a deep
> inner feelin~ that his destiny was to serve in Latin America.
> While in Washington he received the following cable from the
> Guardian: "Fervently praying renewal invaluable sel"vice in Latin
> America.    Loving appreciatioll. SlJoglJi Rabbani".    Then came a
> letter through his secretary with the following sentence:         "He
> feels tl1at b.v all means you s110uld make every effort to get a ,job
> in Latin America. as your service there is not only very
> valuable. but infinitel.v more valuable than elsewhere".
> 
> He writes of    his inspiration:   "The picture cannot" be
> complete  without   special  mention of the    constant loving
> encouragement. guidance and influence of our beloved Guardian.
> 
> both ill tlJt;l. w110le pl"ocess of the establishment of the Fai th in
> Lati11 America as well as on me personallY7 greatly more so on
> lookingá back thalJ I had realized at the time.
> 
> In October 1953, as      mentioned, he had the priceless
> prive1ege of making a pilgramrnage to the Holy Land and knowing
> the Guardian.   He had been elected to attend the Inter Oceanic
> Conference in New Delhi, India, as representative of the NSA of
> Central America, and wrote the Guardian requesting permission to
> stop in Haifa on his return.    Previously he had asked for this
> permission. but the Guardian had answered that it was premature.
> This time he received the cable "Welcome. Shoghl Rabbanl".    He
> recalls:
> 
> "fVL1!'ds are il1ddecud te to descr i be the exper i ence .
> e.xce pt to   sta te    tha t i t e.;'(ceeded m.v hi ghe.~ t
> expectations.    I had expected to ask the Guardian many
> questions. but all I could do was bask in the ,10.v of
> his presence and wai t for him to speak".
> He often mentioned that his pi1gramrnage group was only
> three. and that they had meals with The Guardian and Ruhiyyih
> Khanum. The first time he sat at the table across from Shoghi
> Effendi. and lifted his face he could only see radiant light, not
> the semblance of the Guardian. Then the Guardian turned jovial
> and he could then see his wondrous face.
> 
> This writer remembers hearing a returning pilgrim talk of
> his impresions of the Guardian in a meeting in Denver in 1954.
> The pilgrim interrupted his main themeáto mention how great was
> the Guardian~s love and appreciation of Artemus Lamb.
> 
> In these last years and after Dee's passing in 1988, Artemus
> was becomming quite . deaf, and even with a hearing aid had
> difficulty in communicating.    This limited his ~ervices and the
> usefulness of his presence in the activities so he decided to do
> what his always filled agenda did not permit earlier; to write a
> book on the journey of the soul. He began this in Costa Rica
> where he learned, at age 87, a word-processing system, and
> finished the book in El Salvador. It has gone through several
> printings in Spanish and the version in English, "The Odessy of
> the Soul". has also been a brisk seller.        It has since been
> published in at least three other European languages.
> Expecting that this would be his swan song, he was surprised
> to still have time in this world, and even in his waining years
> he could not just sit and do nothing.    So his work now centered
> upon his writin~ on diverse themes, not only long latent in his
> teeming mind b~t very pertinent for the teaching work in Latin
> America.    Booklets and pamphlets in Spanish such as:         (in
> translated titles)    "The [Infolding of the     Wor lei Order of
> •
> 
> Baha"u -"11ah".   "Miracles and the S,vmbolis/11 of the Hol,v Books",
> "Dreams. Visions and Psycic Fenomena      II 9"Medi ta tions of a Balui" i".
> "The Tl"l1e New World Ol"del''':o "Fol"ging the ,Model of a New Society".
> "Weal th and Poverty",      "The Grea test Gift of God to Man", and
> finally. "Life Beyond Death". Previously he had published his
> "RemembraJ1CeS" and theá "Development of the Baha" i Fai th in Latin
> Amel'ica" and other pamphlets.         These are certainly a vital part
> of his legacy and they are written in a clear. simple, very
> accessable style.
> 
> One remarkable aspect of Artemus is that although he was
> raised in great comfort and financial security, hiB services as a
> pioneer led him through times of very scant income and sacrifice.
> This had no effect on his spirit, though the periods he was
> obliged to receive income from the International Fund, chafed on
> him. He somehow always found some other productive activity and
> an adecuate but always modest living. He learned to live on very
> little . but always made contributions to the Funds. To observe
> Artemus over time one is astonished by his selflessness, his
> simplicity of life. his disinterest in things most people deem
> necessary, his love and concern for humble people.       One must
> marvel then remembering that this man, during the first three and
> a half decades of his life had lived close to the top of the
> economic and social pyramid, and had thoroughly enjoyed the
> privileges and comforts of that life.
> 
> About six months ago he awoke at the usual six AM - he was
> . very methodical by the way - and at breakfast said that he had
> heard the most unearthly and celestial music in a dream. more
> real than if he were in a concert hall, though he was then
> totallyá deaf.  In the last weeks he said that he had been
> thinking so much about Dee, and then could not go on for the
> emotion. He wanted so much to leave this world, but also wanted
> to share some deeper experiences and thoughts with the friends
> before leaving.
> 
> Artemus Lamb in his younger years was quite handsome, and
> many said he looked like the actor Jimmy Stewart.   (He joked that
> maybe Jimmy Stewart looked like him). Yet he was really quite
> shy and modest and was never able to cure his stammer when he
> apoke. He was not self-conscious about it, as he just focused on
> getting the message out. He was not the most carismatic of nor
> the most ~ifted of personalities. But he was surely one of the
> most devoted lovers and servants of this Cause.          Tireless.
> purposeful and selfless are the atributes that come most to mind.
> He consecrated his life to serve the advancement of the Faith in
> so many areas: in personal teaching and deepening, proclamation
> and public talks.. in the representation of the Cause before the
> prominent and the authorities, in the Administration of the Cause
> at all levels when that was not at all easy, in the example of
> his conduct and the transparency of his dealings~ in the work and
> 
> love he had for the indigenous believers. He could also be very
> pleasant and enjoyable - he loved good music. a good joke or
> humorous banter~ and could enjoy watchi~g a good movie on TV~ a
> game of football, baseball and tennis especially. to have a good
> conversation and enjoy good food           he knew the value of
> moderation.    He tried sincerely not .to be a bother to others and
> even in his deafness and weakness enjoyed being present with the
> friends.    He always arrived on time in the activities.    Instead
> of preaching he always tried to be a good example~ even if,
> toward the end~ it was to be an example of punctuality.
> His last days were quite difficult and uncomfortable.
> Three youth of the Lemus family in El Salvador~ after watching
> him during the final Feast he attended wrote a beautiful letter
> which touched him deeply. One paragraph reads:
> 
> "Dearest F!randfather. we didn Jt realize how F!reat is
> our love for .vou until we saw you s1 tting in the last
> Feast. wi th your eyes fixed on the Abha Paradise, then
> our hearts witnessed the truth of our most profound
> .love for our dearest grandfather.     Truly we say that
> our love as your grandchildren does not really express
> itself in this letter,       but lives and beats in our
> hearts.     Every day we pray that God gives you the
> patience to bear the last days of this efimeral life
> until .vou lift your wings to the Divine Presence.    We
> also thank you for having given us such a precious
> treasure, .vourself, with your. guidance. explanations
> and all the beauty you have given in your books,á for
> the oportunity to be able to communicate with Buell a
> gallant servant of Baha"u"llah, and to have the fortune
> to llear your counsels ... "
> 
> His last day was quite serene as he had to be given pain
> supressors and sedation. The National Spiritual Assembly of El
> Salvador was invited to lunch at the Farrand home where he lived.
> Before eating the members ~athered around his bed and said
> prayers.   After lunch two of the members then went to check on
> him and found he had left us. It was so fitting that the 'NSA was
> present and the arraingements all flowed as if on win~s. All
> were moved but happy for him, for the end of his sufferings, and
> tryin~ to ima~ine the unimaginable welcome in that paradise he so
> lon~ed for and deserved.
> 
> The funeral the next day, January 18, two days before his
> 93d birthday~ was serene~ poignant, and . spiritually as well as
> visually beautiful.   It took place in the hi~hest level of a
> cemetery with a georgous panorama. After the words and prayers
> no one wanted to leave for a long time.
> Rodrigo Tomas had flown up from Costa Rica representing the
> Counselors and stated that he did not come to commiserate with
> "'-
> the BahaJia of El Salvador for the passing of Artemua Lamb, but
> to rejoice with them for the blessing of having the earthly
> remains of such a beloved, wonderful, devoted servant of the
> Cause laid to rest their country. Then he read those lines from
> the last selection in Prayers and Meditations (CLXXXIV.- p 326-7)
> where Baha1u1llah asks God to create "for those of Thy people who
> are "wholly devoted to Thee and for such of Thy loved ones as
> love Thee .... Thy - paradise of transcendent holiness and to exal t
> it above everything except Thee. and to sanctify it from aught
> else save Thyself ... "
> 
> The day after the funeral the NSA received this E-mail from
> Haifa which was read at the prayer service attended by believers
> and friends alike:
> 
> Deep1,V deplore 1055 outstanding longtime servant
> BaluiJ u J11cfh. dearly-loved Artemus Lamb. We11-niph six
> decades his noble--hearted,      se1f--effacing devotion to
> needs Faith unforpettab1e. Recall with keen admiration
> sterling achievements pioneering and administrc1tive
> fields Latin America, culminating seventeen .velll'S as
> Conti11el1tal Counselor.    Confident his life of service
> will parner immense reward Abha Kingdom.          Urge hold
> befitting memorial gatherings in Houses of WOl'ship
> Wilmette and Panama and other countries where he
> labored so long.         Praying fervently progress his
> luminous spirit.      Kindl.v extend our condolences his
> many friends and        admirers.     With loving    Baha""j
> greetil1{:!s.
> Universal House of Justice.
> 
> Quentin Farrand, Jan 31, 1998
> (With the help of Artemus Lamb~s notes).
>
> — *Artemus Lamb, 1905-1998 (Used by permission of the curator)*