# Uncle Bill: A Personal Memoir

*Exported from [Holy-Writings.com](https://www.holy-writings.com/) on 2026-06-18 — 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: Robert Gregory Shaw, Uncle Bill: A Personal Memoir, bahai-library.com.
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> 
> Uncle Bill
> A Personal Memoir
> R. Gregory Shaw
> A FORTUITOUS ENCOUNTER
> 
> I was 17 in August of 1968, with one last year of high school darkening my Timonium, Maryland
> horizon. At school, I was an experienced malcontent, ever looking for new ways to amuse
> myself at the expense of the elders of education. Vietnam was widening the chasm between the
> “say you want a revolution” young and the reeling older generation that would soon vote for a
> Nixon-Agnew ticket of white-collar criminals to pilot the Silent Majority’s ship of state. Though
> agitated by the recent televised mess of Chicago’s political convention with accompanying riots,
> I agreed to accompany my girlfriend to the Maryland State Fair, where she had volunteered to
> stroll the crowd and hand out political literature. If I remember correctly, we were given classic
> straw boater hats to wear. I wish I had a picture - the idealistic, fresh-faced young woman and
> her scruffy boyfriend, still cultivating his first beard. In straw boater hats.
> 
> It was hot, and I was likely dragging my feet, looking for an excuse to cut out of the crowds.
> Among the food stands and horse barns, I saw a smaller booth with one attendant, an older
> gentleman. Dutifully, I offered him one of the pamphlets we carried. His response surprised me:
> “I’ll take one of yours, if you’ll take one of mine.” How could I have suspected, with those few
> words, the course of my life had just been altered?
> 
> Albert Edwin Dorrida, Jr. - “Uncle Bill” to his friends - was the first Bahá'í I met. Let me share my
> story of a quiet man, a select soul, whose many decades of stalwart service deserve a place of
> honor in the annals of the Bahá'í Faith in Baltimore.
> 
> The writer and Ms. C. Fremd, 1968                   Maryland State Fair, 1968
> FROM PUBLIC RECORDS
> 
> Bill was born May 15, 1901. He died March 11, 1972, and is buried in the Baltimore National
> Cemetery. His gravestone is carved with a nine-pointed star at the top, and it notes he was a
> trumpeter in the WWI U.S. Armed Forces. Buried with Bill is his wife, Martha Josephine
> Campbell Dorrida, who died in 1966.
> 
> He was the youngest child of Albert, Sr. (1868-1937) and Eusebia Day Dorrida (1871-1948). Bill
> had three sisters and a brother. His paternal grandparents were William (1827-1890) and
> Elizabeth Curfman Dorrida. Maternal grandparents were John Anthony Munnekhusen Day
> (1839-1908) and Mary Ellen Barnett (1845-1881). Most, if not all of these family members were
> born in Maryland, many in Harford County. In the 1910 census, Albert and Eusebia were living
> at 2548 West North Ave., Baltimore, Ward 15, now the site of Coppin State University.
> 
> At age 16, in March 1918, he enlisted in the Marines. After applying to learn trumpet and drum,
> he spent a few weeks ill in a Charleston SC hospital before completing his training and
> proceeding to join ​Fifty-Second Company, Third Provisional Regiment​ at Paris (now Parris)
> Island SC. His company was sent to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, departing Charleston
> on the USS Kittery. In September of 1919, Bill was honorably discharged from service. No
> background information could be found to explain a note on his record that he was one of 19
> Americans to be decorated with the Serbian government’s Order of St. Sava.​1
> 
> Bill shared an incident that occurred during his military service. Traveling by ship, one night he
> decided to sleep on deck. A great wave broke over the ship and Bill was swept towards the sea.
> At the last moment, a hand reached out to grab him and a tragic end was avoided. He later
> learned that on that very night his mother had dreamed that a wave had threatened his life.
> 
> In the 1920 census, Bill has returned to Baltimore, living with his parents, working as a clerk for
> Financial Services Co. In 1922, still with his parents, he is living on Frederick Rd, near North
> Bend. In 1926, he is listed as a “compto mech.” Bill and Martha Josephine Campbell
> (1903-1966) were married in 1930 in Wheeling, WV. She was the daughter of John A.
> Campbell, a physician. ​(An aside: I was pleased to learn that Dr. Campbell was a native of
> Fairmont, WV, my hometown.)​ In 1932, with Martha, Bill is in Wheeling, a manager with Felt and
> Tarrant Mfg. on Oak Park Ave. A 1941 draft registration lists Bill and Martha living at 401 Chapel
> Gate Lane in west Baltimore. He is employed with the General Baking Company. He is noted as
> 5’5”, 135 lbs., brown hair.
> 
> 1.   Decoration: Order of St. Sava (Serbian) - The Order of ​Saint Sava​ was established originally to recognize ​civilians​ for
> meritorious achievements to the Church, to arts and sciences, the royal house and the state. In 1914 a change was made
> permitting military personnel to receive the honor for military merit. 19 Americans were awarded by Serbia.
> A directory found in the December 1944 ​Bahá'í News​ lists the officers of the Local Spiritual
> Assembly: “Albert E. Dorrida, Chairman, 3315 Woodland Ave., Baltimore 15; Annamarie
> Honnold, Secretary; Mrs. F. W. Hipsley (​Bill’s sister, Marguerite)​ .” (See Appendices.)
> 
> PERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS
> 
> On that August day at the state fair, Bill gave me a pamphlet with the basic principles of the
> Bahá'í Faith, and my interest was immediately sparked. I asked questions, and his patient
> explanations were so “​far out,​ ” as we would say in those days, so far out that I felt like I’d
> stumbled upon a secret fountain of truth. I could feel new vistas opening before me. Like many
> of my age, I had a vague notion that ending the Vietnam war would somehow right the troubled
> world. But Bill was talking of much broader solutions - the equality of men and women, a
> universal auxiliary language, the elimination of the extremes of wealth and poverty, the harmony
> of science and religion. ​“The earth is but one country and mankind its citizens.”
> 
> Could I really be hearing this from an old guy wearing a tie? My generation’s mantra was:​“Don’t
> trust anyone over 30!
> 
> As our conversation stretched out over the better part of an hour, from time to time Bill would
> hand me another pamphlet or booklet with more information. All of this, I took away with me to
> read and re-read over the next few weeks.
> 
> The Bahá'í Faith became all I wanted to talk about with friends. I carried one booklet with me at
> all times, and this proved the key to actually encountering the Bahá'í community. The school
> year had begun, and, as usual, I was lounging on the sidelines, ignoring my gym class. I spotted
> a fellow goof-off and strolled over to make his acquaintance. My opening line was: “Would you
> like to read something interesting?”
> 
> He asked to keep the booklet. A few weeks later, he told me that he’d written away to the
> published address, had received a reply and an invitation to a local introductory fireside. He
> insisted that I had to meet these “amazing” people, and he gave me the meeting information.
> 
> Over the next seven months, I came to admire and love these amazing Baltimore County
> Bahá'ís. My interest was so intense that I would attend every gathering I heard about, even in
> other cities. I brought many friends along and the firesides were often overflowing with barefoot
> teenagers sitting on the floor. I am eternally grateful to the small band of believers who nurtured
> my belief, especially Clarke and Betty Langrall, who were ever ready to help me overcome all
> hesitation until I openly declared myself a believer in Bahá’u’lláh.
> 
> In these years, 1968 to 1972, Bill Dorrida was a widower, with no surviving children, living in the
> home of Iraj and Mary K. Radpour. He suffered from lung disease and was hospitalized several
> times, but remained an active participant in the Bahá'í community. I enjoyed every opportunity to
> visit and hear the stories he would relate of earlier days when the Faith was sparsely scattered
> across America, when a relative handful of awakened souls took up the task of spreading the
> Word to millions rooted in their hidebound beliefs.
> 
> Bill told me that he counted his days as a Bahá'í from an event in 1912. His mother, Eusebia,
> was one of the first few Bahá'ís in Baltimore, perhaps as early as 1902. Towards the end of
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá’s historic trip across the United States and Canada, He visited Baltimore, giving an
> address at a Unitarian church, then gathering with the believers for a dinner in the home of
> Howard Struven. (See Appendices.) Young Bill Dorrida was at that dinner and met the Master.
> When I asked Bill about his memories of the event, 60 years had erased most of the details, but
> the spiritual impression could be seen on his face. He told me that ‘Abdu’l-Bahá appeared
> radiantly happy - “He giggled” throughout the meal.
> 
> In those early days of the Faith in America, only a small fraction of the Writings had been
> translated into English, and the friends were greatly focused on what they knew of the Master’s
> words and His living example. Bill joked, “We were ‘Abdul-Bahá'ís!” He said every meeting
> included a serving of tea, “Because that was what ‘Abdu’l-Bahá drank.”
> 
> Also, he remembered a time when every meeting began with all attending each repeating the
> Greatest Name - “Allah’u’Abha” - 95 times before any other business was conducted.
> 
> One night, I sat with Bill in his room and he showed me a few photographs and some
> memorabilia he still possessed from past decades. One item that interested me was a tiny
> booklet, less than 2 inches square, with the number 9 on the cover, with relevant principles but
> no direct mention of Bahá'í inside. Bill said he and his mother used to carry these and “slip them
> into people’s grocery bags when they weren’t looking.”
> 
> He also showed me an invaluable possession, a set of prayer beads that had belonged to
> ‘Abdu’l-Bahá. These beads, as I recall, were of a light color, perhaps white, arranged in a group
> of 9 beads, with a separator, followed by 19 beads, a separator, then the remaining added to
> make a total of 95, tied to make a circle, with a tassel attached. Bill told me his wish was to
> donate this treasure to the Evergreen cabin on the Bahá'í property in Teaneck, New Jersey.
> 
> As noted earlier, Bill served on the Baltimore Local Spiritual Assembly. For many years, the
> Bahá'í Center on 5301 Gwynn Oak Avenue was the central meeting place for community
> activities. Bill recalled days when he would clean trash from the front lawn, dumped by unhappy
> neighbors to show their displeasure with racially integrated gatherings in the white
> neighborhood. By the late 1960s, he had seen the city change and “white flight” had brought
> diversity to the surrounding streets.
> 
> Bill told me of another dramatic change he had witnessed that involved Bahá'í property. He
> showed me a picture of himself as a young man, standing before the foundation construction of
> the future Bahá'í House of Worship in Wilmette, Illinois. During the lean Depression years, the
> completion of the beautiful architectural design was greatly delayed. Bill said the village was
> annoyed at the eyesore along the shoreline: “They said it looked like an oil tank.” He lived to see
> the day when Wilmette came to adopt the finished Temple as the symbol of the city, a landmark
> attracting thousands of visitors in a week.
> 
> One night at a Bahá'í 19-day feast, my sister, Cilla, and I sang a musical arrangement of
> Bahá’u’llah’s Tablet of the Holy Mariner. Afterwards, I noted Bill sitting alone, obviously
> distracted. I sat and asked him what was affecting him. With great emotion he said, “The
> Guardian wrote that one day there would be believers in cities all across America. We thought
> he meant in the Golden Age, centuries from now. I didn’t expect it would happen in my lifetime.”
> 
> There was another special opportunity to sing in a meeting, this time directly for Uncle Bill. The
> Bahá'ís were holding an areawide conference, with a number of well-known speakers, including
> Javidukht Khadem, an Auxiliary Board Member and wife of the Hand of the Cause. The
> organizers wished to honor Bill for his long and faithful service and asked Cilla and I to sing as a
> part of the tribute. We sang a Peter, Paul and Mary song, ​Day Is Done.​ Bill was touched and
> when we finished he sweetly said, “You guys are really something.”
> 
> From an earlier generation, Bill wasn’t a fan of the pop music of the 60s, though I remember
> there was an exception. He liked the Beatles’ record, ​Let It Be.​ He said it sounded like religious
> music, and he liked hearing it come on the jukebox while he was at work at Double-T Diner. 2​
> 
> When I knew him, Bill worked part-time as a bookkeeper for this diner on Baltimore National
> Pike. Having retired some years before, he had some funds for living expenses and now worked
> to earn money to contribute to the Bahá'í Fund. Remarkably, he gave all of his salary to the
> Bahá'ís! This attracted the attention of the tax authorities. As Bill wasn’t well, the IRS sent a man
> to his home to interview him. Bill explained that he gave away 100% of the money he made.
> The tax man told him, “That may be true, but you’re not allowed to do it.” Bill had to pay a fiscal
> penalty for his generosity. An insight into his detachment from material matters can be seen in
> that he laughed as he told me this story.
> 
> 2.   In recent years, I’ve eaten a few times at the Double-T, remembering my friend. I recall him giving me insider information:
> “The pumpkin pies are really squash pies.”
> His generosity extended to me personally. While I was in South Carolina attending college,
> there was a dramatic surge in the growth of the Bahá'í community in the rural area where I lived.
> Though I had arrived as the only Bahá'í in my county, in a few months there were scores of new
> believers, most with only an introductory knowledge of Bahá’u’llah’s Teachings. My only income
> was from 10 hours a week as a student library aide, but I was ordering as many booklets and
> materials as I could, trying to get information into the hands of new Bahá'ís. When word filtered
> back to friends in Maryland that I was leaving myself broke, I got a check in the mail with a short
> note: “For your ​personal​ expenses. Bill.”
> 
> Bill’s health was deteriorating, but the stays in the hospital opened a door to memorable
> moments for some of us. ​Dozens of high school kids had joined the Faith at the end of the 60s,
> and it had made an impact on the community. The small group of quiet professionals leading
> steady and focused lives was suddenly challenged to open their living rooms and embrace a
> gang of hyperactive, adventure-hungry, fad-following, ill-kempt, naive, and often lovesick young
> folks, who had yet to grasp the depth of commitment required to create the spiritual world they
> did indeed long to see. But, their footloose lives meant they were the ones with the free time to
> make hospital visits.
> 
> One of the older (over 30!) Bahá'ís shared with me that Bill had been anxious at the thought that
> the Faith for which he had dedicated his life might now be left in the hands of a happy-go-lucky
> generation unsuited to continue the work. Then, when faced with lonely days lying in a hospital
> bed, he found a daily stream of newly-blossoming Bahá'ís appearing at the door to cheer their
> Uncle Bill. Reassured, he now proudly announced, “These young kids are great!”
> 
> “O God, my God! Thou seest me… supplicating Thee in the dead of night and at the
> break of dawn, entreating and invoking Thee at morn and at eventide to graciously aid
> me to serve Thy Cause to spread abroad Thy Teachings to exalt Thy Word throughout
> ​ bdu’l-Bahá
> the East and the West.” - ‘A
> 
> These bedside visits were important to me. As I drove into the city to the hospital, I would select
> a topic to discuss. On one occasion, I decided to ask about prayer. Having reached the point
> that I regularly said a daily prayer, and would even add one or two others from time to time, I
> was somewhat impressed with my spiritual development. So, I asked my friend to tell me about
> prayer.
> 
> Bill pointed to his bedside table and told me to hand him his prayer book. I noticed it was an
> older edition that I hadn’t seen. This, I thought, is where the expression, “well-thumbed pages,”
> was born. He looked through the book and gestured at various points. “Every day, I say all of
> the ‘healing’ prayers, and all of the ‘forgiveness’ prayers, and the ‘teaching’ prayers. I say the
> Tablet of Ahmad, And, of course, the obligatory prayer. Then, on special occasions, I say the
> others. I say them out loud; Bahá’u’llah says, to ‘intone’ the prayers.”
> Whew! I was learning that the spiritual path was a life-long endeavor. It was my great fortune to
> have known someone who had walked the long road.
> 
> I stepped into Bill’s hospital room one day and greeted him, but he didn’t answer. His eyes were
> open and focused on the wall. Thinking he might be near sleep, I sat down and waited and was
> startled when he suddenly turned and said hello. He explained that he had been looking at the
> wall of painted cinder blocks and repeating the Greatest Name for each block. Surely, the
> nurses must have learned that this was an unusual man in their care.
> 
> Sadly, the health struggles would have an end. Bill’s condition deteriorated. I visited and found
> him very weak and struggling to breathe. I held his hand and told him that the community was
> planning a welcome party for some newly-enrolled members. Shaking, he pulled his oxygen
> mask aside and managed a single word: “Beautiful.” Later that afternoon, at least two others
> came to visit, but he wasn’t awake. That night, he passed away.
> 
> Some time earlier, Bill had joked with me, saying, “We Bahá'ís don’t die; we ascend!”
> 
> AFTERWARDS
> 
> I attended the funeral, though the only detail clear in my mind is that I was asked to bring the
> community’s flowers to the funeral home.
> 
> In the months afIer, I would often remember in prayer this friend who held a unique spot in my
> life’s journey. Thinking of the restraints that poor health placed on his Bahá'í activity, I asked
> that I might be given the opportunity to carry out some task he’d been forced to forego. A year
> later, as I wearily endured another jolting all-night bus ride across the Andes, another leg in a 13
> week trip through South America to play music carrying a Bahá'í message, I looked out at the
> unfamiliar landscape and thought, ‘Uncle Bill, you must have harbored some big dreams.”
> 
> In 1980, I was on pilgrimage in the Holy Land. At the house of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, I met Ethel Revell,
> a distinguished Bahá'í of many years. In 1912, the Master had visited her family home in
> Philadelphia. The number of American believers was so small in those long-ago days that it was
> not surprising that she remembered Bill. “We always called him ‘Split-peas Bill.’ I don’t
> remember why.”
> 
> I plan to ask “Split-peas” about that when next we meet.
> 
> That pilgrimage brought another connection to Bill, a mystical experience to ponder. Well before
> that trip, I had a vivid dream in which I had passed into the next life. Here, I saw Bill Dorrida
> sitting on a bench. He waved for me to come and sit with him. When I did, he turned and looked
> me directly in the eyes and said, “That was quite a time, wasn’t it?” As he said this, he smiled
> and patted me on the knee.
> So, in 1980, I was on the slope of Mt. Carmel, in the heavenly atmosphere of the gardens
> surrounding the Shrine of the Bab. We visitors from around the world were gathering in the
> small building that served as a Pilgrim Center with the dear Hand of the Cause, Mr. Furutan.
> With devotion and great love, he addressed the friends, reminiscing about Shoghi Effendi and
> his own pilgrimage many years before. His audience was squeezed tightly into the padded
> benches - Persian mandars - along the walls of the room. When he finished speaking, the Hand
> of the Cause walked over to where I was sitting and, with a motion of his hands, indicated to
> make room, that he would sit by me. Without a word, he sat down and turned his aged face to
> look me directly in the eyes. He smiled and patted my knee.
> 
> Instantly, the dream of my other-worldly encounter with Uncle Bill Dorrida came back to my
> mind.
> 
> “Know thou that the souls of the people of Bahá, who have entered and been
> established within the Crimson Ark, shall associate and commune intimately one with
> another, and shall be so closely associated in their lives, their aspirations, their aims and
> strivings as to be even as one soul. They are indeed the ones who are well-informed,
> who are keen-sighted, and who are endued with understanding. Thus hath it been
> decreed by Him Who is the All-Knowing, the All-Wise.”​ - Bahá’u’llah
> APPENDIX I
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá in Baltimore
> by ​Allison Vaccaro​ and ​Edward E. Bartlett
> published in ​Bahá'í News
> 1982-02
> 
> The Bahá’í Faith was introduced in America at the Columbian Exposition in 1893,
> shortly after the Ascension of Bahá’u’lláh. The early pioneers to the U.S. were
> dispatched by 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and it was under His guidance that the American Bahá’í
> community was nurtured.
> 
> Aware of the threat that Covenant-breakers posed to the fledgling American community,
> and acceding to the imploring requests that He visit the western hemisphere,
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá finally decided to make such a trip. At the time of His western sojourn in
> 1912, there were approximately 30 Local Spiritual Assemblies in North America. One of
> these was in Baltimore, Maryland.
> 
> The Faith of Bahá’u’lláh was brought to Baltimore around the turn of the century. Its
> close proximity to Washington, D.C., and Philadelphia made Baltimore a logical target
> area for many early Bahá’í teachers.
> 
> According to the archives of the Baltimore Bahá’í community, Mrs. Isabel Brittingham
> had visited that city in 1900 in what may have been the first traveling teaching trip to
> Baltimore.​1
> 
> Letter to the Master
> 
> Later, Col. Nat Ward Fitz-Gerald of Washington, D.C., and Mirza 'Abu'l-Fadl, who was
> sent to the U.S. by 'Abdu’l-Bahá, spoke at a public meeting in Baltimore attended by
> about a hundred people in February 1902.​2​ The number of Bahá’ís in the city grew, until
> in May 1909 the "Bahá’í Assembly of Baltimore" was formed. A constitution and by-laws
> were drafted and approved, and a letter was sent to 'Abdu'l-Bahá informing Him of the
> accomplishment.
> 
> There is little doubt that the Bahá’ís in Baltimore were ecstatic about the news of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's imminent arrival in their region. They were even more fortunate to have
> Him stop in their city; although He earlier had spent several weeks in nearby
> Washington, 'Abdu'l-Bahá did not visit Baltimore until near the end of His American
> sojourn.
> 
> The news of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to America prompted lengthy and generally accurate
> newspaper articles in the Baltimore newspapers. In a city noted for its quality
> journalism, having spawned such outstanding talent as H.L. Mencken, the Baltimore
> Sun​ made only one major error in its reporting. That was with respect to the expected
> date of an address by 'Abdu’l-Bahá in Baltimore.
> 
> On April 6, 1912, five days before 'Abdu'l-Bahá's steamship berthed in New York
> harbor, the ​Sun​ papers declared,
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá Coming. Son of Founder of Bahá’í Movement to Lecture Here
> — Seeks Unity of Religions — Persian Savant Also Maintains That There
> Should be Equality of the Sexes.​3
> 
> The article stated that 'Abdu’l-Bahá would speak on Sunday, April 21, at the First
> Independent Christ's Church (Unitarian).
> 
> Six-month delay
> 
> In his book ​239 Days,​ Dr. Allan L. Ward suggests that 'Abdu'l-Bahá's itinerary was
> sometimes planned on a day-to-day basis and that no official schedule was given to the
> American friends prior to His arrival in New York on April 11, 1912. Since 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> spoke in Washington, D.C., on April 21, it can only be assumed that the enthusiastic
> Bahá’ís in Baltimore had acted somewhat presumptuously in their advance planning
> and press releases.
> 
> From Washington, 'Abdu'l-Bahá departed for Chicago and points west, and was not
> destined to reach Baltimore until more than six months later. On November 12, 1912,
> the ​Baltimore American​ heralded the long-awaited arrival:
> 
> To Speak in Unitarian Church — Abdu'l-Bahá, the Persian peace advocate,
> who is making a tour of the United States after having been incarcerated in
> Acca, Syria, where he had been exiled by the Mullahs for antagonizing the
> religious beliefs of his country, will visit Baltimore tomorrow and deliver an
> address at noon at the Unitarian church Charles and Franklin Streets. Abdu'l
> is now in Washington after having completed a trip through the West and
> Southwest. He will leave Baltimore tomorrow night for New York.​4
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá arrived by train in Baltimore's Camden Station at 11 a.m. on November 11.
> The entourage that accompanied Him included Dr. Ameen Fareed and Mirza Ahmad
> Sohrab (interpreters), Mirza Mahmud, Mirza 'Ali Akah, Mirza Valiollah Khan, Dr. Zia
> Bagdadi, and Saya Assadollah.​5
> Press interviews
> 
> They went at once to the Hotel Rennert at Saratoga, and Liberty Streets, where
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá granted press interviews. Mahmud recorded in his diary, "Among those
> who were honored with interviews was a press representative who heard a detailed
> discourse regarding universal peace and the capacity of the United States of America
> as a nation and government to enforce it, which was noted for publication."​6​ In all
> probability this interview was the basis for an article that appeared the following day in
> the ​Baltimore American.7​
> 
> The chapel of the Unitarian church where 'Abdu'l-Bahá was to speak was packed with
> Johns Hopkins University faculty members and many local professional men.
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá arrived promptly at noon and began His address in Persian without any
> introduction. His translator was Dr. Fareed, who had studied previously at Johns
> Hopkins. 'Abdu'l-Bahá spoke on the unity of religions and the oneness of God:
> 
> We declare the foundations of the divine religions to be one; and if we
> forsake these accidental imitations — by imitations we mean the teachings
> that have crept in, dogmas which have crept into religion, and which have
> nothing to do with the foundation — then we have a basis for unity amongst
> the religions, then we have a cause or source of illumination of all humanity.​8
> 
> Undaunted in his enthusiasm, a ​Sun-papers​ artist captured the animated delivery of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá's talk in five unique sketches that appeared in the paper the next morning.​9
> Among several poses, they showed 'Abdu'l-Bahá with upraised palms, stroking His
> beard in meditative thought, and forcefully expounding a truth with a sculpted left hand.
> The accompanying article observed:
> 
> In appearance the Persian teacher is a striking-looking man of about 70
> years. He is of the average height, with a strong rugged face covered with a
> short white beard. His cheekbones are high, his eyes bright and flashing.
> 
> At the lectures he wore a robe of black with a triangular insert of light tan in front
> reaching from the hem to the neck. The long sleeves of the garment were turned back
> from the strong hands. Distinguishing him from his escort was a white turban which he
> wore, from beneath which gleamed locks of iron gray. Members of his escort wore black
> turbans.
> 
> As frequently happens, this event was accompanied by an anecdote, completely
> unsubstantiated, that has nevertheless been passed down through the oral tradition of
> long-standing Bahá'ís. According to the story, two Catholic priests arrived late and took
> a position behind the speaker's platform to listen to the speech through a half-opened
> door. 'Abdu'l-Bahá is said to have noticed them and closed the door!​10
> Mahmud wrote of the address:
> 
> The Beloved delivered at the Unitarian Church of Baltimore an address
> regarding the oneness of the world of man, the immutability of the principles
> of the divine religions and the changing of the social laws according to the
> demands of the time.​11
> 
> At the conclusion of the address, women kissed His hand and others tearfully greeted
> Him at the door of the chapel. Pressed by a busy schedule, 'Abdu'l-Bahá and His
> traveling companions hurried by car to the home of Howard Struven at 1800 N.
> Bentalou Street for a mid-afternoon meal.
> 
> Globe-circling trip
> 
> Present among the Baltimore believers at the luncheon were Mr. and Mrs. Struven and
> Mrs. Maude Thompson Amendt. Mr. Struven is credited in ​God Passes By​ with circling,
> "for the first time in Bahá’í history, the globe visiting on his way the Hawaiian Islands,
> Japan, China, India, and Burma" with Charles Mason Remey.​12​ In an interview given in
> 1966, Mr. Struven related that the trip took place in 1902 and was financed by money
> that had been set aside for his college education. He did not attend college, but later
> became a successful businessman.​13
> 
> Mrs. Amendt had spent the morning walking out to a farm east of Baltimore to get fresh
> chicken for 'Abdu'l-Bahá, and thus had missed His talk at the Unitarian church. Mrs.
> Amendt was described as a stout, corseted woman. After the meal, 'Abdu'l-Bahá
> motioned her out of the kitchen and invited her to sit by Him on the floor in the tiny living
> room. One can only surmise that there was a twinkle in His eye as He extended the
> loving invitation to Mrs. Amendt who declined to attempt such an improbable feat of
> agility.​14
> 
> Ursula Shuman Moore was living at the Struven home at the time of 'Abdu'l-Bahá's visit,
> and it was she who provided the most extensive account of that interlude spent in the
> Struven home:
> 
> Yesterday, the 11th, he came over to our house in Baltimore and had dinner
> with us at our table! Did you ever dream that this would come to pass. He
> came to Baltimore about twelve o'clock and spoke at the Unitarian Church,
> and then they came out to our house and we had dinner for him. Many of the
> Washington believers came over too and many of the Baltimore believers
> came up. We had about 55 or 54 to feed. Had a grand chicken dinner, with
> rice and celery, peas, ice cream and cake, and vegetable soup. He said we
> had given him a ​good​ dinner, a ​fine​ dinner, and that he ate much. When I
> brought in the big platter of chicken and set it before Him at the table he
> said, "Oh, chicken!" and seemed to be much pleased with it. He said
> everything was cooked well. We had him and the Persians in his party sit
> down first, 12 at the table, and served them, and then we had four relays
> and every body had something. They all seemed so glad to be there and
> enjoyed themselves so much. I was so glad for Mother could be near him
> and see him. I introduced Mother to him, and he took her hand and said "Oh,
> your Mother!" and looked at her very kindly. I told him she had been and was
> sick, and that we asked that she might be well. He said "In Shalah" ["if God
> be willing"]. So I hope she will get well soon now. They did not stay very
> long, as they left on the (3 o'clock) train. It surely was a great privilege to
> have him in our house, and something that we will always remember.​15
> 
> It was reported by another observer that after the dinner, 'Abdu'l-Bahá had a brief nap
> upstairs at the Struven house before the public meeting.​16​ Mahmud penned the Master's
> comments during that post-prandial discussion:
> 
> "Praise be to God! I see that you may become more enlightened and
> spiritual. When I reach the Holy Land I shall lay My head on the Threshold of
> the Blessed Tomb and with tears in my eyes I shall supplicate heavenly
> favors, eternal honor and everlasting happiness for you."
> 
> He then left for the station. On the way to the station the Beloved embraced Mr. Struven
> as a kind father embraces a son and with utmost kindness He mentioned his services to
> the Cause of God.​17
> 
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá departed from the Camden Station on the 3 o'clock train for New York City,
> having spent four hours in Baltimore. During that brief interlude He gave interviews to
> the press, delivered a public address, and shared a luncheon with the friends in the
> Baltimore area. For a man of 68 years, His energies seemed endless, and His
> dedication to teaching the Bahá’í Cause was absolute. So much could be gained for the
> Faith of Bahá’u’lláh if each of us were to teach tirelessly after the example of
> 'Abdu'l-Bahá.
> 
> REFERENCES
> 
> 1. Archives of the Bahá’í community of Baltimore, March 29, 1910.
> 
> 2. The Sun,​ Baltimore, February 1,1902, p. 7.
> 
> 3. The Sun,​ Baltimore, April 6, 1912.
> 
> 4. Baltimore American,​ November 10, 1912.
> 
> 5. Baltimore American,​ November 12, 1912, p. 13.
> 
> 6. Mahmud-i-Zarqani, ​The Wondrous Annals.​ Entry dated November 11, 1912.
> 7. Baltimore American,​ November 12, 1912, p. 13.
> 
> 8. Address by 'Abdu'l-Bahá delivered November 11, 1912, in Baltimore, Maryland.
> Recorded by Jack Salomon, stenographer for the ​Baltimore Sun.
> 
> 9. The Sun,​ Baltimore, November 12, 1912, p. 9.
> 
> 10. Interview with Mr. Albert James of Jessup, Maryland, June 1980.
> 
> 11. The Wondrous Annals.​ Entry dated November 11, 1912.
> 
> 12. Shoghi Effendi, ​God Passes By​ Wilmette, Illinois: Bahá’í Publishing Trust, 1970, p. 261.
> 
> 13. Interview with Mrs. Nancy Lee of Owings Mills, Maryland, December 1980.
> 
> 14. Interview with Mr. Albert James, June 1980.
> 
> 15. Letter of November 12, 1912, from Ursula Shuman Moore to Louise Shuman Irani,
> available in the Baltimore Bahá’í archives.
> 
> 16. Recollections of Mr. Howard Struven, audio tape recorded August 14, 1966, available in
> the Baltimore Bahá’í archives.
> 
> 17. The Wondrous Annals.​ Entry dated November 11, 1912.
> APPENDIX II
> 
> Nov. 12, 1944, Charleston Gazette:
> 
> Regional representatives of the Bahá'ís of Maryland, Virginia and West Virginia will meet In
> Charleston this weekend at the Bahá'í center In Quarrier St. Attending the meeting will be Mrs.
> Annnamaria Honnold. (?) Md., Miss Hannah Lohse, Chevy Chase, Md., Mrs. J. E. Rice,
> Arlington, Va., ​Mrs. Martha Dorrida​ and Mrs. Hazel C. Langrall, Baltimore, Md., Miss Mildred
> Elmer, Charleston, and Paul Haney, Alexandrla, Va. Haney will lecture at 3 p.m. today at the
> Bahá'í center.. The (?) also will celebrate the 127th anniversary of the birth of the founder of the
> faith. The celebration will close with a dinner this evening at the Village Grill.
> 
> March 1947 Bahá'í News, Public Meeting at Baltimore
> 
> The Baltimore Public Meeting was held in the Rainbow Room of the Pythian Hall. on January
> 21st at 8 pm. In spite of it being one of the coldest nights of the winter, the Baltimore friends
> report an attendance of 325.
> 
> The hall was beautifully decorated with flowers. Attractive displays were arranged with Temple
> pictures and literature. The speaker's fine compliment—“You are to be congratulated on the
> perfect coordination. the smooth production. and the perfect taste and surroundings in which it
> was held" express the result of the efforts of the Baltimore friends in a few words.
> 
> A four week radio program was used. on Sundays at 4:15 p.m., prior to the meeting. The
> transcriptions used were. "A New Interpretation of History." "Meet Mr. Justice.“ “Mr. Justice
> Returns," and "This is My Faith,“ over station WFBR. Spot announcements were also used.
> 
> Music was furnished by the Baltimore Fellowship Choir. an interracial group of soloists. singing
> the “Song of Peace" by Sibelius with solo numbers by two of its members. Further
> demonstrating “beauty in diversity" composed of an the ushers were interracial group of youths.
> and this important phase of activity was executed perfectly under the capable direction of Mary
> Jane Langrall.
> 
> Publicity was a bit disappointing to the friends, but the advertisements in the three local papers
> were excellent. A large Temple picture was on display the week before the meeting in an art
> dealer’s window.
> 
> Summing up, the report states: “The success of the meeting can be attributed to our excellent
> speaker. William Sears. charming chairman. Annamarie Honnold. and fine Field Representative.
> Marguerite Sears. The individual cooperation of the entire community, the fine teamwork of the
> committees. and the sincere devotion of the prayer squads was a shining example of the true
> Bahá’í spirit and loving unity." The National Public Meetings committee would be much amiss if
> they did not add to this, the efficient manner in which the secretary of the Baltimore Public
> Meeting Committee. ​Albert E. Dorrida​ handled his part of the work.
>
> — *Uncle Bill: A Personal Memoir (Used by permission of the curator)*