Louis George Gregory

Louis George Gregory (b. June 6, 1874 - d. 1951) was a prominent African Descent Bahá'í. In 1951 he was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the Bahá'í Faith by Shoghi Effendi. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... The Hands of the Cause of God are a select group of Baháís, appointed for life, whose main function is to propagate and protect the Baháí Faith on the international level. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ...

Early years

He was born on June 6, 1874 to African descent parents liberated during the Civil War whose number included his future father-in-law 1st Sgt. George Gregory. His mother was Mary Elizabeth whose mother, Mary, was African and whose father was an enslaver named George Washington Dargan of the Rough Fork plantation in Darlington, South Carolina. When Gregory was four years old, his father, Ebaneezer George died, and his mother remarried to Geroge Gregory. At this point Louis George Gregory took the name of his step father. June 6 is the 157th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (158th in leap years), with 208 days remaining. ... 1874 (MDCCCLXXIV) was a common year starting on Thursday (see link for calendar). ... Combatants United States of America (Union) Confederate States of America (Confederacy) Commanders Abraham Lincoln, Ulysses S. Grant Jefferson Davis, Robert Edward Lee Strength 2,200,000 1,064,000 Casualties 110,000 killed in action, 360,000 total dead, 275,200 wounded 93,000 killed in action, 258,000 total... A plantation is an intentional planting of a crop, on a larger scale, usually for uses other than cereal production or pasture. ... Darlington is a city located in Darlington County, in northeastern South Carolina, and is a center for tobacco farming. ...

During his elementary schooling, Gregory attended the first public school that was open to both African Americans and whites in Charleston, South Carolina. He then attended the Avery Institute, a private secondary school in Charleston, and Fisk University in Nashville, Tennessee where he complete his Bachelor's Degree. He continued on to Howard University in Washington D.C., one of the few universities to accept black graduate students, to study law and received his LL.B degree in March 1902. He was admitted to the bar, and along with another young lawyer, James A. Cobb, opened a law office in Washington D.C. The partership ended in 1906, after Gregory started to work in the United States Department of the Treasury. Nickname: The Holy City, The Palmetto City, Chucktown Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) Location of Charleston in South Carolina. ... Fisk University is a historically black college in Nashville, Tennessee, USA. It was established by John Ogden, Reverend Erastus Milo Cravath and Reverend Edward P. Smith and named in honor of General Clinton B. Fisk of the Tennessee Freedmens Bureau. ... Nickname: Music City Location in Davidson County and the state of Tennessee Coordinates: Country United States State Tennessee Counties Davidson County Founded: 1779 Incorporated: 1806 Mayor Bill Purcell (D) Area    - City 526. ... Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. Howard was established in 1867 by congressional order and named after Oliver O. Howard. ... Aerial photo (looking NW) of the Washington Monument and the White House in Washington, DC. Washington, D.C., officially the District of Columbia (also known as D.C.; Washington; the Nations Capital; the District; and, historically, the Federal City) is the capital city and administrative district of the United... A graduate student (also, grad student or grad in American English, postgraduate student or postgrad in British English) is an individual who has completed a bachelors degree (B.A., B.S./B.Sc. ... The degree of Bachelor of Laws is the principal academic degree in law in most common law countries other than the United States, where it has been replaced by the Juris Doctor degree. ... The United States Department of the Treasury is a Cabinet department and the treasury of the United States government. ...

Becoming a Bahá'í

At the Treasury, Gregory met Thomas H. Gibbs, with whom he formed a close relationship. Gibbs, while not being a Bahá'í himself, shared information about the religion to Gregory, and Gregory attended a Bahá'í lecture by Lua Getsinger in 1907. In that meeting he met Pauline Hannen and her husband who invited him to many other meetings throughout the next couple years. When the Hannens received permission in 1909 to visit `Abdu'l-Bahá in Palestine after he was freed from the Ottoman Empire, Gregory returned to law, establishing his practice in Washington D.C. When the Hannens returned, Gregory once again started attending Bahá'í meetings and on July 23, 1909 wrote to the Hannens that he was an adherent of the Bahá'í Faith: Seat of the Universal House of Justice in Haifa, Israel, governing body of the Baháís The Baháí Faith is a religion founded by Baháulláh in 19th century Persia. ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdul-Bahá `Abbás Effendí (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdul-Bahá (abdol-ba-haa Arabic: ‎ ), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... now. ... July 23 is the 204th day (205th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 161 days remaining. ... 1909 (MCMIX) was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ...

"It comes to me that I have never taken occasion to thank you specifically for all your kindness and patience, which finally culminated in my acceptance of the great truths of the Bahá'í Revelation. It has given me an entirely new conception of Christianity and of all religion, and with it my whole nature seems changed for the better...It is a sane and practical religion, which meets all the varying needs of life, and I hope I shall ever regard it as a priceless possession."

At this point, Gregory started organizing Bahá'í meetings as well, including one under the auspices of the Bethel Literary and Historical Association, a Negro organization of which he was president. He also wrote to `Abdu'l-Bahá, who responded to Gregory that he had high expectations of Gregory in the realm of race relations. Gregory at this point stopped working as a lawyer and travelled, wrote and lectured on the subject or racial unity.

In 1910 he travelled to Richmond, Virginia, Durham, North Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina and Macon, Georgia where he taught about the Bahá'í Faith. He also participated in the early Bahá'í administration. In February 1911 he was elected to the Washington's Working Committee of the Bahá'í Assembly, the first Africa-American to serve on that position. Nickname: River City Motto: Sic Itur Ad Astra (Thus do we reach the stars) Location in the Commonwealth of Virginia Coordinates: Country United States State Virginia County Independent City Mayor L. Douglas Wilder (D) Area    - City 62. ... Durham skyline Nickname: City of Medicine Official website: http://www. ... Nickname: The Holy City, The Palmetto City, Chucktown Motto: Aedes Mores Juraque Curat (She cares for her temples, customs, and rights) Location of Charleston in South Carolina. ... Macon is a city located in central Georgia. ... The Baháí administration refers to the administrative system of the Baháí Faith. ...

Pilgrimage

On March 25, 1911, at the behest of `Abdu'l-Bahá, Gregory sailed from New York through Europe to Egypt and Palestine to go on pilgrimage. In Palestine, Gregory met with `Abdu'l-Bahá and Shoghi Effendi and visited the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh and the Shrine of the Báb. After he had returned to Egypt from Palestine, the discussion of race unity in the United States came about with `Abdu'l-Bahá and the other pilgrims. `Abdu'l-Bahá stated that there was no distinction between the races, and then gave blackberries to each of the pilgrims, which Gregory interpretted as the symbolic sharing of black-coloured fruit. During this time, `Abdu'l-Bahá also started encourging Gregory and Louisa Matthew, a white Englishwoman who was also a pilgrim, to get to know eachother; on September 27, 1911 Gregoy and Matthew married becoming the first Bahá'í interracial couple. March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ... Official language(s) English de facto Capital Albany Largest city New York City Area  Ranked 27th  - Total 54,520 sq mi (141,205 km²)  - Width 285 miles (455 km)  - Length 330 miles (530 km)  - % water 13. ... World map showing Europe Political map (neighbouring countries in Asia and Africa also shown) Europe is one of the seven traditional continents of the Earth. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ... Shrine of Baháulláh from the North Located in Bahji near Akká, the Shrine of Baháulláh is the most holy place for Baháís - their Qiblih. ... Shrine of the Báb The Shrine of the Báb is the location where the Bábs remains have been laid to rest. ... Palestine (from Latin: ; Hebrew: Pleshet, פלשתינה Palestina; Arabic: ‎ FilastÄ«n, FalastÄ«n) is one of several names for the geographic region between the Mediterranean Sea and the banks of the Jordan River with various adjoining lands. ... `Abdul-Bahá Sir `Abdul-Bahá `Abbás Effendí (May 23, 1844 - November 28, 1921) commonly known as `Abdul-Bahá (abdol-ba-haa Arabic: ‎ ), was the son of Baháulláh, the Prophet-Founder of the Baháí Faith. ... Motto: (French for God and my right) Anthem: Multiple unofficial anthems Capital London Largest city London Official language(s) English (de facto) Government Constitutional monarchy  - Queen Queen Elizabeth II  - Prime Minister Tony Blair MP Unification    - by Athelstan AD 927  Area    - Total 130,395 km² (1st in UK)   50,346 sq... September 27 is the 270th day of the year (271st in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 1911 (MCMXI) was a common year starting on Sunday (click on link for calendar). ...

After leaving Egypt, Gregory travelled to Germany, before returning to the United States, where he spoke at a number of gatherings to Bahá'ís and their friends. When he returned to the United States he contined to travel throughout the southern United States talking about the Bahá'í Faith. In 1912, during `Abdu'l-Bahá's visit to the United States, Gregory organized speaking engagements at Howard University and and the Metropolitan A.M.E. Church for him. Howard University is a historically black university in Washington, D.C. Howard was established in 1867 by congressional order and named after Oliver O. Howard. ...

During his travels, whenever he was accompanied by his wife, they received a range of different reactions because interracial marriage was illegal or unrecognized in a majority of the states at that time.

Later years

During the same year, on April 30, 1912 he was the only African-American elected to the first national administrative body of the Bahá'í Faith in America. Leter, he was also the first African-American to be elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada, a body which he would be elected to in 1922, 1924, 1927, 1932, 1934 and 1946. In his later years, he travelled to Africa and Haiti teaching the Bahá'í Faith. April 30 is the 120th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (121st in leap years), with 245 days remaining. ... 1912 (MCMXII) was a leap year starting on Monday in the Gregorian calendar (or a leap year starting on Tuesday in the 13-day-slower Julian calendar). ... The Baháí administration refers to the administrative system of the Baháí Faith. ... A world map showing the continent of Africa. ...

At the age of seventy-seven, Gregory died on July 30, 1951. He is buried at the Green Acre Bahá'í school in Eliot, Maine. On his passing, Shoghi Effendi cabelled to the American Bahá'í community: July 30 is the 211th day (212th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 154 days remaining. ... 1951 (MCMLI) was a common year starting on Monday; see its calendar. ... Green Acre is a conference facility in Eliot, Maine, in the United States. ... Eliot is a town located in York County, Maine. ...

"Profoundly deplore grievous loss of dearly beloved, nobleminded, golden hearted Louis Gregory, pride and example to the Negro adherents of the Faith ... Rising Bahá'í generation in African continent will glory in his memory and emulate his example."

He was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause by Shoghi Effendi. The Hands of the Cause of God are a select group of Baháís, appointed for life, whose main function is to propagate and protect the Baháí Faith on the international level. ... The last photograph of Shoghi Effendi, taken a few months before he died. ...

References

• The National Spiritual Assembly of the Baha'is of the United States (2006-06-28). Selected profiles of African-American Baha'is. bahai.us. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
• Louis Gregory Museum (2003). About Louis G. Gregory. louisgregorymuseum.org. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
• African American History Online (2005-01). Louis George Gregory's Appearance in State African American History Calender of South Carolina in 2005. scafricanamericanhistory.com. Retrieved on 2006-10-06.
• Morrison, Gayle (1982). To move the world : Louis G. Gregory and the advancement of racial unity in America. Wilmette, Ill: Bahá'í Publishing Trust. ISBN 0877431884.

2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ... 2006 (MMVI) is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... October 6 is the 279th day of the year (280th in leap years). ...

External links

• The Louis Gregory Project

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