Thornton Chase (February 22, 1847 – September 30, 1912) is commonly recognized as the first convert to the Bahá'í Faith of Occidental background. During his life he organized many Bahá'í activities in Chicago and Los Angelas and was considered a prominent Bahá'í. February 22 is the 53rd day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 1847 was a common year starting on Friday (see link for calendar). ... September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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). ... 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. ...

Early life

He was born on 22 February 1847 in Springfield, Massachusetts to parents of English stock and Baptist religion. His father was a singer, amateur scientist, and wealthy businessman.^[1] Chase's mother died eighteen days after he was born, an event that profoundly shaped Chase's subsequent development.^[2] Chase's father remarried three years later and the couple adopted three girls. Apparently three year-old Thornton was not wanted; the United States 1850 census shows that he was living with a foster family in West Springfield.^[3] Chase himself describes his childhood as "loveless and lonely," and the inner vacuum he felt apparently set him on a quest for love, which culminated in his mystical interests.^[4]   Nickname: City of Homes Settled: 1636 â€“ Incorporated: 1636 Zip Code(s): 01103 01107 01108 01119 01129 â€“ Area Code(s): 413 Official website: http://www. ... Baptist is a term describing a tradition within Christianity and may also refer to individuals belonging to a Baptist church or a Baptist denomination. ...

For four years, aged thirteen to sixteen, Chase lived in Newton, Mass., with the Rev. Samuel_Francis_Smith, a prominent Baptist clergyman.^[5] In July 1863 Chase was accepted to Brown University, but instead of matriculating, in early 1864 – just before his seventeenth birthday – Chase went to Philadelphia to attend a school for officers for black infantry units.^[6] By May, 1864 Chase was second in charge of one hundred men, Company K of the Twenty sixth United States Colored Troops.^[7] On July 5 and 7 the unit fought two battles south of Charleston, S.C.; Chase was wounded by an exploding cannon, permanently injuring the hearing in his left ear.^[8] In 1865 he was promoted to captain and commanded Company D of the 104th U. S. C. T.^[9] Samuel Francis Smith (October 21, 1808-November 16, 1895) was the composer of a well-known patriotic song, America. ... Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701  - Mayor... July 5 is the 186th day of the year (187th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 179 days remaining. ... Charleston is an American city located in Charleston County, South Carolina. ...

Marriage and employment

Chase began to attend Brown University in September 1866 but dropped out before completing the second semester.^[10] He returned to Springfield, where he became a salesman for his father's lumber business. On 11 May 1870 he married Annie Elizabeth Allyn of Bristol, Rhode Island,^[11] and they had two children: Sarah Thornton (1871-1908) and Jessamine Allyn (1874-1947). Chase started his own speciality lumber business, directed the choir of First Baptist Church, and served as an officer in one of Springfield’s musical organizations.^[12] Brown University is a private university located in Providence, Rhode Island. ... May 11 is the 131st day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (132nd in leap years). ... 1870 (MDCCCLXX) was a common year starting on Saturday (see link for calendar) of the Gregorian calendar or a common year starting on Monday of the 12-day-slower Julian calendar. ... Nickname: Motto: Official website: http://www. ...

In 1872 Chase's business failed. Unemployed, he moved to Boston, where he obtained a meager living as an actor and singer. In 1873, in the midst of loneliness, poverty, and a sense of failure, Chase had an experience of God's love, of love "unspeakable," of "absolute oneness."^[13] The experience pulled him back from the brink of destruction, renewed his hope, and set him on a religious search. Nickname: City on the Hill, Beantown, The Hub (of the Universe)1, Athens of America, The Cradle of Revolution, Puritan City, Americas Walking City Location in Massachusetts, USA Counties Suffolk County Mayor Thomas M. Menino(D) Area    - City 232. ... This article discusses the term God in the context of monotheism and henotheism. ...

When he had exhausted his employment opportunities in Boston, Chase moved to Fort Howard (Green Bay), Wisconsin, where he taught school for a time. He moved to Chicago, where he acted in plays at McVicker’s, one of the city's better known theaters, Subsequently he obtained teaching and music tutoring jobs in Kansas. Finally he settled in Del Norte, Colorado. Meanwhile, Annie remained in Springfield with her mother and two daughters, waiting for her husband to settle and provide his family support. She finally moved back to Rhode Island and in March 1878 sued Chase for divorce. He begged her to reconsider, but the court granted her petition.^[14] She lived the rest of her days in Newport, Rhode Island, dying in 1918. Chase's older daughter, Sarah, married in 1895 and had five children before dying suddenly in 1908. Chase's other daughter, Jessamine, never married and became a school teacher and musician like her father; she died in 1947. The Name Green Bay refers to: The city of Green Bay, Wisconsin. ... Nickname: The Windy City, The Second City, Chi Town, City of the Big Shoulders, The 312, The City that Works Motto: Urbs In Horto (Latin: City in a Garden), I Will Location in Chicagoland and Illinois Coordinates: Country United States State Illinois County Cook & DuPage Incorporated March 4, 1837  - Mayor... Del Norte is a town located in Rio Grande County, Colorado. ...

Chase apparently was devastated by the divorce. Sources indicate that he went into the Colorado mountains for a time, wandering in search of gold and silver. He remarried on 6 May 1880 and settled in Pueblo.^[15] Once again he became extremely active in music, directing a succession of musical and theatrical groups. He invented and patented a prospector's pick. He began to publish poetry in local newspapers and magazines; one poem focuses on Jesus's love for humanity, thereby highlighting Chase's devotion to Jesus.^[16] For the record label, see Divorce Records. ... May 6 is the 126th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (127th in leap years). ... Year 1880 (MDCCCLXXX) was a leap year starting on Thursday (link will display the full calendar). ... Pueblo is a city in Pueblo County in southern Colorado. ... This article is about Jesus of Nazareth. ...

In 1882 Chase moved to Denver and joined the local Swedenborgian church. Swedenborgianism emphasized a metaphorical interpretation of the Bible and stressed a mystical approach to Jesus and Christianity; thus its Christianity was much less doctrinal that the Baptist Church of Chase's childhood. After five years, however, the Denver church was wracked by doctrinal disputes, and about that time Chase abandoned it and all other Christian churches.^[17] He initiated a broader religious search and began to read a wide variety of books about religion. This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ... Emanuel Swedenborg, 75, holding the manuscript of Apocalypsis Revelata (1766). ...

Chase earned his living in various ways, as a journalist, an actor in Denver, and as an operator of a music store. In 1888 he was hired by the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company as an agent and soon became the manager of their entire Colorado operation.^[18] In 1889 they promoted him and moved him to their California office. On 28 June 1889 Chase's only son, William Jotham Thornton Chase, was born. Chase published a booklet called Sketches that explains why people should purchase life insurance for themselves, using biblical and religious stories to illustrate its major points.^[19] The booklet reveals Chase as a religious seeker familiar with all the major religions.^[20] This does not cite its references or sources. ... Life insurance or life assurance is a contract between the policy owner and the insurer, where the insurer agrees to pay a sum of money upon the occurrence of the insureds death. ...

Bahá'í life

About 1893 Union Mutual promoted Chase to superintendent of all agencies west of the Appalachians. This necessitated a move to Chicago.^[21] One day in early 1894 Chase was writing a poem about God when a business colleague entered his office. The colleague was intrigued by the poem and told Chase about a man who was teaching that God had recently "walked upon the earth."^[22] Chase investigated and discovered that the teacher was Ibrahim Kheiralla, a Bahá'í from Beirut who had recently come to the United States. Chase and a small group of Chicagoans began to study the Bahá'í Faith with him. Chase indicates that 5 June 1894 was a crucial date for the class; probably it was the day the class began. By 1895 he had completed the class and become a Bahá'í. At least three other Americans completed the class and accepted the new religion before him, but subsequently they left the Bahá'í Faith. Thus Chase should be considered the first American to become and remain a Bahá'í, and not the first American Bahá'í per se. 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. ... June 5 is the 156th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (157th in leap years), with 209 days remaining. ... 1894 (MDCCCXCIV) was a common year starting on Monday (see link for calendar). ...

Classes on the Bahá'í Faith were organized in Chicago, and later in Enterprise, Kansas; Kenosha, Wisconsin; Ithaca, New York; New York City; Philadelphia; and Oakland, California. By 1899 about fifteen hundred Americans had become Bahá'ís, seven hundred in Chicago itself. Chase himself taught a class on the religion, wrote numerous letters to interested seekers, and taught the religion widely during his frequent travels for his company.^[23] Enterprise is a city located in Dickinson County, Kansas. ... Kenosha (pronounced ) is a city in Kenosha County, Wisconsin. ... The City of Ithaca (named for the Greek island of Ithaca) sits on the southern shore of Cayuga Lake, in Central New York State. ... Nickname: Big Apple, Gotham, NYC, City That Never Sleeps, The Concrete Jungle, The City So Nice They Named It Twice Location in the state of New York Coordinates: Country United States State New York Boroughs The Bronx Brooklyn Manhattan Queens Staten Island Settled 1676  - Mayor Michael Bloomberg (R) Area    - City... Nickname: City of Brotherly Love, Philly, the Cradle of Liberty, the City That Loves You Back, the Quaker City, The Birthplace of America Motto: Philadelphia maneto - Let brotherly love continue Location in Pennsylvania Coordinates: Country United States State Pennsylvania County Philadelphia Founded October 27, 1682 Incorporated October 25, 1701  - Mayor... Oakland, founded in 1852, is the eighth-largest city in California[1] and the county seat of Alameda County. ...

In 1899 American Bahá'í pilgrims went on pilgrimage to Akka, Palestine, where they met `Abdu'l-Bahá. They brought knowledge of the Bahá'í organizational system to the United States. Chase became one of the leading organizers of the Chicago community, first in November 1899, when the community elected new officers, and then in March 1900, when the community elected a ten member "Board of Council."<sup>[24]</sup> Chase was one of the 1899 officers and a member of the 1900 board. When Ibrahim Kheiralla became increasingly alienated from the Bahá'í community in 1899 and 1900 Chase was one of the leaders of the effort to reconcile Kheiralla with the other American Bahá'ís. When reconciliation became impossible Chase was a leader of the effort to organize the Bahá'í Faith independently of Kheiralla. The city of Acre [1] is in the Western Galilee district in northern Israel. ... `Abdul-Bahá `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. ...

In 1900 and 1901 `Abdu'l Bahá sent `Abdu'l-Karím-i-Tihrání, Hájí Mírzá Hassan-i-Khurásání, Mírzá Asadu'lláh, and Mírzá Abu'l-Fadl to the United States to deepen the Bahá'ís. Chase arranged for the latter two to stay in the Chicago Bahá'í Center, and moved into the center with them when his wife had to go east for a year to handle legal matters connected with the death of Chase's stepmother in Springfield. Chase acquired a deep understanding of the Bahá'í teachings during his time with the Persians.^[25] Mírzá Abul-Fadl-i-Gulpáygání , or (1844-1914) was the foremost Baháí scholar who also contributed a great deal to the advance of the Baháí Faith in Turkmenistan, Egypt, and the United States. ...

Chase soon emerged as the principal organizer of the Chicago Bahá'í community. In May 1901 he coordinated the election of a new consultative body, which was first called the Chicago House of Justice and then the Chicago House of Spirituality. By 1902 Chase was serving as chairman, an office he retained until moving out of Chicago in 1909. Chase had learned about the Bahá'í principle of consultation from the Persian teachers and emphasized its importance, thus becoming the first American Bahá'í to champion it.^[26] Chase also wrote many circular letters that the House of Spirituality sent to Bahá'í communities throughout the United States and Canada, informing them of Bahá'í Holy Days and the fast, thereby establishing their observance in North America. The Persians are an Iranian people who speak the Persian language and share a common culture and history. ... The Baháí calendar, common to the Baháí Faith, is a solar calendar with regular years 365 days long and leap years 366 days long as explained within the Kitáb-i-Aqdas. ... The Nineteen Day Fast (March 2 - March 20) is a nineteen-day period of the year, during which members of the Baháí Faith adhere to a sunrise to sunset fast. ...

Chase's writing experience proved useful in the effort to edit and publish Bahá'í literature. Chase and four other Chicago Bahá'í businessmen founded the "Behais Supply and Publishing Board" in 1900; in the fall of 1902 it was legally incorporated as the Bahai Publishing Society.^[27] It soon emerged as the principal publisher of Bahá'í literature in the English speaking world, and became a major force behind the standardization of the spelling of Middle Eastern Bahá'í names and terms. Chase was the principal editor of the society's literature and one of its principal financers. The society published several early Bahá'í pamphlets written by Chase. Baháí literature, like much religious text, covers a variety of topics and forms, including scripture and inspiration, interpretation, history and biography, introduction and study materials, and apologia. ...

In 1907 Chase was able to go on pilgrimage. Though Chase was able to be with `Abdu'l Bahá in Akka for only three days, the experience transformed him. `Abdu'l Bahá, highly impressed by Chase's qualities, conferred on him the title thábit, "steadfast."^[28] The Shrine of the Báb and its Terraces, 2003. ...

On returning home Chase wrote an account of his pilgrimage, which was published under the title In Galilee in 1908.^[29] The short work gives a detailed and poignant description of `Abdu'l-Bahá's home and family in Akka, as well as a moving description of `Abdu'l Bahá himself. The work remains one of the most important examples of the genre commonly known as pilgrim's notes. Chase then turned his thoughts to an introductory book on the Bahá'í Faith. Published as The Bahai Revelation in 1909, this work was one of the most comprehensive and accurate introductions to the Bahá'í Faith written by an early American Bahá'í.^[30] It continued to be reprinted until the 1920s. The work emphasized the Bahá'í Faith and its teachings as a vehicle for personal spiritual transformation.^[31] `Abdul-Bahá `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. ...

In late 1909 the Union Mutual Life Insurance Company, seeking to reduce Chase’s devotion to religious activities, transferred him to Los Angeles.^[32] Chase considered resigning from the company, but at age 62 another job was impossible to find. He had to support a wife, a son in college, and an elderly mother in law, so he accepted the new position, even though it paid much less. Chase still traveled extensively for his company as far north as Seattle and as far east as Denver, and these travels gave him opportunities to visit the rapidly developing Bahá'í communities of the Mountain and Pacific states. He also returned to writing poetry, primarily on the Bahá'í Faith. He helped to organize the Los Angeles Bahá'ís; in 1910 they elected a five-member governing board that included Chase as a member.^[33] They also established their first monthly meetings. Flag Seal Nickname: City of Angels Location Location within Los Angeles County in the state of California Coordinates , Government State County California Los Angeles County Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa (D) Geographical characteristics Area     City 1,290. ... City nickname Emerald City City bird Great Blue Heron City flower Dahlia City mottos The City of Flowers The City of Goodwill City song Seattle, the Peerless City Mayor Greg Nickels County King County Area   - Total   - Land   - Water   - % water 369. ... This article refers to the state capital of Colorado. ...

Death

Thornton Chase died suddenly and unexpectedly on 30 September 1912 in Los Angeles, of complications following unsuccessful surgery.^[34] `Abdu'l Bahá was on a train en route to California at the time; He immediately changed his plans and went to Los Angeles to visit Chase's grave. There he praised Chase's qualities highly, instructed the Bahá'ís to hold a commemoration of Chase annually at his grave, and encouraged Bahá'ís to visit the gravesite. Bahá'ís throughout the United States eulogized Chase for his intelligence, his consultative approach to problems, his constant advocacy of the need for organization, and his loving disposition. Chase's importance as an early American Bahá'í thinker, administrator, and organizer is still underappreciated. In many ways Chase's death left a gap in the American Bahá'í community that remained unfilled until Horace Holley's rise to prominence in the early 1920s. September 30 is the 273rd day of the year (274th in leap years) in the Gregorian calendar. ... 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). ... A cardiothoracic surgeon performs a mitral valve replacement at the Fitzsimons Army Medical Center. ... Horace Holley, detail from larger photograph Horace Holley (1887 - 1960) was a prominent follower of the Baháí Faith, having been elected to several Spiritual Assemblies, appointed by Shoghi Effendi in 1951 to be a Hand of the Cause, and later elected to be one of the nine Custodians who stewarded...

References