Dorothy Beecher Baker
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Dorothy Beecher Baker (December 21, 1898 - January 10, 1954) was an American teacher and prominent member of the
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
. She rose to leadership positions in a
Local Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
and then was elected to the
National Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
of the religion, serving a total of sixteen years. During World War II, she undertook leadership of the National Assembly's Race Unity Committee and of efforts to expand the religion into Mexico, Central and South America. In December 1951 she was recognized for her service, appointed by
Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...
, then head of the religion, to the rank of persons known as
Hands of the Cause of God A hand is a prehensile, multi-fingered appendage located at the end of the forearm or forelimb of primates such as humans, chimpanzees, monkeys, and lemurs. A few other vertebrates such as the koala (which has two opposable thumbs on each " ...
. People of this rank were appointed for life whose main function was to propagate and protect the
Baháʼí Faith The Baháʼí Faith is a religion founded in the 19th century that teaches the essential worth of all religions and the unity of all people. Established by Baháʼu'lláh in the 19th century, it initially developed in Iran and parts of the ...
. Unlike the members of the elected institutions and other appointed institutions in the religion, who serve in those offices, Hands are considered to have achieved a distinguished rank in service to the religion. On 24 December 1951 she was appointed
Hand of the Cause of God Hand of the Cause was a title given to prominent early members of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the religion's founders. Of the fifty individuals given the title, the last living was ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá who died in 2007. Hands of ...
by
Shoghi Effendi Shoghí Effendi (; 1 March 1897 – 4 November 1957) was the grandson and successor of ʻAbdu'l-Bahá, appointed to the role of Guardian of the Baháʼí Faith from 1921 until his death in 1957. He created a series of teaching plans that over ...
.


Early life

Born Dorothy Beecher, she was distantly related to Harriet Beecher Stowe, the American abolitionist and author of ''
Uncle Tom's Cabin ''Uncle Tom's Cabin; or, Life Among the Lowly'' is an anti-slavery novel by American author Harriet Beecher Stowe. Published in two volumes in 1852, the novel had a profound effect on attitudes toward African Americans and slavery in the U ...
'' (1852). This bestselling book is believed to have influenced the American Civil War. Beecher at the age of 13 was introduced to the Bahá'í Faith by her grandmother, a member of the religion. Her grandmother took her to New York City to see
Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born Ê»Abbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the ...
, who was on an extended trip to the West. Moved by his talk and more thinking about the religion, around the time of her 15th birthday, Dorothy took official steps to be recognized as a Baháʼí. After high school, Beecher attended college at New Jersey State Normal School at Montclair. She graduated in 1918 as a teacher.


Career, Bahá'i faith, and marriage

Beecher started working for the
Newark, New Jersey Newark ( , ) is the most populous city in the U.S. state of New Jersey and the seat of Essex County and the second largest city within the New York metropolitan area.Buffalo, New York Buffalo is the second-largest city in the U.S. state of New York (behind only New York City) and the seat of Erie County. It is at the eastern end of Lake Erie, at the head of the Niagara River, and is across the Canadian border from Sou ...
, where Baker joined the local Baháʼí community. She became quite active and was elected to the Baháʼí
Local Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
. The family moved to Lima, Ohio in 1927. Continuing to be active as a Baháʼí, in 1928 Baker was a delegate to the national convention. After that she dedicated herself more to the service of the religion. She was first elected to the nine-person National Spiritual Assembly in 1937. Baker participated in leadership roles in several initiatives of the Baháʼís before World War II. Among the two highest priority were undertaking
Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá (; Persian: ‎, 23 May 1844 – 28 November 1921), born Ê»Abbás ( fa, عباس), was the eldest son of Baháʼu'lláh and served as head of the Baháʼí Faith from 1892 until 1921. Ê»Abdu'l-Bahá was later canonized as the ...
's call through the
Tablets of the Divine Plan The ''Tablets of the Divine Plan'' collectively refers to 14 letters ( tablets) written between March 1916 and March 1917 by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to Baháʼís in the United States and Canada. Included in multiple books, the first five tablets were ...
to spread the religion throughout Central and South America and to address racism in the United States. Baker was named chair of the Inter-America Committee of the Baháʼí
National Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
of the US, responsible for many aspects of an initiative to expand the religion into Central and South America. In 1939 she was appointed by the national assembly to the Race Unity Committee, along with Louis George Gregory, an African-American lawyer who was a strong proponent of the religion. She chaired the committee from 1941–44, during World War II. She was elected to serve on the Baháʼí
National Spiritual Assembly Spiritual Assembly is a term given by ʻAbdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Baháʼí Faith. Because the Baháʼí Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community. In addition to existing at the local level ...
of the United States and Canada; she ultimately served sixteen years with the national assembly. In addition, she continued work with the Race Unity Committee; it stressed the role of education and culture in uprooting racism, gave parents recommendations for educating their children in the spirit of racial equality, and encouraged the study of African-American culture. Baker was instrumental in establishing the College Speakers Bureau for the committee on Race Unity. In 1941-2 she visited 30 colleges; in 1942-3 she visited 50 more. Across four years, through this bureau's work, she spoke to more than 60,000 students in 20 states. From 1937 to 1946, Baker made six trips through Central and South America. Because of her background in speaking to many audiences, Baker was regarded as one of the best Baháʼí speakers in the United States. Baker's daughter, Louise Baker, pioneered to Colombia in early 1943, working to interest the people in the Baháʼí faith. In 1943 Dorothy spent a month in Colombia visiting her daughter and other Baháʼís. Later in 1945 and again in early 1947, Baker was one of a number of notable Baháʼís who traveled through
Mexico Mexico (Spanish: México), officially the United Mexican States, is a country in the southern portion of North America. It is bordered to the north by the United States; to the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; to the southeast by Guatema ...
, meeting residents along the way. Starting in 1946, following
World War II World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, Shoghi Effendi drew up plans for the American (US and Canada) Baháʼí community to send pioneers to Europe. Delaying her personal
Baháʼí pilgrimage A Baháʼí pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Acre, Israel, Acre, and Mansion of Bahjí, Bahjí at the Baháʼí World Centre in Northwest Israel. Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís do not have access to other places de ...
, Baker undertook a trip in 1948 across Europe. She visited Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Holland, Belgium, Luxembourg, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and Portugal (where she again visited her daughter.) See Baháʼí Faith in Europe. Baker was a representative of the US National Assembly to the 1951 Bahá'i convention. They were to elect members of a regional assembly to oversee expanding Bahá'i across Mexico and into Central and South America, and to the West Indies. During a second trip through Europe in 1951, Baker was appointed as a Hand of the Cause by Shogi Effendi.


After being named a Hand of the Cause of God

Baker attended the second convention of the regional assembly of Latin America which was held in San Jose, Costa Rica in April 1952 - her last journey to the region.


Death

In February 1953 the first inter-continental conference of four designated by Shoghi Effendi took place in
Uganda }), is a landlocked country in East Africa. The country is bordered to the east by Kenya, to the north by South Sudan, to the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, to the south-west by Rwanda, and to the south by Tanzania. The sou ...
. Baker was on the program along with
Ê»Alí-Akbar Furútan Ê»Alí-Akbar Furútan (29 April 1905 – 26 November 2003) was a prominent Iranian Baháʼí educator and author who was given the rank of Hand of the Cause in 1951. A native of Sabzivár in what was, at the time, Iran's Khurásán, Ê»Alà ...
,
Ugo Giachery Ugo Giachery (May 13, 1896 – July 5, 1989) was a prominent Italian Baháʼí from an aristocratic family from Palermo. At an anniversary of the founding of the spiritual assembly of Perugia Giachery told the story of how, as a young wounde ...
,
Hermann Grossman Hermann or Herrmann may refer to: * Hermann (name), list of people with this name * Arminius, chieftain of the Germanic Cherusci tribe in the 1st century, known as Hermann in the German language * Éditions Hermann, French publisher * Hermann, Miss ...
, ʻAlí-Muhammad Varqá,
George Townshend George Townshend may refer to: *George Townshend (Royal Navy officer) (1715–1769), British naval commander *George Townshend, 1st Marquess Townshend (1724–1807), British field marshal, his nephew *George Townshend, 2nd Marquess Townshend (1753â ...
, and
Dhikru'llah Khadem Zikrullah Khadem ( ar, , or Dhikru'lláh Khádim; 1904–1986) was an Iranian follower of the Baháʼí Faith, appointed for life by the head of the Faith to a select leadership role as a Hand of the Cause in February 1952. The 27 Hands played ...
giving a wide variety of talks and classes across 7 days. Baker made her
Baháʼí pilgrimage A Baháʼí pilgrimage currently consists of visiting the holy places in Haifa, Acre, Israel, Acre, and Mansion of Bahjí, Bahjí at the Baháʼí World Centre in Northwest Israel. Baháʼí Faith, Baháʼís do not have access to other places de ...
just before the conference after delaying it twice in earlier years in order to provide service in her travels. At a follow-up conference for the initiatives in Europe, in Stockholm in August 1953, Baker asked for a Baháʼí to settle in
Andorra , image_flag = Flag of Andorra.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Andorra.svg , symbol_type = Coat of arms , national_motto = la, Virtus Unita Fortior, label=none (Latin)"United virtue is stro ...
and French-born William Danjon Dieudonne volunteered. He left his home in Denmark and arrived in on 7 October 1953 and so was listed as a Knight of Baháʼu'lláh thereafter. Baker spoke at a variety of events in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
extending her stay twice to speak at schools - her last public talk was in
Karachi Karachi (; ur, ; ; ) is the most populous city in Pakistan and 12th most populous city in the world, with a population of over 20 million. It is situated at the southern tip of the country along the Arabian Sea coast. It is the former c ...
in early 1954. In Karachi she boarded a BOAC flight to London.
clipping
from
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.
In January 1954 it was announced Baker had died in a plane crash near the island of Elba en route to Rome from
Pakistan Pakistan ( ur, ), officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan ( ur, , label=none), is a country in South Asia. It is the world's fifth-most populous country, with a population of almost 243 million people, and has the world's second-lar ...
where she had toured after helping an international conference in
India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...
. The plane,
BOAC Flight 781 BOAC Flight 781 was a scheduled British Overseas Airways Corporation (BOAC) passenger flight from Singapore to London. On 10 January 1954, a de Havilland Comet passenger jet operating the flight suffered an explosive decompression at altitude an ...
, had taken off at 4:30 a.m., Lima time, Sunday, from Rome, on its way to London, and crashed in the sea about 40 minutes later. She had had plans to continue her trip from Rome to Paris, New York, and from there to a pioneering post with her husband Frank Baker in St. Charles, Grenada, West Indies. Paul Edmond Haney was appointed Hand of the Cause to replace her in service to the religion. The major print biography of Dorothy Baker's life was written by her granddaughter, Dorothy Freeman, and researched by her daughter, Louise Baker Mathias --


References

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Baker, Dorothy Beecher 1898 births 1954 deaths Beecher family Converts to the Bahá'í Faith Hands of the Cause 20th-century Bahá'ís Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in Italy Victims of aviation accidents or incidents in 1954