October 1. On this date in 1852, George Jacob Augur was born. An early American Bahá'í who converted in Hawaii, he was the first Bahá'í to pioneer to Japan and was named a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi.

 

October 1. On this date in 1852, George Jacob Augur was born. An early American Bahá'í who converted in Hawaii, he was the first Bahá'í to pioneer to Japan and was named a Disciple of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá by Shoghi Effendi.

George Jacob Augur was born on October 1, 1853, to Abraham Augur, a farmer, and Ellen Morris in West Haven Connecticut. He attended Hopkins Grammar School, then Yale Preparatory School, and then studied at Yale University Medical College from 1876 to 1879. After graduating he worked at New Haven State Hospital until 1882, when he moved to Oakland, California where he worked as an allopathic physician until 1895 when he began practicing homeopathy, alienating him from the medical community.

He married Ruth Barstow Dyer in 1892 and they had a son, Morris Curtis, who was born March 1, 1894. In 1898 the family relocated to Honolulu, Hawaii, where George opened a practice. Ruth's sister who also lived in Honolulu became a Bahá’í in 1905, and George and Ruth also declared between 1907 and 1909 and began holding weekly meetings to teach the Faith in their home. George began correspondence with 'Abdu'l-Bahá after declaring and received six letters from him receiving the first in 1909. George became Treasurer of the Honolulu Bahá’í community in 1911.

In 1913 George wrote that he wished to go to Japan to 'Abdu'l-Bahá having spent time there on a holiday with Ruth in 1906. He received the following Tablet in reply:

"O thou dear son! From thy letter the fragrance of the rose garden of significances was inhaled, that praise be to God, thou art assisted by the Divine confirmations, hast found the way to the Kingdom of God and thy heart and soul are quickened. Arise thou to perform the blessed intention thou art holding and travel thou to Japan and lay there the foundation of the Cause of God, that is, summon the people to the Kingdom of God. Japan has great capacity, but there needs be a teacher who will speak by the confirmations of the Holy Spirit. I hope thou wilt become assisted in this."

He lived in Japan from June 1914 to April 1915, and returned in early 1916 with his wife and lived in Zushiuntil 1917. They returned to Japan a final time in 1918 and stayed there until returning to Honolulu in 1919. The Augurs continued to host meetings in their home in Honolulu from 1919 to 1927 when they moved to a beach apartment in Waikiki.

Augur died due to a stroke on September 13, 1927, and was buried in Oahu Cemetery in Honolulu. Shoghi Effendi conveyed the following message after his death:

"He was deeply grieved to hear of the death of Dr. Augur. He prays that in seeking eternal rest, his soul may soar to heavenly kingdoms and attain an everlasting bounty. Surely he is now where he would much love to be. Please convey to his family Shoghi Effendi's deepest sympathy and regret."

Here is an article about George Jacob Augur from The Bahá’í Encyclopedia Project.