April 8. On this date in 1883, Carl Scheffler was born. An American Bahá'í who served on the NSA of the U.S. & Canada, serving as Treasurer from 1926 to 1930, as Financial Secretary from 1930 to 1934, and as Vice-Chairman from 1934 to 1938. He also traveled America to teach the Faith, particularly to youth. In his career he was an artist, and he served as owner and Director of the Evanston Academy of Fine Arts and as Director of Art in North Evanston Public Schools.

 

April 8. On this date in 1883, Carl Scheffler was born. An American Bahá'í who served on the NSA of the U.S. & Canada, serving as Treasurer from 1926 to 1930, as Financial Secretary from 1930 to 1934, and as Vice-Chairman from 1934 to 1938. He also traveled America to teach the Faith, particularly to youth. In his career he was an artist, and he served as owner and Director of the Evanston Academy of Fine Arts and as Director of Art in North Evanston Public Schools.

Carl Scheffler heard of the Faith in 1897, being introduced by a cousin who had attended Ibrahim Kheiralla's class on the religion. Carl and his family attended lectures by Kheiralla, and Carl became a Bahá'í in Chicago in 1899, the 665th individual to accept the Faith in the city. He was mentored in his studies of the religion by Thornton Chase, Albert Windust, Albert Greenleaf, and others, and remained a Bahá'í after Kheiralla attempted to usurp control of the religion in the West from ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, which caused many early believers to leave the Faith. He studied art at Smith Academy and the Chicago Art Institute in Chicago.

In 1907 Carl went on pilgrimage to the Holy Land with Thornton Chase and Arthur S. Agnew and met with ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, who instructed them to take steps towards constructing a Mashriqu'l-Adhkár in the United States. After returning home he was elected to the first Chicago House of Justice, and he served as Treasurer of the body for many years. On April 9, 1908, some lots at the site of the House of Worship were purchased by the Bahá'ís in Carl's name.

From 1911 to 1912 Carl was in Europe studying at art academies, and he served as a teacher at the Chicago Academy of Fine Arts and established the Evanston Academy of Fine Arts after returning to America. He served as teacher at the Chicago Academy for fourteen years.

In 1915, Carl married May Thurn. She was also a Bahá'í and served on the Archives and History Committee of the United States and Canada for many years.

Carl was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly of the United States and Canada when it was established in 1925, and served on the body until 1938. As of 1925 he was Secretary of the Mashriqu'l-Adhkár. In 1926 he was elected as Treasurer of the National Spiritual Assembly, succeeding Florence Morton, and he began preparing quarterly reports of the National Fund. As of 1927 he was serving on the Assemblies Temple Committee, as well as continuing to serve as Treasurer. As of 1928 he was no longer serving on the Temple Committee, instead serving on the Temple Maintenance Committee, the Legal Committee, and the Plan for Unified Action Committee. In 1929 he began serving on the Temple Committee again, which was then known as the Bahá'í Temple Unity

In 1930 Carl was elected to the new position of Financial Secretary of the National Spiritual Assembly, which was established to assume responsibility for interpreting the needs and policies of the National Fund, and deepening the Bahá'ís on its significance. In 1931 he was appointed to the Temple Program Committee. By 1933 he was serving as Chairman of the Publicity Committee. By early 1934 he was assisting the National Spiritual Assemblies Treasurer Roy Wilhelm as Assistant Treasurer. He was elected as Vice-Chairman of the National Spiritual Assembly in 1934.

In 1936 Carl spoke at a public meeting held to promote the Faith at Fisk University in Nashville, alongside Mountfort Mills and Allen B. McDaniel. In February 1937 Carl spoke at the 25th Anniversary of ‘Abdu’l-Bahá's visit to America in New York. He taught the Faith through public talks on the Ohio-Indiana circuit throughout 1937. He began serving on the Teaching and Training Children Committee of the National Assembly in 1937. In 1938 he spoke at Louhelen Summer School, and he was appointed to the Louhelen Summer School Committee. In 1939 Carl, Allen McDaniel, and Rex and Mary Collison were appointed by the National Spiritual Assembly to design Bahá'í exhibits for the 1939 World Fairs, and Carl designed a portable exhibit. In October 1939 he spoke at a Memorial for Martha Root at the House of Worship.

As of 1942 Carl was serving as Chairman of the Bahá'í Exhibits Committee. In 1943 he was appointed to the Centenary Committee, responsible for organizing the celebration of the Bahá'í Centenary in 1944, and he was assigned responsibility for preparing the Temple and preparing decorations. He was also appointed as Chairman of the newly formed Committee on Elementary Education. In 1946 he assisted in a National North American Teaching Campaign, attending a meeting regarding the campaign in New Orleans and speaking at public meetings, and also giving talks in Jackson, Missouri, and Memphis, Tennessee, when returning to Evanston from the meeting. He spoke at a public meeting held in Denver as part of the Campaign in March 1946. In October 1946 he spoke in Minneapolis. In 1947 he spoke on the Faith at the First Presbyterian Church in his hometown of Evanston, as part of a program on Comparative Religions. In 1948 Carl established an art studio in Chicago with his son, Harlan, which produced scratchboard drawings for advertising agencies.

In 1950 Carl was appointed to a Committee responsible for organizing the commemoration of the Centenary of the Martyrdom of the Báb. In 1953 a Bahá'í Calendar featuring illustrations of the Temple grounds by Carl was published. In August 1953 Carl recited a prayer at a memorial for Siegfried Schopflocher at the House of Worship. In 1954 another Calendar featuring Carl's illustrations of Mt. Carmel avenue was published. In 1955 a book for children featuring stories from The Dawn-Breakers and illustrations by Carl was published. In 1957 another Calendar featuring illustrations of the House of Worship by Carl was published.

Carl Scheffler died on May 17, 1962, and the Hands of the Cause in the Holy Land issued the following statement:

"Grieved passing much loved Carl Scheffler steadfast devoted tireless servant Master early days Faith America stop Outstanding services Temple Teaching administrative fields period beloved Guardian's ministry unforgettable stop Convey deepest sympathy family assure ardent prayers Holy Shrines."

Carl was survived by his wife, May Thurn, who died on February 19, 1970, and their two children, Harlan C. and Betty (later de Araujo), both of whom were active Bahá'ís.