Ruth Berkeley White
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Ruth White is most well-known as a Baha'i who challenged the authenticity of the will of Abdul Baha, the recently deceased former leader of the faith. Most mentions of her life are quite abrupt, giving little to no background from which to form a biography. This article serves to correct that imbalance. | Ruth White is most well-known as a Baha'i who challenged the authenticity of the will of Abdul Baha, the recently deceased former leader of the faith. Most mentions of her life are quite abrupt, giving little to no background from which to form a biography. This article serves to correct that imbalance. | ||
| − | In her book Baha'i Leads out of the Labyrinth, she gives some biographical details of her life. She states that her "stage name" was Ruth Berkeley, but [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL009.gif | + | In her book Baha'i Leads out of the Labyrinth, she gives some biographical details of her life. She states that her "stage name" was Ruth Berkeley, but [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL009.gif on page 9] in 1912, in Boston, she refers to herself as "Miss Berkeley", and a few pages later [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL012.gif on page 12] states that she was writing articles for newspapers, and that both her parents were Roman Catholic. While a little later on, [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL023.gif on page 23] she relates that she had been on the stage, but had given it up. She went to Boston to write for the newspaper, but then about 1912, returned to New York City and was doing art drawings for a fashion magazine. [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL027.gif On page 27] on 24 Aug 1912, Abdul Baha calls her "Miss Ruth Berkeley". |
Robert Alan Kraft compiled a genealogy of the Pierrepont families, and uploaded it in 2000 [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/other/journals/kraftpub/Genealogical/Pierpont%20Family/pierpont.gen here], unfortunately it lists no sources. It states that her birth name was Emma Decker, that her parents were Peter Decker and Anna Geiger and that she was born in Brooklyn. However, based on her several entries in the Ships logs below I think she was more-then-likely born in Litchfield County, [[Connecticut]]. Her birthday of 27 Jun is consistent, her birthyear being either 1886 or 1888. It is possible that someone has merged two different women together. | Robert Alan Kraft compiled a genealogy of the Pierrepont families, and uploaded it in 2000 [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/other/journals/kraftpub/Genealogical/Pierpont%20Family/pierpont.gen here], unfortunately it lists no sources. It states that her birth name was Emma Decker, that her parents were Peter Decker and Anna Geiger and that she was born in Brooklyn. However, based on her several entries in the Ships logs below I think she was more-then-likely born in Litchfield County, [[Connecticut]]. Her birthday of 27 Jun is consistent, her birthyear being either 1886 or 1888. It is possible that someone has merged two different women together. | ||
| − | She states that her first married name was Mrs George Rowell, and by this marriage she had a daughter, but I know nothing more of the daughter or the husband. Her second husband Herbert Lawrence White (1869-1953), graduated in law from Cornell University, but was set-up as a businessman in his family's company the Utica Drop Forge Company. Herbert [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/other/journals/kraftpub/Genealogical/Pierpont%20Family/pierpont.gen here] is shown with a wife Emma (Ruth) Decker born 27 June 1880, but note that there, they state, that this couple were married on 28 Oct 1912 in Chicago. Ruth relates how she and Lawrence met [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL034.gif | + | She states that her first married name was Mrs George Rowell, and by this marriage she had a daughter, but I know nothing more of the daughter or the husband. Her second husband Herbert Lawrence White (1869-1953), graduated in law from Cornell University, but was set-up as a businessman in his family's company the Utica Drop Forge Company. Herbert [http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/gopher/other/journals/kraftpub/Genealogical/Pierpont%20Family/pierpont.gen here] is shown with a wife Emma (Ruth) Decker born 27 June 1880, but note that there, they state, that this couple were married on 28 Oct 1912 in Chicago. Ruth relates how she and Lawrence met [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL034.gif on page 34]. |
| − | [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL035.gif | + | [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL035.gif On page 35] she states : "Five months after my first meeting with Lawrence White we were married....It was his first marriage and my second. Ruth Berkeley was the stage named of Mrs. George Rowell; the result of my first marriage had been a daughter." She then talks about how Abdul Baha left New York, so evidently they must have been married by the end of 1912. |
Herbert is the one of that name who was son of William Mansfield White by his wife Anna Maria Pierrepont. This is proven by comparing the California Death Index entry below, to the ship's logs below. | Herbert is the one of that name who was son of William Mansfield White by his wife Anna Maria Pierrepont. This is proven by comparing the California Death Index entry below, to the ship's logs below. | ||
| − | [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL057.gif | + | [http://www.h-net.org/~bahai/diglib/books/U-Z/W/White_Ruth/BLOL057.gif On page 57] we see that by 18 Dec 1918, "Ruth White and H. Lawrence White" were living at "R.D.2 Santa Cruz, California". At the invitation of Abdul Baha, they sailed from New York on 16 Mar 1920 to Haifa to visit him, where they finally arrived on 21 Apr 1920. |
In 1930/1 they lived on Morningside Drive in New York City, but possibly as well had a home in Utica, New York. She perhaps moved in the mid 40s to Beverly Hills, California where one of her books is published in 1946. At one point their address is given as "R.D. 2, Santa Cruz, California". Her husband died in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California in 1953. She was evidently yet living as late as 1962, in South Carolina. | In 1930/1 they lived on Morningside Drive in New York City, but possibly as well had a home in Utica, New York. She perhaps moved in the mid 40s to Beverly Hills, California where one of her books is published in 1946. At one point their address is given as "R.D. 2, Santa Cruz, California". Her husband died in Santa Monica, Los Angeles County, California in 1953. She was evidently yet living as late as 1962, in South Carolina. | ||
