Stanwood Cobb
Encyclopedia
Stanwood Cobb was an American
educator, author and prominent Bahá'í
of the 20th century.
He was born in Newton, Massachusetts
to Darius Cobb - a Civil War soldier, artist and descendent of Elder Henry Cobb of the second voyage of the Mayflower
- and Eunice Hale (née Waite) - founding president of the Ladies Physiological Institute of Boston and mother of Cobb's four sisters and two other brothers. He studied first at Dartmouth College
, where he was valedictorian
of his 1903 or 1905 graduating class, and then at Harvard Divinity School
, earning an A.M.
in philosophy and comparative religion 1910. His thesis work, Communistic Experimental Settlements in the USA observed that every such settlement had failed within a generation because of an inability of communism to get people to subordinate their own desires for the good of the group. In 1919 he married Ida Nayan Whitlam. Cobb was a member of several literary associations and of the Cosmos Club
of Washington, D.C.
.
Cobb lived internationally for some years before settling in Chevy Chase, Maryland
, where he died.
in Constantinople
(now Istanbul
), followed by several years teaching in the US and Europe. He later headed the English department at St. John's College
in Annapolis, Maryland
(1914–15), taught at Asheville School
in Asheville, North Carolina
(1915–16), and was instructor of history and English at the United States Naval Academy
(1916–19). Frustrated by the teaching experience at the Academy, Cobb heard a lecture by Marietta Johnson
who helped marshal and crystallize his thoughts on education practice and curriculum theory
. As a result, in 1919, Cobb founded the Chevy Chase Country Day School, of which he was the principal until his retirement, and, active in the progressive education movement in the United States
, became a founder and motivating force, first secretary, and eventually president (1927–1930) of The Association for the Advancement of Progressive Education, later renamed in 1931 as Progressive Education Association (PEA) and then American Education Fellowship. The first president was Arthur E. Morgan. Later the influential John Dewey
served as president. Cobb resigned the Presidency in 1930 following the influx of supporters of George Counts
who moved the focus of the Association from a student-centred learning
approach to one of a social policy oriented approach to education theory. However, between the enormous impact of World War II
on all thought and the involvement of many members of the PEA in communism
and the general atmosphere of Anti-communism in the United States the achievements of the PEA both before Cobb's resignation and after were largely lost and ended the efforts of the Association shortly after the Carnegie Foundation
and Rockefeller Foundation
s withdrew their support.
and Reform Judaism
and other themes in religion Cobb investigated the Bahá'í Faith after a series of articles in the Boston Transcript
on the religion attracted his attention. He pursued the interest to Green Acre
conference center in Eliot, Maine
in 1906 during his studies at Harvard Divinity School
seeking to be a Unitarian
minister. Sarah Farmer much affected Cobb and Thornton Chase
was giving a series of talks. It was on that occasion that he became a Bahá'í.
Between 1909 and 1913 he met with `Abdu'l-Bahá
five times (twice in Akka
and several times during the latter's travel to Europe and the US). In 1911 Cobb and a number of others gave talks in honor of the personal invitation by `Abdu'l-Bahá to pilgrimage of Louis Gregory
.
Cobb was a founding member of the Spiritual Assembly
of the Baha'is of Washington D. C. in 1933, and served on various committees (for example Cobb was Chairman of the Teaching Committee in 1935) and edited two Baha'i journals: Star of the West in 1924, and World Order from 1935-39.
Similar to his books, the focus of Cobb's articles has been education and Baha'i oriented - he has contributed to or anthologized by:
as well as
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
educator, author and prominent Bahá'í
Bahá'í Faith
The Bahá'í Faith is a monotheistic religion founded by Bahá'u'lláh in 19th-century Persia, emphasizing the spiritual unity of all humankind. There are an estimated five to six million Bahá'ís around the world in more than 200 countries and territories....
of the 20th century.
He was born in Newton, Massachusetts
Newton, Massachusetts
Newton is a city in Middlesex County, Massachusetts, United States bordered to the east by Boston. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the population of Newton was 85,146, making it the eleventh largest city in the state.-Villages:...
to Darius Cobb - a Civil War soldier, artist and descendent of Elder Henry Cobb of the second voyage of the Mayflower
Mayflower
The Mayflower was the ship that transported the English Separatists, better known as the Pilgrims, from a site near the Mayflower Steps in Plymouth, England, to Plymouth, Massachusetts, , in 1620...
- and Eunice Hale (née Waite) - founding president of the Ladies Physiological Institute of Boston and mother of Cobb's four sisters and two other brothers. He studied first at Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College
Dartmouth College is a private, Ivy League university in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. The institution comprises a liberal arts college, Dartmouth Medical School, Thayer School of Engineering, and the Tuck School of Business, as well as 19 graduate programs in the arts and sciences...
, where he was valedictorian
Valedictorian
Valedictorian is an academic title conferred upon the student who delivers the closing or farewell statement at a graduation ceremony. Usually, the valedictorian is the highest ranked student among those graduating from an educational institution...
of his 1903 or 1905 graduating class, and then at Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
, earning an A.M.
Master of Arts (postgraduate)
A Master of Arts from the Latin Magister Artium, is a type of Master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The M.A. is usually contrasted with the M.S. or M.Sc. degrees...
in philosophy and comparative religion 1910. His thesis work, Communistic Experimental Settlements in the USA observed that every such settlement had failed within a generation because of an inability of communism to get people to subordinate their own desires for the good of the group. In 1919 he married Ida Nayan Whitlam. Cobb was a member of several literary associations and of the Cosmos Club
Cosmos Club
The Cosmos Club is a private social club in Washington, D.C., founded by John Wesley Powell in 1878. In addition to Powell, original members included Clarence Edward Dutton, Henry Smith Pritchett, William Harkness, and John Shaw Billings. Among its stated goals is "The advancement of its members in...
of Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
.
Cobb lived internationally for some years before settling in Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase, Maryland
Chevy Chase is the name of both a town and an unincorporated census-designated place in Montgomery County, Maryland. In addition, a number of villages in the same area of Montgomery County include "Chevy Chase" in their names...
, where he died.
Career as educator
In 1907–1910, Cobb taught history and Latin at Robert CollegeRobert College
Robert College of Istanbul , is one of the most selective independent private high schools in Turkey. Robert College is a co-educational, boarding school with a wooded campus on the European side of Istanbul between the two bridges on the Bosphorus, with the Arnavutköy district to the east, and...
in Constantinople
Constantinople
Constantinople was the capital of the Roman, Eastern Roman, Byzantine, Latin, and Ottoman Empires. Throughout most of the Middle Ages, Constantinople was Europe's largest and wealthiest city.-Names:...
(now Istanbul
Istanbul
Istanbul , historically known as Byzantium and Constantinople , is the largest city of Turkey. Istanbul metropolitan province had 13.26 million people living in it as of December, 2010, which is 18% of Turkey's population and the 3rd largest metropolitan area in Europe after London and...
), followed by several years teaching in the US and Europe. He later headed the English department at St. John's College
St. John's College, U.S.
St. John's College is a liberal arts college with two U.S. campuses: one in Annapolis, Maryland and one in Santa Fe, New Mexico. Founded in 1696 as a preparatory school, King William's School, the school received a collegiate charter in 1784, making it one of the oldest institutions of higher...
in Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis, Maryland
Annapolis is the capital of the U.S. state of Maryland, as well as the county seat of Anne Arundel County. It had a population of 38,394 at the 2010 census and is situated on the Chesapeake Bay at the mouth of the Severn River, south of Baltimore and about east of Washington, D.C. Annapolis is...
(1914–15), taught at Asheville School
Asheville School
Asheville School is a private, coeducational, college-preparatory boarding school in Asheville, North Carolina. Founded in 1900, the Asheville School campus sits on in the Blue Ridge Mountains and currently enrolls 270 students in grades nine through twelve...
in Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville, North Carolina
Asheville is a city in and the county seat of Buncombe County, North Carolina, United States. It is the largest city in Western North Carolina, and the 11th largest city in North Carolina. The City is home to the United States National Climatic Data Center , which is the world's largest active...
(1915–16), and was instructor of history and English at the United States Naval Academy
United States Naval Academy
The United States Naval Academy is a four-year coeducational federal service academy located in Annapolis, Maryland, United States...
(1916–19). Frustrated by the teaching experience at the Academy, Cobb heard a lecture by Marietta Johnson
Marietta Johnson
Marietta Pierce Johnson , educational reformer, was born in St. Paul, Minnesota in 1864 and moved with her family to Fairhope, Alabama in 1902. In 1907 she founded a progressive school called The School of Organic Education, .Mrs...
who helped marshal and crystallize his thoughts on education practice and curriculum theory
Curriculum theory
Curriculum theory is the theory of the development and enactment of curriculum. Within the broad field of curriculum studies, it is both a historical analysis of curriculum and a way of viewing current educational curriculum and policy decisions...
. As a result, in 1919, Cobb founded the Chevy Chase Country Day School, of which he was the principal until his retirement, and, active in the progressive education movement in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, became a founder and motivating force, first secretary, and eventually president (1927–1930) of The Association for the Advancement of Progressive Education, later renamed in 1931 as Progressive Education Association (PEA) and then American Education Fellowship. The first president was Arthur E. Morgan. Later the influential John Dewey
John Dewey
John Dewey was an American philosopher, psychologist and educational reformer whose ideas have been influential in education and social reform. Dewey was an important early developer of the philosophy of pragmatism and one of the founders of functional psychology...
served as president. Cobb resigned the Presidency in 1930 following the influx of supporters of George Counts
George Counts
George Sylvester Counts was an American educator and influential education theorist.An early proponent of the progressive education movement of John Dewey, Counts became its leading critic affiliated with the school of Social Reconstructionism in education. Counts is credited for influencing...
who moved the focus of the Association from a student-centred learning
Student-centred learning
Student-centred learning is an approach to education focusing on the needs of the students, rather than those of others involved in the educational process, such as teachers and administrators...
approach to one of a social policy oriented approach to education theory. However, between the enormous impact of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
on all thought and the involvement of many members of the PEA in communism
Communism
Communism is a social, political and economic ideology that aims at the establishment of a classless, moneyless, revolutionary and stateless socialist society structured upon common ownership of the means of production...
and the general atmosphere of Anti-communism in the United States the achievements of the PEA both before Cobb's resignation and after were largely lost and ended the efforts of the Association shortly after the Carnegie Foundation
Carnegie Corporation of New York
Carnegie Corporation of New York, which was established by Andrew Carnegie in 1911 "to promote the advancement and diffusion of knowledge and understanding," is one of the oldest, largest and most influential of American foundations...
and Rockefeller Foundation
Rockefeller Foundation
The Rockefeller Foundation is a prominent philanthropic organization and private foundation based at 420 Fifth Avenue, New York City. The preeminent institution established by the six-generation Rockefeller family, it was founded by John D. Rockefeller , along with his son John D. Rockefeller, Jr...
s withdrew their support.
Life as a Bahá'í
After looking at TheosophyTheosophy
Theosophy, in its modern presentation, is a spiritual philosophy developed since the late 19th century. Its major themes were originally described mainly by Helena Blavatsky , co-founder of the Theosophical Society...
and Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism
Reform Judaism refers to various beliefs, practices and organizations associated with the Reform Jewish movement in North America, the United Kingdom and elsewhere. In general, it maintains that Judaism and Jewish traditions should be modernized and should be compatible with participation in the...
and other themes in religion Cobb investigated the Bahá'í Faith after a series of articles in the Boston Transcript
News-Transcript Group
News-Transcript Group, based in Framingham, Massachusetts, USA, was a newspaper publisher eastern Massachusetts, overseeing three daily newspapers and several weekly newspapers before being bought by Fidelity Investments in 1995 and dissolved into Community Newspaper Company the next year.- History...
on the religion attracted his attention. He pursued the interest to Green Acre
Green Acre
Green Acre is a conference facility in Eliot, Maine, in the United States. It was founded by Sarah Farmer in 1894. The name Green Acre came from poet John Greenleaf Whittier, a personal friend of the Farmer family....
conference center in Eliot, Maine
Eliot, Maine
Eliot is a town in York County, Maine, United States. The population was 6,204 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Portland–South Portland–Biddeford, Maine metropolitan statistical area....
in 1906 during his studies at Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School
Harvard Divinity School is one of the constituent schools of Harvard University, located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, in the United States. The School's mission is to train and educate its students either in the academic study of religion, or for the practice of a religious ministry or other public...
seeking to be a Unitarian
Unitarianism
Unitarianism is a Christian theological movement, named for its understanding of God as one person, in direct contrast to Trinitarianism which defines God as three persons coexisting consubstantially as one in being....
minister. Sarah Farmer much affected Cobb and Thornton Chase
Thornton Chase
Thornton Chase is commonly recognized as the first convert to the Bahá'í Faith of Occidental background...
was giving a series of talks. It was on that occasion that he became a Bahá'í.
Between 1909 and 1913 he met with `Abdu'l-Bahá
`Abdu'l-Bahá
‘Abdu’l-Bahá , born ‘Abbás Effendí, was the eldest son of Bahá'u'lláh, the founder of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1892, `Abdu'l-Bahá was appointed in his father's will to be his successor and head of the Bahá'í Faith. `Abdu'l-Bahá was born in Tehran to an aristocratic family of the realm...
five times (twice in Akka
Acre, Israel
Acre , is a city in the Western Galilee region of northern Israel at the northern extremity of Haifa Bay. Acre is one of the oldest continuously inhabited sites in the country....
and several times during the latter's travel to Europe and the US). In 1911 Cobb and a number of others gave talks in honor of the personal invitation by `Abdu'l-Bahá to pilgrimage of Louis Gregory
Louis George Gregory
Louis George Gregory was a prominent member of the Bahá'í Faith. In 1951 he was posthumously appointed a Hand of the Cause, the highest appointed position in the Bahá'í Faith, by Shoghi Effendi.-Early years:He was born on June 6, 1874 to African-American parents liberated during the Civil War...
.
Cobb was a founding member of the Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly
Spiritual Assembly is a term given by `Abdu'l-Bahá to refer to elected councils that govern the Bahá'í Faith. Because the Bahá'í Faith has no clergy, they carry out the affairs of the community...
of the Baha'is of Washington D. C. in 1933, and served on various committees (for example Cobb was Chairman of the Teaching Committee in 1935) and edited two Baha'i journals: Star of the West in 1924, and World Order from 1935-39.
Books and articles authored
Cobb was a prolific writer. Among his books were:- The Real Turk, ISBN B000NUP6SI, 1914, The Pilgrim Press Publisher, (Summarized in The Bookman: A Review of Books and Life")'http://books.google.com/books?id=BHibw9f2dq8C&pg=RA1-PA429&lpg=RA1-PA429&source=web&ots=d1grqLmZPL&sig=4Fo-qC6EbPpvpbizlWw0txQZGNo#PRA1-PA429,M1 p. 429.)
- Ayesha of the Bosphorus, 1915, Boston Murray and Emery Co. Publisher (Available online)
- The Essential Mysticism. 1918 Four Seasons Publisher, (republished 2006 by Kessinger Publishing, LLC as ISBN 9781428609105)
- Simia, A Tale in Verse. 1919 Cornhill Publisher
- The New Leaven: Progressive Education and Its Effect upon the Child and Society. 1928 (Guy Thomas Buswell review published in The Elementary School JournalElementary School JournalThe Elementary School Journal is a bimonthly academic journal published by the University of Chicago Press that focuses on elementary and middle school education....
, Vol. 29, No. 3 (Nov., 1928), pp. 232–233). - Discovering the Genius Within You 1932, John Day Publisher, and again, World Publishing Co., Cleveland, 1941.
- New Horizons for the Child. 1934 The Avalon Press Publisher
- Security in a Failing World. 1934 The Avalon Press Published
- The Way of Life of Wu Ming Fu. 1935 (reprinted 1942) The Avalon Press Publisher
- Character - A Sequence in Spiritual Psychology. 1938 The Avalon Press Publisher
- Tomorrow and Tomorrow. 1951 The Avalon Press Publisher
- The Donkey Or the Elephant. 1951 The Avalon Press Publisher
- What is Man?. 1952
- Sage of the Sacred Mountain; a Gospel of Tranquility. 1953, The Avalon Press
- Magnificent Partnership. 1954, Vantage Press Publisher (Warren S. Tryon review published in The New England Quarterly, Vol. 28, No. 3 (Sep., 1955), p. 429)
- What is God?. 1955
- What is Love?. 1957, The Avalon Press, Publisher
- Islamic Contributions to Civilization. 1963 (Available online)
- Memories of 'Abdu'l-Baha. 1962, The Avalon Press Publisher http://www.chimgan.net/vstrecha/bookshelf/Stanwood_Cobb__Memories_of_Abdul-Baha.pdf
- The Importance of Creativity. 1967, Published Scarecrow Press
- Life With Nayan. 1969, The Avalon Press Publisher
- Radiant Living. 1970, The Avalon Press Publisher
- The Meaning of Life. 1972, The Avalon Press Publisher
- Thoughts on education and life. 1975, The Avalon Press Publisher
- A Call to Action: Develop Your Spiritual Power : Man's Fulfillment on the .... 1977, The Avalon Press Publisher
- A Saga of Two Centuries 1979 (Autobiography)
Similar to his books, the focus of Cobb's articles has been education and Baha'i oriented - he has contributed to or anthologized by:
- The Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic MonthlyThe Atlantic is an American magazine founded in Boston, Massachusetts, in 1857. It was created as a literary and cultural commentary magazine. It quickly achieved a national reputation, which it held for more than a century. It was important for recognizing and publishing new writers and poets,...
(Feb 1921) - The Journal of the American Society for Psychical Research by the American Society for Psychical ResearchAmerican Society for Psychical ResearchThe American Society for Psychical Research is an organisation dedicated to parapsychology based in New York, where it maintains offices and a library. It is open to interested members of the public to join, and has a website...
, - The School Arts Magazine by Davis Press,
- Childhood Education by the Association for Childhood Education InternationalAssociation for Childhood Education InternationalThe Association for Childhood Education International , a nonprofit membership association, is a global community of educators and advocates who disseminate information about and advocate for desirable conditions, programs, and practices affecting children, infancy through early adolescence.ACEI...
- Child Study by Child Study Association of America
- The New England MagazineThe New England MagazineThe New England Magazine was a monthly literary magazine published in Boston, Massachusetts from 1884 to 1917. It was known as The Bay State Monthly from 1884 to 1886.The magazine was published by J. N...
by the Making of America Project - The Path of Learning: Essays on Education by Henry Wyman Holmes, Burton P. Fowler, Published 1926 by Little, Brown and Company
- Progressive Education by Progressive Education Association
as well as
- The Baha'i World (see Baha'i Periodicals for information)
- World Order
See also
- Ayesha (novel)Ayesha (novel)Ayesha, the Return of She is a gothic novel by the popular Victorian author H. Rider Haggard, published in 1905, as a sequel to his far more popular and well known novel, She...
for a similar novel, though Cobb uses the personal romance as a spring board to examine the teachings of the Baha'i Faith in the context of the period after the Young Turk RevolutionYoung Turk RevolutionThe Young Turk Revolution of 1908 reversed the suspension of the Ottoman parliament by Sultan Abdul Hamid II, marking the onset of the Second Constitutional Era...
and liberal Islam. - Bahá'í views on Communism
- Education reformEducation reformEducation reform is the process of improving public education. Small improvements in education theoretically have large social returns, in health, wealth and well-being. Historically, reforms have taken different forms because the motivations of reformers have differed.A continuing motivation has...
- G. Stanley HallG. Stanley HallGranville Stanley Hall was a pioneering American psychologist and educator. His interests focused on childhood development and evolutionary theory...
- International journal of progressive education