Florence Breed (1875 - 1950) Known after her marriage in 1904 to Iranian Ali-Kuli Khan as Florence Khanum, which was praised by `Abdu'l-Bahá as the first marriage between East and West. She lived in Iran about 1905 and again later under at times, in politically and financially unstable situations. Her daughter, Marzieh Gailalso became an eminent Bahá'í translator. Biography: Arches of the Years, by Marzieh Gail, George Ronald, 1991.
Ali-Kuli Khan (1879 - 1966) An Iranian Bahá'í who was fluent in English and who served as `Abdu'l-Bahá's English-language secretary (1899-1901) and then sent to America to translate some Bahá'í books into English as well as continuing to translate `Abdu'l-Bahá's correspondence with the American Bahá'ís. He was appointed Iranian charg d-affaires in Washington in 1910 and later served in various diplomatic posts. His marriage in 1904 to American Florence Breed was praised by `Abdu'l-Bahá as the first between East and West. Their daughter,Marzieh Gail also became an eminent Bahá'í translator. Biography: Arches of the Years, by Marzieh Gail, George Ronald, 1991.
Marzieh Gail (1908 - 1993) was born in 1908 to the first Persian-American union in the Bahá'í community Ali Kuli Khan and Florence Breed, she wrote to 'Abdu'l-Bahá when a small child. His answer implored Godto change one who is pleasing to God into one who is pleased with God. It was a rhyme of her name, Marzieh, with Razieh. She was the second child and oldest daughter.Her first articles were published in Star of the West when she was a junior at Stamford University. The next year, 1929, she graduated with honors and married Howard Carpenter. Three years later, after obtaining her MA in English, and he had obtained his MD, they traveled through Europe teaching the Bahá'í Faith on their way to Haifa. At the Bahá'í World Center, the Guardian asked if they would go to Persia and become a bridge between the East and the West. He specifically asked if they would teach the Persian Bahá'ís about the administrative order. They accepted this responsibility.
In Tehran Marziah was able to obtain a job with a newspaper, becoming the first female reporter in the country. Her husband was prevented by the authorities from obtaining a medical license for a year. Shortly after the license was granted, he contracted polio and became paralyzed from the waist down. They wanted to stay but doctors advised them to return to the U.S. for treatment. A few months after returning, he died. While in Persia Marzeih had begun to translate Bahá'í Sacred Texts. She continued to do this the rest of her life.
In 1939 she married Harold Gail. Five years later, in response to the Ten Year Crusade, they set off for Europe. First the settled in Nice, France and helped form the first Spiritual Assembly there in 1956. Next they moved to Austria where they helped form the Spiritual Assembly of Salzburg, while there Marziah was elected to the National Spiritual Assembly, and then its Chairman. Next they lived in Arnhem, The Netherlands where they helped form that Spiritual Assembly; from there they traveled in Europe teaching the Faith as they went.
They returned to the U.S. and settled in Keene, NH after the Ten Year Crusade, and helped for the Spiritual Assembly there. Now she concentrated on her writing for the rest of her life. In 1981 she and her husband relocated to San Francisco where they had met over forty years earlier. She continued to write. She died a year after him in October 1993.