Ali Akbar Furutan (1904-2003) was born in Iran and accompanied his parents in 1914 to Ishqabad, Russia, when he was nine years old. After his studies in the Baha'i school in 'Ishqabad, he taught there for four years, and then became the Principal of two schools and two kindergartens in that city. In 1926 he went to Moscow, where he took his degree at Moscow University in child psychology and education.

In 1934 he was appointed Principal of the Tarbiyat School for Boys in Tihran, and in that year was elected as member and Secretary of the first National Spiritual Assembly of Baha'is of Iran. He served in that capacity for twenty four years. He was appointed a Hand of the Cause of God in 1951 and with three fellow Hands of the Cause and four Counsellors, he was one of those who constitute the nucleus of the International Teaching Centre at the World Centre of the Baha'i Faith and served there till his last breath as a resident Hand of the Cause.

The passing of Ali Akbar Furutan - Baha'i World News Service.