Louise Gregory was far more than the wife of Hand of the Cause Louis Gregory—she was a trailblazer whose own achievements reshaped early Bahá’í history. In 1911, ‘Abdu’l-Bahá recognized the “seed” of courage in her, encouraging this reserved Englishwoman to undertake an interracial marriage—then viewed by many as scandalous. Even before meeting Louis, Louise had earned a university teaching qualification—a rare milestone for a Victorian woman—and carved out an independent career in Luxembourg and Paris. As a new Bahá’í, she traveled alone to Egypt to meet ‘Abdu’l-Bahá, later accompanying him on lectures in London, Paris, and aboard his voyage to America.

After her marriage, Louise became the first Bahá’í teacher in Luxembourg and, with Shoghi Effendi’s approval, in Hungary, Bulgaria, and Yugoslavia. Quietly yet confidently, she led study groups, spoke to congregations in French, German, and Esperanto, and earned the Guardian’s praise. Her forty-year partnership with Louis stood as a living testament to the unity and equality at the heart of the Faith.