G. R. S. Mead: Difference between revisions

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According to the alumni database at the University of Cambridge<ref>https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=mead&suro=w&fir=George+Robert+Stow&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50</ref>, George Robert Stow Mead was born in  Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, on March 22, 1863, to Robert and Mary Mead. His father, Col. Robert Mead, was an officer of the Royal Army Ordinance Corps.
According to the alumni database at the University of Cambridge<ref>https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=mead&suro=w&fir=George+Robert+Stow&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50</ref>, George Robert Stow Mead was born in  Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, on March 22, 1863, to Robert and Mary Mead. His father, Col. Robert Mead, was an officer of the Royal Army Ordinance Corps.


George attended the King’s School in Rochester, Kent, and then St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge, where he won honors. He initially studied mathematics, then switched to Classics and received a B.A. degree in 1884.<ref> http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/mead_index.htm</ref>
George attended the King’s School in Rochester, Kent, and then St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge, where he won honors. He initially studied mathematics, then switched to Classics and received a B.A. degree in 1884. He returned several decades later and was awarded an M.A. degree in 1926.<ref> http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/mead_index.htm</ref>


== Theosophical Society involvement ==
== Theosophical Society involvement ==

Revision as of 18:18, 5 May 2021

UNDER CONSTRUCTION
UNDER CONSTRUCTION

James Morgan Pryse, H. P. Blavatksy, and G. R. S. Mead

George Robert Stowe Mead was an English Theosophist and writer. He worked with Helena Petrovna Blavatsky and Annie Besant in editing periodicals before he founded The Quest Society. See also Mead writings.

George Robert Stowe Mead, for many years General Secretary of the European Section, was born in 1863. His father was Col. Robert Mead, late deputy Commissioner Her Majesty's Ordnance. He was educated at King's School, Rochester, and won honors at St. John's College and at Cambridge. After three years of teaching, he entered Oxford as an undergraduate, determined upon a fellowship in philosophy. After five months hard study, he went to Clermont Ferrand, in France, where he attended lectures for six months. Previous to leaving England he had met Bertram Keightley and Mohini Mohun Chatterji, and had come in touch with Theosophy. In 1887, he met H. P. B. for the first time at Norwood, and two years later, he gave up teaching at university that he might devote his life and energies entirely to the work of the Theosophical Society. He is well known to all the members through his articles in the Theosophical Review, of which he is coeditor with Mrs. Besant, and his books, Orpheus, Plotinus, Simon Magus, Pistis Sophia, The World Mystery, and last (but decidedly not least) Fragments of a Faith Forgotten, which has just come from the press. The pressure of his literary work becoming great, Mr. Mead resigned from the office of General Secretary two or more years ago.[1]

Early life and education

According to the alumni database at the University of Cambridge[2], George Robert Stow Mead was born in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, England, on March 22, 1863, to Robert and Mary Mead. His father, Col. Robert Mead, was an officer of the Royal Army Ordinance Corps.

George attended the King’s School in Rochester, Kent, and then St. John’s College at the University of Cambridge, where he won honors. He initially studied mathematics, then switched to Classics and received a B.A. degree in 1884. He returned several decades later and was awarded an M.A. degree in 1926.[3]

Theosophical Society involvement

Mead was admitted as a member of the London Lodge of the Theosophical Society on January 20, 1886.[4] He met Mme Blavatsky the following year, and by 1889 he had decided to devote himself full-time to the Theosophical Society. As H.P.B.’s private secretary, he handled her voluminous correspondence, and in addition edited many of her published works. According to gnosis.org[5], he also wrote anonymously for her magazine Lucifer and was the unacknowledged assistant editor of that magazine.

Work with H. P. Blavatsky

In August, 1890, he became a member of H. P. Blavatsky's Inner Group in London. Mead married Laura Cooper, a member of H.P.B.'s 1890 Inner Group.

Work with Annie Besant

The Quest Society and The Quest

Mead founded The Quest Society. He was the editor of The Quest from 1909 to 1930. It was considered to be a continuation of The Theosophical Review.

Later years

After The Quest ceased publication in 1931, Mr. Mead "still remained a member of several learned societies. Notably he took a keen interest in the recently founded Society for Promoting the Study of Religions and became a member of its Council.[6]

Mead passed away on September 30, 1933, at his residence in London.[7]

Writings

Mead's literary career is summarized in Mead writings.

Notes

  1. "Some of Our Friends",The Theosophic Messenger 2.2 (November 1900), 28.
  2. https://venn.lib.cam.ac.uk/cgi-bin/search-2018.pl?sur=mead&suro=w&fir=George+Robert+Stow&firo=c&cit=&cito=c&c=all&z=all&tex=&sye=&eye=&col=all&maxcount=50
  3. http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/mead_index.htm
  4. Theosophical Society General Membership Register, 1875-1942 at http://tsmembers.org/. See book 1, entry 3555 (website file: 1B/18).
  5. http://www.gnosis.org/library/grs-mead/mead_index.htm
  6. M. E. W. in The Inquirer, October 28, 1933. Quoted in "Correspondence: The Late G. R. S. Mead," The Theosophist 55.1 (March, 1934), 717.
  7. "George R. S. Mead Passes" The American Theosophist 21.12 (December, 1933), 281.