Leonard Knight Elmhirst (6 June 1893 – 16 April 1974) was a philanthropist and agronomist who worked extensively in India. He was co-founder with his wife Dorothy of the Dartington Hall project in progressive education and rural reconstruction.
(From left -Mrs Max Nicholson, Leonard Elmhirst, William (Bill) Elmhirst)
Just about two days before leaving America Rabindranath met Leonard Knight Elmhirst (1893-1974) " and the relation developed between them had far reaching effect on the History of Viswa Bharati as well as on Rabindranath" .
(Sam Higginbottom (October 27, 1874 – June 11, 1958) was an English-born Christian missionary in Allahabad, India, where he founded the Allahabad Agricultural Institute).Higginbottom came to India, saw personally the condition of Indian farmers .And then he went to America, got himself trained in Agriculture and came back to India . He established a farm in Allahabad to apply scientific method in agriculture. He advised Elmhirst to follow him.
Elmhirst went to America, got himself admitted in Cornel University of America. Higginbottom proposed to the Allahabad Mission to absorb Elmhirst . But that was not fulfilled on the question - Elmhirst was not a real Christian. Rabindranath knew Mr. Higginbottom who informed him about Elmhirst. Mrs. moody was a member of the trustee of the board of Cornel University.She also knew Elmhirst who was the President of local Cosmopolitan Club.
Having returned to Nrw York Rabindranath made an wire to Elmhirst; " COME AND SEE ME IN NEW YORK - RABINDRANATH.
Elmhirst read Gitanjali in 1915 and was impressed. He went to Santiniketan Ashram, and saw the plan of reconstruction of village there. But he did not think that Rabindranath might have called him one day. He became astonished to receive the telegram and immediately came to New York met Rabindranath in a small flat at Waverly Place by the side of Washington Square. The flat was owned by Mrs. Moody. Rabindranath came to that place after breakfast. Elmirst wrote in his memoirs ;
" The colour of his skin and its texture were both notable.Pale burnt almond was the nearest. I could to a description of the colour. The eyes perpetually lit up with gleams of humour, almost of mischief, as he talked to his old friend. This was no mystic sage. This was no gatherer of disciples, but a very human, human being. His hair was worn long, down to the shoulders. Like the beard it was naturally wavy and 'silvered o'er'. His outer gown of a deep reddish brown hung just like that of a university professor's , nearly to the ground. Under it was a second of the same material and colour, but which buttoned across , after the manner of the Budhist sages and of contemporary Tibetans."
On being introduced by Mrs. Moody , Rabindranath showed him the nearby villages lived by Hindu-Muslim-Santhal etc where he planned to implement his method of reconstruction of villages. He said that a few years back he purchased a village at a distance of one and half mile from his school to experiment the development of agriculture in scientific methods;
" I have for some years been looking for someone who would be willing to go and live on the farm and who would be willing to go and live on the farm and who would begin to diagnose their village troubles, and perhaps the ideas, whereby they could re-establish their economy, their social balance and their creative arts. Would you be interested ? Yes ? Then would you come back to India with me tomorrow ?"
Elmhiest did not agree because he wanted to finish his course in Cornel University.
That was the end of their meeting. But after their departure Elmhirst thought that he did not ask Rabindranath about his probable salary or the total expenditure of the economic plan.
" The colour of his skin and its texture were both notable.Pale burnt almond was the nearest. I could to a description of the colour. The eyes perpetually lit up with gleams of humour, almost of mischief, as he talked to his old friend. This was no mystic sage. This was no gatherer of disciples, but a very human, human being. His hair was worn long, down to the shoulders. Like the beard it was naturally wavy and 'silvered o'er'. His outer gown of a deep reddish brown hung just like that of a university professor's , nearly to the ground. Under it was a second of the same material and colour, but which buttoned across , after the manner of the Budhist sages and of contemporary Tibetans."
On being introduced by Mrs. Moody , Rabindranath showed him the nearby villages lived by Hindu-Muslim-Santhal etc where he planned to implement his method of reconstruction of villages. He said that a few years back he purchased a village at a distance of one and half mile from his school to experiment the development of agriculture in scientific methods;
" I have for some years been looking for someone who would be willing to go and live on the farm and who would be willing to go and live on the farm and who would begin to diagnose their village troubles, and perhaps the ideas, whereby they could re-establish their economy, their social balance and their creative arts. Would you be interested ? Yes ? Then would you come back to India with me tomorrow ?"
Elmhiest did not agree because he wanted to finish his course in Cornel University.
That was the end of their meeting. But after their departure Elmhirst thought that he did not ask Rabindranath about his probable salary or the total expenditure of the economic plan.
