page_title: Urbain Ledoux
section_title: The Stepping Stone
hierarchical_section_title: Urbain Ledoux / His institutions / The Stepping Stone
caption_attribution_description: English: Breadline managed by Urbain Ledoux, New York NY, 1919.
context_page_description: Urbain J. Ledoux, later known as "Mr. Zero", preferring his own name not to be prominent, was an American diplomat and activist with a declared interest in the Bahai faith.
  His quest to serve humanity began early in life. He sought to become a Catholic priest at 15, but witnessed a case of priest abuse and quit the seminary about the age of 17. He began to work for law and business interests, hoping to use these as a means of progress for humanity. He then sought to serve in diplomatic service for the United States with this approach and earned a few promotions. He advocated that commercial development could be a means to further the interests of humanity, but came to believe that personal transformation was more important.
  He quit the diplomatic service and sought to work with non-governmental organizations for both business and peace interests. Soon he was working with the Baháʼís and was present during the conflict over the status of Sarah Farmer. He led the efforts to free her from involuntary confinement in an insane asylum, ultimately gathering a chief of police and a judge to accompany a court order to effect her freedom.
  He then began to found humanitarian organisations.
context_section_description: In April 1919 Ledoux opened a breadline named "The Stepping Stone" near Bowery and 9th Street in NY. He did this with the assistance of some Baháʼís as well as some financial support. Mason Remey went down one time to see what it was like and was taken up in the enthusiasm both of the work and the chance to talk.
  A picture was taken of "The Stepping Stone" and several newspapers covered its establishment. Also in April 1919 Ledoux had an article published in Star of the West called "The Oneness of the World of Humanity". In June ʻAbdu'l-Bahá sent a message hoping he would promulgate the Bahá'í religion, human unity, universal peace, and overcome prejudices dividing the world. In August he was one of the signatories of a letter to ʻAbdu'l-Baha hoping for a return trip to the United States. He met Dane Rudhyar who inquired about the religion but did not join. In April 1920 he was a delegate to the national convention of the Baháʼís. In January 1921 he helped to run a Baháʼí meeting in NY. At the same time he appeared in national media like The Nation. A biographical sketch of him appeared in The Survey, a charity journal under Paul Underwood Kellogg, and The New Republic, in October and The Independent in November. Each painted him in different ways. Some of the coverage referenced his advocacy of the Baháʼí Faith, and was sometimes confused with Buddhism, - a confusion that echoes more recently.
  The 'Stepping Stone' picture was eventually acquired by Getty Images, has been used some 90 years later and has been noticed by Baháʼís and others.
caption: "Stepping Stone" breadline managed by Urbain Ledoux, New York, NY, 1919.
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