05/16/2020
May is Asian and Pacific Islander American Heritage Month! We went back to the archives to see if our site had a connection to this rich history, and found the image you see here. Back in 2010, park staff tried to solved who was in this picture. Surprisingly, it led them down a path to Prince Mahidol of Thailand.
Prince Mahidol Songkla traveled to Massachusetts as a young adult to study at the School of Public Health, part of Harvard Medical School and the Institute of Technology. He graduated in 1928 with a Doctor of Medicine and is known as the "Father of Modern Medicine and Public Health of Thailand."
He was the 69th child of King Chulalongkorn, and according to an interview in a 1919 Boston Globe article, he told his father, "When I marry, it will be to one wife and to no more, and she shall be the one queen of my heart...." While in America, he met and married a young woman, Sangwan Talapat, who was studying nursing at Simmons College. The two had three children, all born in the United States. Their third child, Prince Bhumidol Adulyadej was born at Mount Auburn Hospital, just down the street from our site. Bhumibol went on to become the King of Thailand until 2016, when his son succeeded him.
So, what about the people in this picture? The president of the King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation, Cholthanee Koerojna, was able to help park staff identify Prince Mahidol – he’s the middle top-hatted figure – and the clothing dates the picture to the 1920s. It is still unclear what the event was or why the Prince was at Longfellow House-Washington’s Headquarters NHS. One speculation, based on a March 21, 1925 Boston Globe article, is that the prince may have been at a wedding of two Thai students.
You can learn more about this unique tie to Thailand by exploring the Trail of Thai Royalty. There are sites in Harvard Square, Cambridge, Belmont MA and even Gloucester MA and New Hampshire! Check it out:http://www.thailink.com/ktbf/download/br-trail-2018.pdf
Send us your pictures!
The King of Thailand Birthplace Foundation - KTBF
- Ranger Anna
