In Memoriam
The Rev. Dr. Neal Henry Lawrence, OSB (1908-2004)

The Rev. Dr. Neal Henry Lawrence, OSB, passed away on November 3rd, after suffering a cerebral haemorrhage brought on by a fall. He was 96.

Neal Henry Lawrence was born in Clarksville, Tennessee, on January 22nd 1908, and grew up in Louisville, Kentucky. He entered Harvard University with a scholarship, and embarked on a pre-medical degree course, but later changed over to English literature to get a broader-based education. After graduating, he took a job with Lever Brothers Co. with a view to earning the money to continue his education, and for the next fifteen years he worked his way up in the company. With the outbreak of World War II, he accepted a commission in the navy, and was sent to Columbia University to study military government. On completion of the course, he was sent to Okinawa with the invasion forces on April 1st, 1945. He has left a vivid account of his experiences there in an address to the Society which was published in Vol. 12 of Series IV of the Transactions (1997). After the end of the war, he spent a year in Okinawa playing a part in the military government, finally in the post of Director of the Department of Economic Affairs.

He left the navy with the rank of lieutenant-commander, and returned to Columbia University for an M.A. in political science (public law and government), which he received in 1947. He qualified for the State Department, and was assigned to the diplomatic section of SCAP. Later he was transferred to USIS, and established USIS offices and libraries in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur. 

His harrowing experiences in Okinawa left him with a horror of war and a strong desire to contribute to building world peace, which for him began with a personal search for inner spiritual peace. Before going to Singapore, he had stopped by at St. John's Benedictine Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota, to visit a friend. This visit left a deep and lasting impression on him, and in 1953 he entered the novitiate at St. John's Abbey, although he had been brought up as a Methodist and later flirted with Episcopalianism. He had now found his life's vocation. He was ordained in June 1960, and in September was assigned to St. Anselm's Priory in Meguro, Tokyo, returning to Japan full of hope and ambition. Besides his work at St. Anselm's Church, he taught international relations and English at Tokyo University until his forced retirement at 60, and after that he continued teaching at Keio, Seikai and Sophia Universities and Shirayuri Women's College. For him, teaching English was a way of fostering better international understanding in his students. As an educator, he was also active in the Association of Foreign Teachers in Japan (founded in 1929), and served as President from 1964 to 1971. During this period, T.I.H. Prince and Princess Mikasa attended the dinner meetings on occasion, His Highness being himself an educator.

One of Fr. Lawrence's many cross-cultural undertakings was St. Anselm's International Friendship Association (STAIFA), which held charity concerts and lecture meetings to raise money for needy children and homeless youth. The concerts were especially of choral music, and one notable performance was of Britten's Curlew River, based on the Noh play Sumidagawa, where the production was in Japanese style, with the singers wearing masks over the upper part of their faces. Among the most memorable lectures was one given by Edward Seidensticker.

At St. Anselm's Fr. Lawrence served as pastor to the English-speaking congregation, one of whom was Alice Kurusu, widow of Saburo Kurusu, who had been sent to Washington by the Foreign Ministry as ambassador extraordinary to help in the negotiations with the State Department prior to Pearl Harbor; as a result, he had been vilified for decades as the man who had treacherously held out an olive branch to cover up the surprise attack. Through his contact with Mme. Kurusu, Fr. Lawrence was stimulated to investigate further and write a paper vindicating Kurusu, who had been innocent of all knowledge of the military's designs; this paper was read before the Society and published in Vol. 16 of Series III of the Transactions (1981). He later wrote another paper on Alice Kurusu, which was read to the Society and published in Vol. 15 of Series IV (2000).

Another of Fr. Lawrence's literary activities was the writing of poetry, English poems in the Japanese 31-syllable tanka form. The first Collection of his poems, Soul's Inner Sparkle, appeared in 1978, and this was followed by three more. He was a member of the Poetry Society of Japan, and in 2000 the international Poets' Academy conferred on him the title "Poet of the Millennium". Before that, at a world congress of poets in 1991, he was awarded an honorary doctorate presented by the World Academy of Arts and Culture. In 1993 he was decorated by the Emperor and the Japanese Government with the Order of the Rising Sun, Gold Rays with Rosette, for his contributions in the field of culture. A man of many parts, he was also a life member of Mensa Japan, and a member of the board of the Harvard Club of Japan.

He must have joined the Asiatic Society of Japan soon after his arrival in 1960, as his name appears in the list of members in the 1961 Transactions, following the annual report for 1960. In 1966 he joined the Council as Librarian, becoming Recording Secretary in 1971. In 1978 he was made Vice-President, and subsequently Senior Vice-President (1998) and Vice-President Emeritus (1999). As long as he was living in Tokyo he faithfully attended all the meetings and the Council meetings, and gave the Society all the benefit of his knowledge and experience, besides contributing the papers noted above. In recognition of his distinguished scholarship and long service to the Society, the Asiatic Society of Japan bestowed upon him the first Patrons' Award, which was presented by H.I.H. Prince Takamado at the annual general meeting in 2002.

In 1999 the Benedictines moved from St. Anselm's Priory to a new location, the Yatsugatake Holy Trinity Benedictine Monastery at Fujimi in Nagano prefecture, though his forays to Tokyo were still fairly frequent. In the last of these, in the middle of October, he came up to town to stay at International House, as usual, where he attended a meeting of the Foreign Teachers' Association and a lecture given by Edward Seidensticker. In between he joined us at the meeting held at the American ambassador's Residence, and we are happy to have this last memory of him, enjoying the evening in lively good spirits. 

A memorial service was held in the evening of Wednesday November 17th in his old church, now called simply the Meguro Catholic Church. After a Requiem Mass, eulogies were delivered by a few people representing different aspects of Fr. Lawrence's long life and career, including the Papal Nuncio and our own President, Prof. Hugh Wilkinson.

We append further tributes from two of our distinguished members.

A tanka for Fr. Lawrence by Eileen Kato

Mourn not this good friend!
Man of God, poet, teacher,
Strong soldier for peace:
Joy in his gentle spirit!
Learn from his long, well lived life! 

A farewell from George Sioris:

Dear and respected Father Neal,

I still remember how happy we all were, eight years ago, when your numerous friends assembled in Tokyo to celebrate your 88th birthday! We rejoiced then seeing how alert and vigorous you still were, despite decades of hard work and the demands of your ministry. I called you then a young man at heart and I shared in the joy of everyone inspired by your multiple achievements.

Today is an entirely different scene, full of sorrow and tears. Almost a centenarian, you left us after an unexpected accident at your serene monastery where I spent with you some of the most peaceful moments of my life, by your side, following you and the other monks of Fujimi in prayers and concentration.

I do not wish at this point to go on a eulogy regarding your six distinct lives, in each one of which you distinguished yourself, radiating love to everyone around you. I would rather give you a final respectful greeting by reminding all whose lives you so gently touched of your incredible alertness, presence of mind, kindness and humour up to the very end. Your image, as we met for the last time in May in Tokyo, for an unforgettable, quiet but extremely warm and friendly luncheon, in the presence of my little daughter Doreen, will accompany me for ever. You have been more than a friend to me, a caring, understanding and inspiring spiritual father!

May you rest in peace and may we continue on our path encouraged by your example and your gentle smile.