Neff, Mary K.
(1877-1948). American theosophical author who served in various capacities at Adyar and the Australian Section. Neff was born on September 7, 1877, in Akron, Ohio, USA. During 1911-13 she was resident at ADYAR where she was employed by the Theosophical Publishing House, the Adyar Library and for a time was private secretary to Charles W. Leadbeater. She was also for a time in charge of the business department of the Boy’s High School at Madanapalle, then Vasanta šshrama, a theosophical boarding school for Indian girls. Neff served for five years as principal of the Middle School for Girls at Lucknow where she introduced many reforms and was Organizing Secretary for the Anti-tuberculosis League. During 1922-23 Neff assisted J. J. van der Leeuw at King Arthur’s School, North Sydney, Australia. She was for two years Assistant General Secretary and two years National Lecturer for the Australian Section of the Theosophical Society (TS). In 1925 she returned to Adyar at the request of C. Jinaršjadšsa to take charge of the archives, again acting as secretary to Leadbeater.
Publications include:
The “Brothers” of Madame Blavatsky (1932), A Guide to Adyar (1943), Personal Memoirs of H. P. Blavatsky (1937, 1967), How Theosophy Came to Australia and New Zealand (1943), The Mahatma Letters: their Chronological Order (1940 pamphlet), Letters of H. P. Blavatsky to A. P. Sinnett: their Chronological Order (1940).
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