Frank (or Francis) Earle Mallett was born on June 28, 1875, and grew up on a farm in Lee, Maine. He was educated at elementary schools in Maine, and at Boston Latin School, Higgins’ Classical Institute, Philips Exeter Academy, and at the University at Heidelberg, with irregular studies at Paris, Geneva and Turin.


While in Europe (from 1898 - 1915) he worked as a clerk for the consular service in Cologne, Germany, then with a troupe of traveling actors, (see photo, above) and finally as a vice-consul with the American Consulate in Budapest.

 

Due to his “suspicious” activities in Russia during WWI, he lost his job with the State Department, and after returning to the U.S., went into real estate, planning to develope co-operative, recreational communities in natural settings.

Hilya Rumel grew up in Estonia where her father was a forest steward. She attended The University of Helsinki and studied architecture and library science. A childhood dream of boarding the train to explore new places led her to travel as an adult, teaching languages in foreign countries. She reportedly spoke at least eight languages and would have been about twenty-six when she met Frank.