Famous Firsts
Timeline of the History of The Urantia Book Movement and Famous Firsts
1906-1922 This was the first period of acquaintance or "apprenticeship training for subsequent service in association with the presentation of the Urantia Papers,"1 and the development of team work; the Revelatory Commission fostered a favorable environment in which the papers could be graciously delivered to humanity.
1922 An informal group of friends were invited on Sunday afternoons for tea and parlor discussions on various topics of interest at the home and offices of a married couple who were physicians. Lena Sadler was an obstetrician and gynecologist and her husband, Will Sadler was a surgeon, later specializing in psychiatry. They were active leaders in Chicago community organizations, delivering speeches to local churches and schools, and were leaders, organizers, and members of organizations relating to their fields of medicine. A commission was formed some time after the papers to be "custodians of the Urantia manuscript."1
1925 The writings of the Revelatory Commission were introduced to the Sunday afternoon discussion group on 18 January 1925 and from that date arriving papers were read to this Sunday group. The group submitted questions and the papers arrived in answer to these questions. The Sunday discussion group became the Forum.
1926 Participants who had hitherto moved from Chicago were invited back for a formal reading of the papers that had arrived to date.
1925-1935 During this era the Forum initiated questions and the papers continued to be edited by the Revelatory Commission in response to the reactions that the Forum members had in the reading of the papers.
1934 Part I to Part III of the revelation were sponsored, formulated, and put into the English language by various celestial authors. The first financial funds were firsted raised to create plates to print the book.
1935 Part IV arrived.
1939 Dr Lena K Sadler who was a Contact Commissioner dies from cancer. "...No provision was ever made for replacing members of the Contact
Commission who might be lost through disability or death, also led us to
entertain the belief that the Book would be published during the lifetime of
some of us."2
1940 Seventy Forum members signed up on Wednesday evenings to practice giving talks and to study the book in-depth. They were the forerunner of the Urantia Brotherhood School.
1942 The Forum officially ended on May 31, 1942; 486 interested people had joined the Forum since its inception. The group continued as a study group until the establishment of the First Urantia Society in 1955. Many relatives, children, and spouses of Forum members, about 114 additional people were able to study the Papers from the period of 1942 to 1955. These people were also called Forum members and there are still a few living today as of this writing.
1941 The printing plates were ordered from Donnelly and Sons, Inc.
1946 The West Coast Forum elected officers and Fred Squires was its first President. It was composed of Forum members that moved to the vicinity of Los Angeles California.
1950 The Urantia Foundation was established and set about to prepare for publication by raising money. Forum members continued to read and study the papers at Diversey Parkway. The first office for the Urantia Foundation was on 333 Michigan Avenue, Chicago IL, the office of Bill Sadler Jr's consulting firm. The building at Diversey Parkway was still a doctor's office on the 1st floor, Bill and Leone Sadler's family home on the 2nd floor, Dr Sadler's home on the 3rd floor, and Anne and Wilfred Kellogg in the tiny flat above the garage.
1955 On January 2nd, a fraternal organization was launched called the Urantia Brotherhood with a General Council of 36 members. On 12 October 1955 the Urantia Book arrived from the printers and for the first time hundreds of people could hold it in the hands, take it home, and put it on their night stands. The price was $10.00. The office was located at Diversey Parkway. The first newletter "Quarterly News from the Executive Committee of the Urantia Brotherhood" was published.
1956 The Urantia Brotherhood School, sponsored by the Committee on Education, was opened September 19th with 71 students and auditors. The Urantia Brotherhood sent 50 gifts books to individuals and institutions. The first meeting of the First Urantia Society (of Chicago) was on September 30th. The first death of a General Council member was Wilfred Kellogg on August 31st.
1957 The Urantia Brotherhood's first phone was installed. The first three societies were Chicago and Los Angeles, and Glenview, IL. The first spontaneous group to form on 23 Sept from book distribution was Oklahoma City.
1958 The first dust-jacket for The Urantia Book was approved. The first gold pins with the three concentric circle emblem were approved for purchase. First member-at-large was Rev David L Schlundt PhD.
1959 The first field representative appointed was Bill Sadler Jr. The first lending library was approved.
1961 The first brochure was developed. The first joint annual solicitation letter for donations was sent. For the first time people were referred to books stores and sales of the books ended at the Foundation/Brotherhood office.
1962 The first death of a president of the Urantia Brotherhood was Warren Kulieke, the first Vice-President, and the 2nd President of the Urantia Brotherhood on 23 Feb 1962. The first gift presented was a portrait by Gustav Liken, an artist at the Chicago Art Institute on 21 August.
1963 On 22 November 1963, Bill Sadler Jr, the first President of the Urantia Brotherhood and the first field representative for the Urantia Brotherhood died at the age of 55. The first Summer Study Session was held with over 100 participants from 12 US states.
1964 First Triennial Delegate Assembly was held on 20 August, 1964.
1965 The first courses from the Urantia Brotherhood School were given outside of Chicago in Los Angeles California. The First Society to dissolve was the Second Urantia Society of Chicago.
1966 The first ad-hoc committee appointed by the Urantia Brotherhood was Maps and Charts.
1968 The 2nd printing of the Urantia Book of 10,000 copies is printed.
1969 The first employee, Anne Rawson, was placed on the payroll of the Urantia Brotherhood Corporation at $150 dollars per month. The first Regional conference offered in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.
1972 The first office equipment was purchased.
1971 The first newsletter published about readers groups was the serial of the First Urantia Society of Los Angeles called the Agondonter. Its editor, Jim McNelly, developed the first inter-communication venue among study groups and societies worldwide.
1972 Robert Hunt PhD and Phillip Calabrese PhD, mathematics professors from California State University Bakersfield, taught the first university semester course entitled, "An introduction to The Urantia Book." Robert Burton was the first member expelled from a chartered Urantia Society.
1973 The first conference sponsored by the First Urantia Society of Los Angeles in Brentwood California was held. Readers came from many states and many Chicagoans attend.
1974 Henry Begemann of the Netherlands was the first foreign field representative appointed. The Urantia Brotherhood signed the first Confirmatory Agreement with the Urantia Foundation regarding the use of the trademarks, the three concentric circles logo and name(s).
1975 Arthur Andersen & Co is the first external auditor appointed. The first journal launch by the Foundation and Brotherhood was called the "Urantian." First General Conference of the Urantia Brotherhood was at Kendall College, Evanston, Illinois.
1. William S Sadler, MD, A History of the Urantia Movement, Abt 1959
2. Thomas A. Kendall, Past-President Urantia Foundation, Deposition for the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals
Organizational History
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The Seventy |
Urantia Foundation |
Urantia Brotherhood |
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Founded 1940 |
Founded 11 Jan 1950 |
Founded 02 Jan 1955 |
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| First Officers |
First Trustees |
First Officers |
First Chair |
First Brotherhood School Officers | ||||||||||||||||||||
| President Lee Miller Jones |
President William Hales |
President William S Sadler Jr |
Chair Judicial William M Hales |
President William S Sadler MD |
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| Vice-President Albert H Dyon |
Vice-President William S Sadler Jr |
Vice-President Warren Kulieke |
Chair Charter Ruth Burton |
Dean Alvin L Kulieke |
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| Secretary Edith E Cook |
Secretary Emma L Christensen |
Secretary-General Marian T Rowley |
Chair Fraternal Edmond J F Kulieke |
Secretary/Treasurer Kenton Stephens |
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| Assistant Secretary R Denton Karle |
Assistant Secretary Edith E Cook |
Secretary Anna Rawson |
Chair Domestic Extension Everett M Farrell |
First class 19 Sep 1956, 71 students |
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| Treasurer Wilfred C Kellogg |
Treasurer Russell W Bucklin |
Chair Publications Leone M Sadler |
Chair Publications Leone M Sadler |
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| Chair Foreign Ext. James C Mills |
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| Chair Education William S Sadler MD |
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| Chair Finance David Adler |
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| Chair Miscellaneous Emma L Christensen |
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| First General Council of the Urantia Brotherhood (founded on 02 Jan 1955) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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Cathryn D Adler |
David Adler |
Clyde Bedell |
Floyd S Bordsen |
Clarence N Bowman |
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Russell W Bucklin |
Robert Burton |
Ruth Burton |
Ruth R Carothers |
Emma L Christensen |
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Edith E Cook |
Philip A Copenhaver Jr |
Albert H Dyon |
Everett M Farwell |
Mary Lou Hales |
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William M Hales |
William F Harrah |
Lee Miller Jones |
Anna B Kellogg |
Wilfred C Kellogg |
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S Knox Kreutzer |
Alvin L. Kulieke |
Edmond F. J. Kulieke |
Warren H Kulieke |
Alfred Leverenz |
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James C Mills |
Walter H Parkin |
Ernest Calvin Pritchard |
Anna Rawson |
Marian T Rowley |
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Leone M Sadler |
William S. Sadler MD |
William S Sadler, Jr |
Sylvia B Sunderland |
Helen Thurman (Carlson) |
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Anna K Whitchurch |
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"With the utmost respect we commend these early men and women for their unprecedented way of launching this fifth epochal revelation of Urantia. We marvel at their foresight and wisdom in putting this great book into print as well as in organizing an entirely new and unique group of individuals on this planet. Only eternity can evaluate the work of the sincerely dedicated teachers who put in untold hours of preparation for their evening classes of URANTIA Brotherhood School. There are those who worked long hours at headquarters, packaging and sending out books, getting out publications, and coordinating the various phases of this new movement. Many worked late into the night, and they still do, ending their day in utter exhaustion. We pay tribute to these men and women of the past who all remained true to their trust!" Grace Stephens 1980 First Committee members elected (not in the General Council) and present on 02 July 1955.
William M Hales was placed on two committees, Judicial and Finance. |
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