Carolyn Kendall's A History of the Urantia Book
Evolution of a Revelation
1900-1956
Copyright © 2025 The estate of Carolyn Kendall
Chapters
1.
An Overview—Divine Plans and the Future
2.
The Gift of Revelation
3.
The Ministry of Celestial Beings
4.
The Pre-papers Period and the Contact Personality, 1900 to 1923
5.
Founding of the Forum and the First Urantia Papers, 1924 to 1929
6.
The Expanded Text, 1930 to 1935
7.
The Life and Teachings of Jesus, 1935
8.
How the Papers were Transcribed
9.
Role of the Forum; Questions and Review, 1936 to 1942
10.
Preparing for Printing, 1942 to 1951
11.
Creation of Urantia Foundation—Protecting the Text and Name, 1937 to 1955
12.
Creation of Urantia Brotherhood, 1937 to 1956
13.
Publication of The Urantia Book, 1955
Appendices
I.
Concerning the Nature, Origin and Organization of the Urantia Book
II.
The History of the Urantia Movement, 1960
III.
Appendix of The Mind at Mischief, 1929
IV.
Biographies of the Contact Commissioners
V.
Notarized Statement of William M Hales, 1990
VI.
Affidavit of Dr. Meredith J. Sprunger, 1998
VII.
Diary Notes of Clarence N. Bowman
VIII.
Messages Introduction
IX.
Organizational Messages
X.
The New Regent of the Acting Planetary Prince, 1951-52
XI.
The Publication Mandate
XII.
The Spiritual Headquarters of Urantia
Carolyn Kendall by Saskia Praamsma
Carolyn's father, Clarence Bowman (1889-1959), was an original member of the Forum that studied the Urantia papers as they were being received and read by Dr. William S. Sadler at 533 Diversey Parkway in Chicago. Clarence attended the meetings between November 1923 and December 1958 and kept diaries which have been transcribed and published as The Urantia Diaries of Clarence Bowman.
Carolyn Bowman (1932-2020) was introduced to the Forum by her father in 1951 and immediately became a devoted student of the Urantia teachings. Shortly thereafter she brought in her fiancé Tom Kendall. Later her mother, Virginia (who had been a holdout) and younger brother, Larry, also joined the Forum and the whole family studied the teachings together.
After publication of The Urantia Book in 1955, Carolyn served on the General Council of Urantia Brotherhood for almost eighteen years during the 1960s and ’70s. For over fifty years, she led a life of service to the Brotherhood (later Urantia Book Fellowship) and Urantia Foundation, often working alongside Tom, all the while raising their five children. Tom Kendall later became a trustee and president of Urantia Foundation
In 2003, as international activities and responsibilities surrounding the revelation expanded, the trustees of Urantia Foundation added several individuals to serve as associate trustees. Carolyn was one the first three to join. Her historic perspective, wise counsel, and years of experience made a significant contribution at board meetings and helped further the dissemination of the revelation into the world.
Perhaps Carolyn’s greatest legacy to future generations is her observations of the early history of the Urantia Papers, having been associated with the revelation since birth. In the early 1950s she worked in Dr. Sadler's office as a receptionist, during which time she heard firsthand many stories from the Doctor himself. She asked questions, took notes, and worked with others to corroborate her findings. Her search for historical documentation helped her weave together a story of how the revelation came to our planet, and we are pleased to publish her detailed manuscript here on SquareCircles.