Great Soul Trial collection
Artwork titled Proof of Immortality by Columba Krebs, circa 1966; box 9, folder 7.
Collection area: Arizona and Southwest
Collection dates: 1962-1981 bulk (bulk 1966-1974)
This collection contains correspondence, claimant materials, press clippings, photographs, publications, and oversize materials collected by Justice Robert Myers who presided over The Great Soul Trial in 1967 and when the case went to retrial in 1971. The correspondence series comprises the bulk of the collection and is arranged alphabetically by country. The bulk of the correspondence is from the United States and is arranged alphabetically. This series consists of correspondence, essays, monographs, photographs, artwork, diagrams, etc. sent by individuals and organizations applying for claim on the James Kidd estate. The Claimant Materials series contains correspondence from applicants that were selected to testify for claim on the James Kidd estate by the Court of Maricopa County, Arizona. This series also contains final accounting and petition for final distribution materials and a list of claimants and petitioners. The Press Clippings series contains newspaper clippings and magazine articles from publications based worldwide documenting the Great Soul Trial and its proceedings. The photographs series contains photographs of Justice Robert Myers and various claimants that testified during the Great Soul Trial. The publications series contains monographs and pamphlets that were sent by individuals applying for claim on the James Kidd estate. The audio recordings series contains reel to reel tapes sent by individuals applying for claim on the James Kidd estate.
James Kidd was born on July 18, 1879 in Ogdensburgh, New York. He held residence on the outskirts of Phoenix, Arizona and was an employee of the Miami Company of Arizona. In November, 1949 Kidd went missing in the Superstition Mountains outside of Phoenix, Arizona. In 1954, he was declared missing and dead by the State of Arizona. In 1964, the State of Arizona took an inventory of a safety deposit box owned by James Kidd which contained a holograph will dating from 1930 stating his wishes that the balance of his estate go towards funding research that provided scientific proof of the existence of a soul that leaves the human body at the time of death. The value of the estate after expenses was in excess of $200,000. The estate went to trial between May – October, 1967 as James Kidd had no heirs or immediate family. The Honorable Justice Robert Myers of the Court of Maricopa County, Arizona presided over the case and heard from one hundred thirty three claimants over the course of the hearings. On October 20, 1967 the estate was awarded to the Barrow Neurological Institute located in Phoenix, Arizona. In 1971, The Arizona Supreme Court overturned the decision handed down by Justice Robert Myers, which resulted in the case going to retrial that year. Again, Justice Robert Myers presided over the case and awarded the estate to the American Society for Psychical Research based in New York City, New York.
A collection guide explains what's in a collection. New to using our collections? Learn how to use a collection guide.
Collection guideAccess this collection
Visit us in person to access materials from this collection. Our materials are one-of-a-kind and require special care, so they can’t be checked out or taken home.
How to cite
Learn how to cite and use materials from Special Collections in your research.