Untitled Document

October 22, 1956 -- Mr. Jacques Weiss outlines some preliminary ideas = for a=20 French translation in a private correspondence with Carolyn Brown.=20 [Display]=20 Jacques Weiss was a French industrialist, an aviation expert, = and=20 former leader of the underground resistance to the Nazi occupation and = an ardent=20 truth seeker. He brought a comprehensive set of talents and resources to = bear=20 upon the task he undertook.

November 27, 1956 -- Early correspondence with Urantia Brotherhood = [Display]

November 30, 1956 -- Response from Marian Rowley [Display]

December 26, 1956 -- Jacques Weiss submits preliminary proposal to = Urantia=20 Brotherhood for a French translation. [Display]

January 7, 1957 -- Short response from Urantia Brotherhood to Weiss = [Display]

May 31, 1957 -- Weiss submits formal request for support from Urantia = Brotherhood for the production of a French Translation. [Display]

June 5, 1957 -- Marian Rowley sends short reply. [Display]

June 12, 1957 -- E.L. Christensen sends short reply. [Display]

April 24, 1958 -- President Bill Hales sends note to Foundation = attorney=20 regarding Weiss. [Display]

April 30, 1958 -- Weiss submits progress report on the French = translation.=20 [Display]

May 11, 1958 -- Marian Rowley responds to Weiss [Display]

June 9, 1958 -- Bill Hales responds to Weiss [Display]

October 7, 1958 -- Weiss writes to Carolyn Brown with a report on = progress of=20 the translation. [Display]

January 21, 1959 -- Weiss submits report to Urantia Brotherhood = regarding=20 progress of the translation. [Display]

February 10, 1959 -- Christy offers some initial misgivings about = Weiss'=20 intentions to provide Bible references and to publish the book in three = volumes.=20 [Display]

August 21, 1960 -- Weiss visits Chicago to discuss issues related to = the=20 publication of his translation. [Display=20 Weiss' schedule for Chicago visit] With Dr. Sadler, Weiss = discussed=20 the inclusion of Bible cross-references and other footnotes in the text = as well=20 as the publication of the text in three volumes. Dr. Sadler is reported = to have=20 encouraged Weiss to proceed with his plans and included these provisions = in the=20 contract. Urantia Foundation was to hold the copyright and Weiss was to = be the=20 publisher. Urantia Foundation also paid Weiss a modest sum to cover = certain=20 expenses associated with bringing his project to completion (reported to = have=20 been $1,200.00).

October 11, 1960 -- Weiss writes to Urantia Foundation complaining = about=20 delays. [Display]

June 21, 1961 -- Urantia Foundation gives go-ahead for publication = and asks=20 Weiss to send English translations of contracts with the printer and=20 distributor. = [Display]=20

October 9, 1961 -- Bill Hales expresses concern about Weiss' desire = to=20 include a Glossary in each volume, the proposed distribution of books to = French=20 readers in Canada, and the nature of corrections which Weiss is making = to the=20 text as he reviews it.=20 [Display]

December 27, 1961 -- In a letter to Clyde Bedell, Dr. Sadler = expresses his=20 enthusiasm for the French translation. [Display]

March, 1962 -- La Cosmogonie D'Urantia goes into public distribution. = The=20 printing of Volume I was completed in 1961, Volumes II and III in 1962. = The=20 first printing of 10,000 copies was sold out by 1968. [See = picture of=20 translation team] (Jacques DuPont was also part of this team but his = photo=20 has been omitted at the request of his son, Urantia Foundation trustee = Georges=20 DuPont.)

Weiss was the person who had the plates made, who directed the = printing, made=20 the contracts with the printer and the distributor, and therefore = actually was=20 the publisher instead of Urantia Foundation. This was all according to = the=20 contract which he had arranged with Dr. Sadler. The contract provided = Weiss with=20 the permission to advertise his translation, partially even at the cost = of the=20 Foundation. Even more, the Foundation itself, who became co-distributor, = reserved for itself the right also to advertise the translation. To = promote=20 further the sale of books, the contract stipulates, "because of the size = of the=20 book and its cost", that the translation may be published in three = volumes and=20 sold separately. To promote further the sale of books, the title of the = Urantia=20 Book was changed to =91La Cosmogonie d'Urantia, "The Cosmogony of = Urantia", which=20 was accepted by Urantia Foundation.

October 25, 1962 -- Urantia Foundation begins discussions with Weiss=20 regarding a second printing. In a letter to Weiss, William Hales = expresses his=20 desire to have the Bible references removed. As a result of subsequent=20 discussions with Dr. Sadler on this matter, Weiss was able to get = permission to=20 retain these in the second printing.= [Display letter from William Hales]

Autumn, 1964 -- Weiss requests concentric circle pins for gifts to = the Swiss=20 members of his translation team. Christy says "no." [D= isplay=20 Christy's letter] Weiss wrote another letter pleading his = case. [Display=20 Weiss letter] This time, Marian Rowley responded with = assurances that=20 Weiss would be allowed to have the pins. [Display=20 Marian Rowley's letter]

September 3, 1965 -- William Hales discusses with Weiss the matter of = drawings illustrating some of the cosmological relationships described = in the=20 book; expresses dissatisfaction with an ad which Weiss placed for "La=20 Cosmogonie." [Display]

October 10, 1966 -- Edith Cook writes to Weiss regarding corrections = to his=20 footnotes for the next printing. [Display]

October 19, 1966 -- William Hales writes to Weiss relating some = provisions of=20 the second printing contract related to Weiss' footnotes and some = accounting=20 provisions. [Display]

June 1967 -- Letter from Dr. Sadler to Jacques Weiss regarding the = importance=20 of staying focused on the job with which they have been entrusted. [Display]

La Cosmogonie D'Urantia Translation = Team=20
Fontainebleau, France, 1967
Mlle. Simone Leclere, Mr. Jacques = Weiss,=20 Mme. Marcella Dupont
Not pictured: Mr. Jacques DuPont

July, 1967 -- Weiss publishes "The Origin of The Urantia Book" [Di= splay=20 Weiss' document] Supplies of "La Cosmogonie" are running low = and=20 Weiss is anxious to reprint.

August, 1967 -- Edith Cook finds an error in the diagrams Weiss = included with=20 the French text. Weiss had printed extra diagrams and sent them to = Urantia=20 Foundation as Christmas cards. Weiss had shown dark gravity bodies as = existing=20 in unpervaded space as well as in pervaded space. Edith pointed out that = there=20 was, according to The Urantia Book, only one belt of dark gravity bodies = and=20 that this was in pervaded space. Edith considers this to be a "major = error" and=20 reports to the trustees that "His concept would change our whole idea of = the=20 shape of the master universe." She further comments that she sees these = maps as=20 misrepresenting the teachings of The Urantia Book.

August 25, 1967 -- Jacques Weiss meets with trustees in Chicago to = discuss=20 issues related to the second printing of "La Cosmogonie," during which = time the=20 error on his diagram is reviewed. Weiss finally gave up in frustration = and said=20 he was not going to redo the maps at this point, that he would use up = the ones=20 he had, and perhaps would take up the matter at a later time.

November 9, 1967 -- Weiss expresses = frustration=20 with what he sees as Urantia Foundation's hyper-vigilant concern about = the=20 spread of the revelation. Excerpt from his letter to the trustees: = "Before 1955,=20 the Forum, who held the manuscript, was centered on the waiting aspect. = Several=20 members believed that the Book would not even be published during their=20 lifetime. Then the Hierarchy judged that the situation had matured and = the time=20 had come. They gave the green light for the publication with = instructions to go=20 slow, even very slow for the beginning. You have remained ever since in = that=20 position of first gear, without any further contact with the Hierarchy. = Now they=20 judge that the time has come to pass in second gear, not in high. But = have you=20 asked them? Obviously no. On the French side, we have constantly been = helped by=20 guardian angels and other entities who suggested and approved the = passing in=20 second gear, and furnished the corresponding opportunities. You have = witnessed=20 the results. We believe in their guidance and follow it, looking more = lightly at=20 the legal viewpoint since a spiritual, moral, mental and physical = agreement=20 exists between us."

Note: Documentation for much of the following is = contained in=20 the records of the court proceedings in France and may be found in = the "F= inal=20 Judgment" document issued by the court. This is a rather lengthy = document=20 and may be slow to display on your monitor. The key points are = outlined here.=20

Dr. Sadler granted permission allowing Weiss to proceed with his = second=20 printing with contractual conditions similar to the first printing, = except for a=20 few modifications. These were: The second printing is to be limited to = 3,000=20 sets (changed by letter of April 8, 1969 to 4,000 sets to allow Weiss a = more=20 economical printing run); an agreement that the footnotes would be = republished=20 as recently corrected, the book would again be published in three = volumes, and a=20 note would be added to the front protective page of each volume = indicating that=20 the footnotes were added by the translator and were not a part of the = English=20 language edition. The second printing of Volume II was completed on = April 14,=20 1969, Volume I on November 28, 1970, and Volume III on March 10, 1971. = However,=20 some 2,000 copies of Volume II from this second printing had been = damaged and=20 could not be sold. This was 2/3 of the entire production run of the = second=20 Volume.

April 26, 1969 -- Death of Dr. Sadler

August 1970 -- Jacques Weiss visits readers in the Oklahoma City = region. [See interview with Weiss in 'The Daily Oklahoman'=20 newspaper]

August 17, 1970 -- [Personal letter from Jacques Weiss to Christy regarding = Oklahoma City=20 visit]

April 24, 1972 -- Jacques Weiss, ready to proceed with a reprinting = of Volume=20 II for purposes of replacing the 2,000 copies damaged in 1969, is = informed by=20 Urantia Foundation that they will not authorize him to proceed with this = printing. Urantia Foundation also indicated that they would not allow = him to=20 include in any future editions, the Bible references approved by Dr. = Sadler for=20 both the first and second printings. (It is also interesting to note = that,=20 following the death of Dr. Sadler, Urantia Foundation discontinued the = selling=20 of his studies which related the Bible to The Urantia Book, citing = numerous=20 "errors" as the reason for the discontinuance). Meredith Sprunger = comments on=20 this: "I recall that the Foundation trustees thought that Dr. Sadler had = been=20 'taken in' by Weiss and was too cooperative with him. Dr. Sadler was = very aware=20 of the evolutionary relationship between the Bible and The Urantia Book. = The=20 early power structure of the Brotherhood and Foundation were not = sympathetic to=20 this relationship and to institutional religion. I am not surprised that = the=20 Foundation stopped selling his Biblical Studies. Had Dr. Sadler lived = another 25=20 years the history of the movement would be quite different."

May 11, 1972 -- Weiss places an order with Romand & Beurel in = Paris to=20 print additional copies of Volume II to replace those which had been = damaged.=20 However, instead of simply replacing the 2,000 copies which had been = damaged, he=20 ordered 5,500 copies from the printer, supposedly due to economies of = scale=20 related to printing costs. Urantia Foundation declared this a = contractual=20 violation and used it as a basis for initiating a lawsuit against Weiss = in 1973=20 for purposes of gaining control of the French text.

July 3, 1972 -- Attorney Robert Burton writes letter to Jacques Weiss = explaining reasons for his belief that Urantia Foundation does not have = a valid=20 copyright in The Urantia Book. Burton also indicates that he is trying = to get=20 Urantia Foundation to evaluate his newly completed Spanish translation. = [See=20 Burton's letter to Weiss]

July 11, 1972 -- Jacques Weiss registers trademark on the words = "EDITIONS=20 URANTIA" with the National Trademark Register in France. At this time = Weiss was=20 also working on a French Concordex as well as the Glossary for "La = Cosmogonie."=20 [See an English translation of Weiss' Glossary]

August 21, 1973 -- Jacques Weiss contacts Paul Snider (Brotherhood = President)=20 requesting copies of resolution passed by the General Council at the = August=20 meeting. Letter is filed with note stapled to it which says, "Don't = Respond."=20 [See=20 copy of letter]

August 1973 -- Martin Myers appointed Trustee of Urantia Foundation =

August 1973 -- Thomas Kendall elected President of the Board of = Trustees of=20 Urantia Foundation.

November 10, 1973 -- Agents for Urantia Foundation confiscate from = Weiss and=20 his printer, receipts which might reveal printing quantities in excess = of the=20 number contractually specified, along with a seizure of printing plates = and=20 film. Urantia Foundation also succeeded in getting a restraining order = from the=20 French authorities which prohibited Weiss from proceeding with the = publication=20 of his Concordex and his Glossary. Weiss was also charged with trademark = infringement for registering and using the phrase, "Editions Urantia," = to=20 identify his French publications related to the revelation. (Weiss also = had a=20 white strip of paper pasted over Urantia Foundation's copyright notice = in the=20 remaining copies of Volume II which the court subsequently ordered him = to=20 remove).

November 11, 1973 -- Urantia Foundation notifies selected readers in = a=20 carefully worded announcement that a lawsuit against Jacques Weiss is = being=20 initiated in order ". . . to sieze copies of an unauthorized = translation." [See=20 copy of Urantia Foundation lawsuit announcement] Urantia = Foundation=20 filings also charged Weiss with "infidelity of translation." The court = threw out=20 this charge because Urantia Foundation was unable to provide any = substantiation=20 of it. Weiss admitted to having made changes of punctuation and spelling = but=20 noted that these changes had not altered content of the text itself. = Urantia=20 Foundation also complained that Weiss had distributed books in Canada = when his=20 contract limited him to distribution in France.

The suit against Weiss essentially brought sales of the French = translation to=20 a halt. The price of underground photocopied editions soared to over = $200.00.=20 These were supplied to French readers through the efforts of Andre = Heisse=20 working in and around Paris. Heisse and his co-workers evaded = apprehension by=20 agents of Urantia Foundation by frequently moving their equipment and = generally=20 conducting their operation as did the Resistance propagandists during = World War=20 II.

August 8, 1974 -- Agents for Urantia Foundation undertake additional = seizures=20 in the Weiss case, taking from the printshop of Romand & Bueurel and = from=20 Weiss' book distributor, Sarl Dervy-Livres, 100 copies of volume II = printed in=20 excess of the number allowed by Weiss' agreement with Urantia Foundation = and the=20 first 25 pages of Weiss' Concordex.

November 13, 1975-- Judgment handed down by French court in Weiss = case [S= ee copy=20 of Judgment] Rather than resolving the issue, a stalemate = ensued. The=20 Foundation, owning the copyright, stopped the further printing of "La=20 Cosmogonie," while Weiss, having the legal moral right of a translator,=20 prevented a revised edition from being published by the Foundation. = Needless to=20 say, the relationship between Weiss and Urantia Foundation had become = very=20 bitter. Weiss being the personal center of the whole Urantia movement in = France,=20 this enmity did not remain limited to the relationship between the = Foundation=20 and the person of Weiss; it pervaded the whole of France and farther. =

Summer, 1977 -- Mr. and Mrs. Henry Begemann from the Netherlands = visit=20 Urantia Foundation to discuss problems in Europe resulting from the = Foundation's=20 withdrawal of the French translation from circulation as well as issues = related=20 to Henry's work on the Dutch translation.

December, 1979 -- Henry Begemann declares Urantia Foundation in = default.=20 [See: = "The=20 Situation in France"] -- Henry maintained that the Foundation = was in=20 default because they had abdicated control of the printing process to = Weiss, in=20 violation of the provisions of the Declaration of Trust. Henry thought = that the=20 solution was to create an entirely new translation. He attempted to form = a team=20 in France which would undertake this task, but failed. (Henry was = working on his=20 own Dutch translation at the time.) The trustees of Urantia Foundation = decided=20 that the solution would be to do all translating in the U.S. and began = the=20 search for translators who could undertake this task. (It should be = noted that=20 any translation is in reality, an interpretation. Therefore, = there will=20 likely be individuals who think that any translation, no matter how well = executed, contains "errors." There is some indication that Henry = Begemann had=20 strong theological differences with Jacques Weiss. An area for future = study=20 would be an attempt to determine the degree to which Henry Begemann = exploited=20 the Foundation's vulnerability on the Declaration of Trust issue in = order to=20 open up an opportunity to "correct" Wiess' work.)

1980 -- Urantia Foundation begins search for English-French = translators who=20 can continue their effort to create a new French translation. In = November of=20 1980, Nigel Hornby, who had been working on this task in Paris dropped = out of=20 the effort after partial completion of only ten papers. Hornby provided = an=20 important critique of the Foundation's expressed desire to do all = translating in=20 the U.S.
[See=20 Nigel Hornby's comments to Tom Kendall regarding some of the related=20 problems]
[See = also, Henry=20 Begemann's notes on the translation process]

The Hornby critique likely impacted the subsequent approach which = Urantia=20 Foundation took to the production of a Spanish translation (another = amazing=20 story). This approach, which involved a professional translation firm, = presented=20 its own unique set of problems. As these problems came to light, and as = the=20 Foundation's copyright in the English edition was further eroded by = rulings in=20 the Maaherra case, the trustees embarked on a more radical plan to = maintain=20 control of the revelation. This involved locating polylingual readers = around the=20 world--anyone who voiced an interest in working on a translation of the = book or=20 the preparation of second language study aids. These readers were then = induced=20 to sign over all of their rights (provided by international copyright=20 conventions) to the trustees of Urantia Foundation. This contract = provides no=20 guarantee that the work of any of these individuals will ever be = published;=20 Urantia Foundation retains all rights in perpetuity. One of the = provisions of=20 this contract is that those signing it agree to keep its existence as = well as=20 the fact that they signed it a secret. [See=20 Urantia Foundation's translator's contract]

Weiss died in 1983. According to a long-time acquaintance who was = present=20 with Weiss on his deathbed, Weiss died a broken man. He felt that the = initial=20 enthusiasm and support of Dr. Sadler for his translation and his work at = spreading the revelation in France had been betrayed by the emergence of = Urantia=20 Foundation trustees obsessed with a policy of complete control of the = revelation=20 following the death of Dr. Sadler. He expressed deep dismay at the fact = that the=20 visionary excitement with which Dr. Sadler approached the spread of the=20 revelation was so soon being replaced by a bureaucratic determination to = create=20 a secular institution out of Dr. Sadler's life work. The final blow to = Weiss was=20 Urantia Foundation's re-publication of his translation. After all the = talk about=20 "errors," Urantia Foundation published a photographic reproduction of = the=20 original Weiss text with only the page numbers changed, making the years = of work=20 which Weiss had put in on a Concordex useless, effecively assuring that = his=20 Concordex would not appear on the market. Immediately upon Weiss' death, = Urantia=20 Foundation succeeded in getting Weiss' daughter to sign over all her = inherited=20 rights to the translation.

Autumn, 1991 -- Under the direction of present Urantia Foundation = trustee,=20 Georges DuPont, typesetting of Urantia Foundation's revised Jacques = Weiss=20 translation begins in Paris.