The Jim Corbett Collection documents Corbett's work spanning the early sixties to the mid-nineties, with the bulk of the collection taking place in the 1980s. The content covers personal letters to his wife to research material for the Sanctuary Movement, but a majority of the content are his writings from his books to essays and thoughts. Unpublished essays and an El Salvador License plate are also contained in this collection.
Collection Number:
MS 502
Repository:
University of Arizona Libraries, Special Collections
University of Arizona
PO Box 210055
Tucson, AZ 85721-0055
Phone: 520-621-6423
Fax: 520-621-9733
URL: http://speccoll.library.arizona.edu/
Biographical Note
James A. Corbett (1933-2001) was a rancher, writer, philosopher, and humanitarian. Born in Wyoming, he was educated at Harvard in philosophy before settling in the Southwest where he was a rancher until arthritis made it impossible for him to do a majority of the work involved. In the early 60s he turned Quaker; at this time he was also involved in protesting the Vietnam War.
In the early 80s he learned of the treatment of Central American Refugees both in their home countries but also by federal officials in the United States and began to smuggle them across the U.S.-Mexico border. He considered this act one of civil duty, and shepherded hundreds of refugees to the United States and with the help of Reverend John Fife of the Southside Presbyterian Church in Tucson, AZ, he began the Sanctuary Movement, which established sanctuaries for these refugees in churches, beginning in Tucson but quickly growing larger across the country.
In 1985 Corbett was one of eleven defendants in the Arizona Sanctuary Trial, and one of the three acquitted. After this trial, Corbett continued his work smuggling refugees, claiming that they set the schedule and he would continue to bring them across the border as long as they continued coming. Corbett argued that what he was doing was not civil disobedience, but civil initiative to help uphold asylum laws.
As a writer and philosopher Corbett spoke about errantry, subsistence and covenanting. His first book, Goatwalking, was published in 1991. In the 90s he was primarily involved with the Quakers and remained so until his death in 2001 from a rare brain disease. He is survived by his wife, Pat Corbett.
Scope and Content Note
This collection is comprised of Jim Corbett’s writings, correspondence and research, primarily his book Goatwalking and his work with the Sanctuary Movement in the 1980s. A bulk of the writing is preliminary drafts with editor’s notes, and the remainder is small print run pamphlets and unpublished essays, including his thoughts and reflections on the Sanctuary Movement. Most of the material dealing with the Sanctuary movement is research and background, with some correspondence and some trial outlines from his trial in 1986. The small remainder of the collection includes meeting notes, his private correspondence ranging from the early sixties to the mid-nineties, and details of the film rights for his story.
Included in Series VIII: Miscellaneous is a license plate from El Salvador, and a short typed story of unknown origin.
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