Early life and education
Nowell was born in Salt Lake City, Utah. When he was four years old, his parents divorced and he and his mother moved to Southern California. That same year (1948), his mother married Robert Williamson King and she had Claude's name legally changed to Claude Rex King. When he was young, Claude was given the nickname "Corky" which was how he was known to friends and family. Up until 1959, Nowell lived in Monrovia, California. Then his family moved to Tustin, California, where he graduated from Tustin High School in 1962. He went on to attendCareer
Founding of Summum
In 1975, Nowell founded Summum following an experience he describes as an encounter with highly intelligent beings. The purpose of Summum is to share with others the information he received from his encounter and to provide an environment for those on a path of spiritual development. In 1980, Nowell legally changed his name to Summum Bonum Amon Ra as a representation of his spiritual path.Pyramid and winery
In 1978, Nowell began construction of a pyramid that would be used as a winery to produce SummumModern mummification
Through Summum, Nowell re-introduced mummification in a modernized form and at one point was a licensed funeral director in the state of California. Nowell has been referred to as "the father of modern mummification," and the mummification services offered by Summum have received attention in international publications. The process begins with the body's submersion in fluids for 77 days and is complex, requiring about 1,000 hours of labor over six months. Those wishing to be mummified write a "spiritual will" outlining where they hope their soul will go in the next lifetime, to be read to their body at least once a day during its 77 days of submersion. The first human to undergo the mummification process was Nowell himself, who died in January 2008. His body is encased inside a bronze mummiform (casket) that is covered in gold and stands inside the group's pyramid.Summum philosophy and litigation
In his publications, Nowell, writing under the pseudonym Summum Bonum Amen Ra, outlines principles upon which the Summum philosophy is based. Summum has requested that monuments displaying these principles, known as the "Seven Aphorisms", be placed next to Ten Commandments monuments in city parks. In one case, when the city of Duchesne, Utah, rejected the request, Summum filed a lawsuit on the basis of freedom of speech and discrimination. The city opted to relocate its monument rather than allowing Summum to erect its monument, rendering the lawsuit moot and leading to its dismissal. Another lawsuit, ''Personal life
Nowell was a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He had two children. Upon Nowell's death in 2008, he became the first human to be mummified usingReferences
General references
* * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Nowell, Claude 1944 births 2008 deaths American religious leaders Brigham Young University alumni University of Utah alumni Founders of new religious movements Clergy from Salt Lake City Spiritual teachers Latter Day Saints from Utah