1930s

Marshall is also home to Jim the Wonder Dog. Jim earned his reputation as a ‘wonder dog’ during the 1930s, puzzling psychologists from both Washington University, St. Louis and University of Missouri in Columbia. Dr. A. J. Durant, director of the School of Veterinary Medicine, tested Jim’s abilities in a public demonstration. He concluded that Jim, “possessed an occult power that might never come again to a dog in many generations.” Jim seemed to have the ability to guess the sex of an unborn baby and answer to orders in many different languages even though his owner, Sam Van Arsdale, spoke only English. Jim the Wonder Dog picked the winner of the Kentucky Derby seven years in a row, and also predicted the Yankees’ victory in the 1936 World Series. A joint session of the Missouri Legislature was called in order to witness the talents of Jim. He died March 18, 1937.