The Spaceviewer Vol 1 No 10

Magazine Overview

Title: THE SPACEVIEWER
Issue: Vol. 1, No. 10
Date: April, 1959
Publisher: U.F.O. Study Club, Kansas City, Mo.
Editor: Dwight Bockman

This issue of The Spaceviewer, published by the U.F.O. Study Club of Kansas City, Missouri, in April 1959, focuses on upcoming lectures, changes in club services, and several personal accounts of UFO sightings.

Authority to Give Two Lectures

The lead article announces that Dr. George Munt Williamson, an anthropologist, lecturer, author, explorer, and world traveler, will present two lectures on Sunday, April 12th, at Drexel Hall in Kansas City. The afternoon lecture, at 2:30 PM, is titled "THE LOST WORLD AND THE UFOs," and the evening lecture, at 7:30 PM, is "UFO WORLD REPORT." Both lectures are to be illustrated with colored slides. Dr. Williamson's background includes service with the Army Air Corps during World War II as Radio Director for the Army Air Forces Technical Training Command, for which he received the Army Commendation Award. He also served as an instructor in anthropology for the United States Armed Forces Institute. His academic background includes studies at Cornell College, Eastern New Mexico University, the University of Arizona, and a special course at the University of Denver, with a major in anthropology focusing on the northern United States, Mexico, and Canada. He is noted as an authority on Indian dances, music, and ceremonial costuming, and is listed in "Who's Who In America" and "American Men of Science." He is currently the head of the Department of Anthropology at Great Western University in San Francisco, California, and director of the Andean-Amazonian Field Station in Peru. Dr. Williamson is also the author of several books, including "The Hopi and Zuni Indians," "The Saucers Speak," "Other Tongues, Other Flesh," "Secret Places of the Lion," and "Road in the Sky." The donation for each lecture is $1.00, or $1.50 for both. Juniors are admitted for 50 cents.

Charles Bennett to New Post

Charles Bennett, who has been responsible for making the club's tape recordings, has been appointed Southwest Director of Tape Recorded UFO Information Service. This organization, originated by Dr. A. G. Dittmar of Au Sables Fork, New York, distributes recorded material to UFO enthusiasts. Bennett will cover roughly the southeast quarter of the United States. A notice regarding a change in tape copying policy indicates that due to increased recording expenses and a lack of voluntary support, a nominal fee will now be charged for copying club lectures and other recordings (excluding TRUFO tapes). The new rates are: 50 cents per reel for those furnishing their own tape (1,200' or 1,800'); $2.00 for 1,200' reels and $2.50 for 1,800' reels on low-priced tape, including service and purchasing expenses; and $2.50 for 1,200' reels and $3.75 for 1,800' reels on standard brands of recording tape, plus a 50 cent copying fee. Exceptions can be made for those experiencing hardship.

Liebetrau Letters

This section features two letters detailing UFO sightings.

Letter from Mrs. Liebetrau (February 24, 1959)

Mrs. Liebetrau writes to "Bucky" (presumably Bucky Walders of KMBC) about an unusual spectacle she witnessed on Monday evening, April 12th, at 7:00 PM. She initially hesitated to report it due to being a housewife with little knowledge of such matters. However, she was surprised to hear on the radio that a similar, very large green and beautifully bright object had been seen in Chicago, Wisconsin, and Michigan eleven hours later. This object was described as the largest meteorite ever sighted. Mrs. Liebetrau notes that the object was traveling northwest when she saw it, while Chicago is to the northeast, questioning how it took eleven hours to travel such a short distance. She emphasizes that the object did not appear like a typical meteorite, describing its movement as slow and deliberate like a "giant green lantern" rather than flashing. She asks for information about the proper behavior of meteorites to explain the "antics of this particular one."

Letter from Jane Liebetrau (March 23, 1959)

Jane Liebetrau writes to Lou and Dwight Bockman about a sighting on Wednesday evening, March 18th. She went out for a "sky watch" and observed an object that looked like a satellite but was traveling in the opposite direction. She described it as a quiet, starlight object moving slowly in a nice straight path at an even speed. The object ducked behind trees and then silently sailed northwest until almost out of sight. She became frantic to see more of it, realizing it was not a shooting star or a plane. The object then began to veer north and northeast in a huge circle around her house, ending up almost where it was first noticed, before heading southwest and disappearing. She concludes by urging everyone to "Look up."

Local Sightings by Mr. Erie

Mr. L. W. Erie writes to Mr. Wheeler about a sighting on Sunday, March 8, 1959, at approximately 8:20 PM, while driving north on S. 55th Street in Kansas City. He and his wife noticed a light off to the left and high in the sky, blinking red and white, which appeared stationary. As they continued driving north and then turned across the bridge and river towards Muncie, Kansas, the light remained stationary. He stopped in front of the Lake Park Drive-In Theater to confirm its stationary nature. Continuing on, he kept the light in sight until reaching 72nd Street, where he stopped on a hill. At this point, the light suddenly streaked across the sky for about a mile or mile and a half, then stopped and became stationary again. After about two minutes, he lost sight of it due to hills. He continued on to 78th Street but never sighted the light again. Mr. Erie states he does not know what it was but believes it could not have been a plane due to its speed, sudden stop, hover, and rapid disappearance. He notes that visibility was good.

Halsey Team Provided New Facet

This brief report mentions a lecture given by Dr. Wallace C. Halsey on March 8th, which was well-attended. It states that while others have provided facts of contacts, Dr. Halsey offered "space philosophy" and a "vital message" for understanding what people are supposed to do. Dr. Halsey was accompanied by his wife, Tarna, and Mr. Ray Barnes, editor of Searchlighter, the publication of Christ Brotherhood, Inc. Dr. Halsey is the president of Christ Brotherhood, Inc. The trio departed for other missions, leaving behind a "warm friendship of brotherhood."

Boonville Sighting

On the evening of April 17, 1958, an object was sighted over Boonville, Missouri. Mrs. Riepe, post supervisor of the Sky Watch team and Ground Observer Corps, along with several of her sky watchers, observed the object. Miss Peggy Leathers called Mrs. Riepe around 6:50 PM. Mrs. Riepe watched the object through binoculars for about twenty minutes. Initially, the object appeared as a huge star with a white fluorescent color and resembled a child's top. It was very high and seemed completely still, but upon aligning it with something on the ground, a slight drift was noticeable. The object had a bright band around it, and some observers saw a dark spot within the band that seemed to rotate. After several minutes of remaining almost still, it suddenly turned fiery red and moved away at a fast rate of speed. Other witnesses included Peggy Leathers, Bill Davis, Bobby Frazier, Roger Land, and Floyd Hansett, all described as teen-age observers.

Myself

A short poem titled "In the Sacred Silence" by Florence Maltby is included:

Sometime quite unaware
We chance upon a stranger--
We find our real self there!

Membership Dues

Effective April 12th, membership dues will increase to $2.00 for adults and $1 for juniors. Membership cards will be valid through June 1960. New members joining at this time will receive an additional two months of benefits.

Special Meeting

A special meeting is scheduled for during the intermission of the afternoon lecture on April 12th. The purpose is to elect a nominating committee, which will select nominees for the executive board to be voted on at the annual meeting in June.

Ken Priest to Head Tape Library

Mr. Ken Priest has been appointed Tape Recording Librarian. He will establish a tape library that will include club lectures, local sightings, TRUFO recordings, and other available materials. Tapes will be lent in a manner similar to the book library. Contributions for the library are accepted. Further information can be obtained by contacting Ken at CL4-5178 or writing to 3001 Norton, Independence, Missouri.

Harris Sighting

Mr. and Mrs. Dick Harris reported a sighting from the previous summer when returning to Kansas City from an outing. They had come through Norborne, Missouri, and were driving toward Hardin. On a straight stretch of road, approximately nine miles long, Mr. Harris noticed a light following them, about 150 to 250 yards back. After a few miles, he asked Mrs. Harris to look back. She initially thought the car's rear window might be distorting the light, but upon leaning out, the object immediately moved back about a mile or two. They were amazed. The object then came back up close again. Mrs. Harris lit a cigarette, and as soon as she struck the match, the object moved back another mile or so, further puzzling them. As they approached Hardin, the first car they met was coming toward them, and the object was rising out of their vision through the rear window. They stopped the car, got out, and watched the object gain speed and ascend at a terrific speed, angling up across the town of Hardin and out of sight. Mr. and Mrs. Harris are both printers and have been with the Kansas City Times for many years.

Return to:

Information is provided for returning mail to Paul M. Wheeler, President of the UFO Study Club, at 1117 West Truman Road, Independence, Mo.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue of The Spaceviewer are UFO sightings, personal accounts of unexplained aerial phenomena, and the activities of the UFO Study Club. The editorial stance appears to be one of open inquiry and documentation of such events, providing a platform for members and witnesses to share their experiences. The club actively promotes lectures and maintains a tape library, indicating a commitment to educating and informing its members about UFO phenomena. The inclusion of personal letters and detailed sighting reports suggests a focus on firsthand accounts and the investigation of these phenomena from a scientific and anthropological perspective, as exemplified by Dr. Williamson's lectures.