I knew Dick Hall through letters in the 1960s and 1970s. He was a ufologist (something, really, of a "ufo nerd," if you know what I mean, with
appreciation), although I experienced him as an open-minded Fortean, as well. Still others knew him more personally than I did, and I expect
tributes to be forthcoming from those in ufology, for Richard H. Hall was a pivotal historical character.
We've lost another one, and I'll introduce him to those who do not know the name as well that of John A. Keel, who died July 3rd.
Richard H. Hall was a leading ufologist and proponent of the extraterrestrial hypothesis to explain UFO sightings; he had also written numerous
books and articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War. On the morning of July 17, 2009, Richard Hall passed away due to
a long battle with cancer, according to ufologist Jerome Clark and anomalist Patrick Huyghe, who just informed me of this fact.
Hall was born on December 25, 1930 and held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Tulane University in New Orleans. He lived most of his life
in the Washington, D.C. area.
From 1958 to 1969 he worked for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), one of the most prominent and
influential UFO civilian research groups in American history. He began as executive secretary, and eventually became NICAP's assistant director.
In this role Hall was both an eyewitness and participant to much of the early history of the UFO phenomenon in the United States. Working
with NICAP director Donald Keyhoe, he helped lobby the United States Congress to hold public hearings and investigations into the UFO
phenomenon.
In 1964 Hall researched, edited, and wrote much of The UFO Evidence, a compendium of the best UFO sightings and incidents of the 1940's,
1950's, and early 1960's. A copy of The UFO Evidence was sent to every member of Congress in 1964, and the book is still regarded by many
UFO researchers and historians as one of the best UFO books ever published.
Following Keyhoe's ouster as NICAP director in 1969, Hall left NICAP to work as a technical writer and editor. He continued to work in the UFO
field. He served as the director of the Fund for UFO Research, which provides grant money to legitimate researchers working in UFO studies. He
also was the editor of the MUFON Journal, the official publication of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), the largest civilian UFO group in America
today.
In 2001 he wrote a sequel to The UFO Evidence; it covered major UFO incidents from the mid-1960's through the 1990's. He is also the chief
editor of the Journal of UFO History, which is published six times per year. He is a strong proponent of the theory that UFOs are
extraterrestrial spacecraft from an advanced alien civilization. Hall is an active member of the "UFO Updates" message board and website.
To supplement his income as a UFO researcher, Hall worked for many years as an abstractor-indexer for the Congressional Information Service
in Bethesda, Maryland. A member of the Authors Guild, Hall also published numerous books and magazine articles dealing with the role of
women in the American Civil War, and he maintained a strong interest in Civil War history through his life.
Well-known UFO researchers at November 1, 2008 Maryland conference L to R: Don Berliner, Fund for UFO Research chairman; David M.
Jacobs, history professor & abduction researcher; Richard Hall; Ted Bloecher, former NICAP staff member; Bruce Maccabee, Navy physicist &
photoanalyst; John Carlson, archeoastronomer & Fund for UFO Research board member.
The torch passes. John Keel, Dick Hall, and the days of sadness and passages are not finished.
...My condolences to the friends and families of Dick Hall and Lou Gentile.
appreciation), although I experienced him as an open-minded Fortean, as well. Still others knew him more personally than I did, and I expect
tributes to be forthcoming from those in ufology, for Richard H. Hall was a pivotal historical character.
We've lost another one, and I'll introduce him to those who do not know the name as well that of John A. Keel, who died July 3rd.
Richard H. Hall was a leading ufologist and proponent of the extraterrestrial hypothesis to explain UFO sightings; he had also written numerous
books and articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War. On the morning of July 17, 2009, Richard Hall passed away due to
a long battle with cancer, according to ufologist Jerome Clark and anomalist Patrick Huyghe, who just informed me of this fact.
Hall was born on December 25, 1930 and held a bachelor's degree in philosophy from Tulane University in New Orleans. He lived most of his life
in the Washington, D.C. area.
From 1958 to 1969 he worked for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP), one of the most prominent and
influential UFO civilian research groups in American history. He began as executive secretary, and eventually became NICAP's assistant director.
In this role Hall was both an eyewitness and participant to much of the early history of the UFO phenomenon in the United States. Working
with NICAP director Donald Keyhoe, he helped lobby the United States Congress to hold public hearings and investigations into the UFO
phenomenon.
In 1964 Hall researched, edited, and wrote much of The UFO Evidence, a compendium of the best UFO sightings and incidents of the 1940's,
1950's, and early 1960's. A copy of The UFO Evidence was sent to every member of Congress in 1964, and the book is still regarded by many
UFO researchers and historians as one of the best UFO books ever published.
Following Keyhoe's ouster as NICAP director in 1969, Hall left NICAP to work as a technical writer and editor. He continued to work in the UFO
field. He served as the director of the Fund for UFO Research, which provides grant money to legitimate researchers working in UFO studies. He
also was the editor of the MUFON Journal, the official publication of the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON), the largest civilian UFO group in America
today.
In 2001 he wrote a sequel to The UFO Evidence; it covered major UFO incidents from the mid-1960's through the 1990's. He is also the chief
editor of the Journal of UFO History, which is published six times per year. He is a strong proponent of the theory that UFOs are
extraterrestrial spacecraft from an advanced alien civilization. Hall is an active member of the "UFO Updates" message board and website.
To supplement his income as a UFO researcher, Hall worked for many years as an abstractor-indexer for the Congressional Information Service
in Bethesda, Maryland. A member of the Authors Guild, Hall also published numerous books and magazine articles dealing with the role of
women in the American Civil War, and he maintained a strong interest in Civil War history through his life.
Well-known UFO researchers at November 1, 2008 Maryland conference L to R: Don Berliner, Fund for UFO Research chairman; David M.
Jacobs, history professor & abduction researcher; Richard Hall; Ted Bloecher, former NICAP staff member; Bruce Maccabee, Navy physicist &
photoanalyst; John Carlson, archeoastronomer & Fund for UFO Research board member.
The torch passes. John Keel, Dick Hall, and the days of sadness and passages are not finished.
...My condolences to the friends and families of Dick Hall and Lou Gentile.
| RICHARD H. HALL December 25, 1930 - July 17, 2009 An Icon Leaves, But Remains Forever In Our Hearts |
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RICHARD HALL meant a lot to me. As a new journalist, and embarking on such a daunting project like JFS, Dick showed himself to be a true
gentleman, extending a helping hand when he was so needed. I had the pleasure of sharing the following excerpt from one of our emails that
seemed to impress him a little...
"I find myself remiss in telling you how important your book The UFO Evidence was for me. Not only did it give me valuable history, but
was also some exciting reading! We (my family) were in a bad car wreck where our vehicle rolled over and airbags deployed. My wife, son,
and granddaughter were all in the vehicle returning to Georgia from my mother-in-law's funeral in northern Arkansas, and were within 5
minutes of home when hit broadside. As everyone struggled to get out, me being the last, I managed to save my cell phone and my copy of
The UFO Evidence."
He had a unusual way of making the relatively novice Ufologist feel like anything is possible. I am saddened by our loss, and happy for the
Good Lord's gain.
gentleman, extending a helping hand when he was so needed. I had the pleasure of sharing the following excerpt from one of our emails that
seemed to impress him a little...
"I find myself remiss in telling you how important your book The UFO Evidence was for me. Not only did it give me valuable history, but
was also some exciting reading! We (my family) were in a bad car wreck where our vehicle rolled over and airbags deployed. My wife, son,
and granddaughter were all in the vehicle returning to Georgia from my mother-in-law's funeral in northern Arkansas, and were within 5
minutes of home when hit broadside. As everyone struggled to get out, me being the last, I managed to save my cell phone and my copy of
The UFO Evidence."
He had a unusual way of making the relatively novice Ufologist feel like anything is possible. I am saddened by our loss, and happy for the
Good Lord's gain.
| Copyright © 2009 JFS |
DICK HALL HAS DIED, LOU GENTILE TOO Too by Loren Coleman
Excerpt originally published on LOREN COLEMAN'S"Twilight Language" at copycateffect.blogspot.com/2009/07/717obits.html
Excerpt originally published on LOREN COLEMAN'S"Twilight Language" at copycateffect.blogspot.com/2009/07/717obits.html
A phone call to me this afternoon (July 17, 2009) from UFO researcher Dan Pinchas of Germantown, Md., brought news of the death of one of
ufology's giants: Richard H. Hall, 78, of Brentwood, Md.
For at least a year, I'd known that Dick had been recovering from colon-cancer surgery, but he counseled me not to spread that knowledge. By
e-mail several months ago, he'd told me he was doing okay. Now, I learn that he'd been undergoing chemotherapy. He apparently died in his
sleep this morning.
Seemingly right up to his last moments, Dick was pursuing his ufological calling, for it's been only several weeks since my receipt of the latest
issue of his bimonthly newsletter Journal of UFO History.
My association and friendship with this consummate scholar date back to November 1957, when I met him for the first time at the Washington,
D. C., headquarters of the now-defunct National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). There, as I sauntered into the front
Eventually, Dick became a role model for my own baby steps as a UFO researcher-activist. He not only wrote well and fluently; he also had a
keen hand at line drawing. Noted mostly for his seminal two-volume work The UFO Evidence, he also had edited the NICAP newsletter (The UFO
Investigator) and some of the organization's special reports. His two books on the subject matter (The Challenge of Unidentified Flying Objects
(with Prof. Charles A. Maney - 1961); and Uninvited Guests (1988)) remain collector's items.
His other major contributions to the field derived from his service on the board of directors for the Fund for UFO Research, Inc. At separate
periods, he also served as editor of the monthly journal of the Mutual UFO Network, Inc., and as a columnist for the monthly newsstand
periodical UFO Magazine. (See my essay about his career at this blog's Item 3.2.)
Besides his UFOlit products, Dick managed to publish a small handbook on raising house plants, plus an overview of the role of women in
America's civil war.
Dick Hall's commitment to serious UFO research and his high standard of personal achievement in the field began during his student days at
Tulane University, where he majored in philosophy. I take delight in possessing copies of his self-published newsletter from that early period -
the UFO Critical Bulletin. Critical thinking (and action), you see, became the hallmark of his scholarship. If anyone deserved an honorary
doctorate in ufology, it certainly was he.
I never could've asked for a better mentor, friend, and colleague in this field. Thank you, again, Sir Richard, for the enriching part you played in
this long journey of inquiry, networking, and enlightenment.
Note: At this writing, Dick's blog remains accessible at http://www.hallrichard.com .
ufology's giants: Richard H. Hall, 78, of Brentwood, Md.
For at least a year, I'd known that Dick had been recovering from colon-cancer surgery, but he counseled me not to spread that knowledge. By
e-mail several months ago, he'd told me he was doing okay. Now, I learn that he'd been undergoing chemotherapy. He apparently died in his
sleep this morning.
Seemingly right up to his last moments, Dick was pursuing his ufological calling, for it's been only several weeks since my receipt of the latest
issue of his bimonthly newsletter Journal of UFO History.
My association and friendship with this consummate scholar date back to November 1957, when I met him for the first time at the Washington,
D. C., headquarters of the now-defunct National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). There, as I sauntered into the front
Eventually, Dick became a role model for my own baby steps as a UFO researcher-activist. He not only wrote well and fluently; he also had a
keen hand at line drawing. Noted mostly for his seminal two-volume work The UFO Evidence, he also had edited the NICAP newsletter (The UFO
Investigator) and some of the organization's special reports. His two books on the subject matter (The Challenge of Unidentified Flying Objects
(with Prof. Charles A. Maney - 1961); and Uninvited Guests (1988)) remain collector's items.
His other major contributions to the field derived from his service on the board of directors for the Fund for UFO Research, Inc. At separate
periods, he also served as editor of the monthly journal of the Mutual UFO Network, Inc., and as a columnist for the monthly newsstand
periodical UFO Magazine. (See my essay about his career at this blog's Item 3.2.)
Besides his UFOlit products, Dick managed to publish a small handbook on raising house plants, plus an overview of the role of women in
America's civil war.
Dick Hall's commitment to serious UFO research and his high standard of personal achievement in the field began during his student days at
Tulane University, where he majored in philosophy. I take delight in possessing copies of his self-published newsletter from that early period -
the UFO Critical Bulletin. Critical thinking (and action), you see, became the hallmark of his scholarship. If anyone deserved an honorary
doctorate in ufology, it certainly was he.
I never could've asked for a better mentor, friend, and colleague in this field. Thank you, again, Sir Richard, for the enriching part you played in
this long journey of inquiry, networking, and enlightenment.
Note: At this writing, Dick's blog remains accessible at http://www.hallrichard.com .
A TRIBUTE TO RICHARD H. HALL (DEC. 25, 1930 - JULY 17, 2009) by Larry W. Bryant
Originally published on "Larry W. Bryant's UFOview" at ufoview.posterous.com/a-tribute-to-richard-h-hall-dec-25-1930-july
Originally published on "Larry W. Bryant's UFOview" at ufoview.posterous.com/a-tribute-to-richard-h-hall-dec-25-1930-july
It is with great sadness today that I report the passing of one of Ufology’s icons; Richard (Dick) Hall succumbed to Cancer this morning, he
was 78 years old.
Dick was born on December 25, 1930, in Hartford, Connecticut; in 1949, realizing that war was forthcoming, he spent two years with the newly
borne Air Force, followed by six years in the Air Force Reserve.
After his service he took odd jobs and moved around a bit, until landing at Tulane University, (New Orleans) in 1954. He initially majored in
mathematics and then switched to philosophy.
The hub-bub about Flying Saucers in the early 50's got Dick's attention, and he joined the then recently formed NICAP organization. He would
become life long friends with its Director, and another UFO icon, Donald E. Keyhoe.
In 1993 through 1998 Dick would serve as Chairman of the Fund for UFO Research; he was prolific writer, who authored a few books, some
which are considered hallmarks to Ufological research, e.g., UFO Evidence, The UFO Evidence, Volume II: A Thirty-year Report, Uninvited
Guests with his latest endeavor being The Journal of UFO History, a monthly periodical detailing the annals of Ufology.
I can say with great authority that many of us held Dick Hall in the highest esteem; his shoes cannot be filled, however, his life's contribution to
Ufology will be a permanent record, a fitting legacy for us all.
was 78 years old.
Dick was born on December 25, 1930, in Hartford, Connecticut; in 1949, realizing that war was forthcoming, he spent two years with the newly
borne Air Force, followed by six years in the Air Force Reserve.
After his service he took odd jobs and moved around a bit, until landing at Tulane University, (New Orleans) in 1954. He initially majored in
mathematics and then switched to philosophy.
The hub-bub about Flying Saucers in the early 50's got Dick's attention, and he joined the then recently formed NICAP organization. He would
become life long friends with its Director, and another UFO icon, Donald E. Keyhoe.
In 1993 through 1998 Dick would serve as Chairman of the Fund for UFO Research; he was prolific writer, who authored a few books, some
which are considered hallmarks to Ufological research, e.g., UFO Evidence, The UFO Evidence, Volume II: A Thirty-year Report, Uninvited
Guests with his latest endeavor being The Journal of UFO History, a monthly periodical detailing the annals of Ufology.
I can say with great authority that many of us held Dick Hall in the highest esteem; his shoes cannot be filled, however, his life's contribution to
Ufology will be a permanent record, a fitting legacy for us all.
VETERAN UFOLOGIST RICHARD HALL SUCCUMBS TO CANCER! by Frank Warren
Originally published on "The UFO Chronicles" at http://www.theufochronicles.com/2009/07/veteran-ufologist-richard-hall-succumbs.html
Originally published on "The UFO Chronicles" at http://www.theufochronicles.com/2009/07/veteran-ufologist-richard-hall-succumbs.html
