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Nininger Moment #28
A Brief History About The Man
Harvey Nininger Meteorite Hunter
Apply your mind to at least one problem which has never been solved,
which in general is considered impossible of solution, but which,
being solved would benefit humanity. Do with your life something
that has never been done, but which you feel needs doing.
From the time of Peter Pallas, Ernst Chladni, Edward Howard and Jean
Baptiste Biot only a few meteorite finds and falls ever went
noticed. In the 130 years after the acceptance of meteorites the
only meteorites that were found were the ones from witnessed falls
or that were obvious finds. Falls had to practically land in the
laps of scientists before any notice of such events were cataloged.
Often geologists would say meteorites are related to the field of
astronomy and astronomers would say that they should be in the
science of geology. Neither side would claim the science. A man with
an idea of how to effectively find meteorites would soon show the
rest of the world how it is done and begin the science of
meteorites.
Harvey Nininger a biology professor from McPherson College in Kansas
who also taught Geology, would witness an event that would set the
stage for the rest of his life. On November 9th, 1923 he witnessed
with others a brilliant fireball and wondered if a meteorite had
fallen like he had read in literature of that time. He began a long
road to educate himself on meteorites. There was very little in the
way of information about meteorites in that time. Nininger found a
copy of of Farrington's "Catalog of Meteorites of North America"
which would further inspire him to hunt.
Nininger realized from 1803 to his present time that only about
fifty falls or finds had been recorded or about one in two years. He
felt that if some sort of program to instruct people who worked on
farms and ranches were made that more meteorite specimens would
become known. By going out hunting and telling people how to find
meteorites, then giving rewards for any finds, Nininger had found
several meteorites by using this approach. He concluded correctly
that meteorites were more plentiful than thought.
In 1928 Nininger outlined his idea of a field program for locating
and preserving meteorites to Dr. Merrill of the Smithsonian.
Suggesting that such a program would provide meteorites for the
great museum. Nininger spoke at great length to Merrill but was told
that if such a program were funded well, that it would take the rest
of Nininger's life to find a single specimen. Nininger told him that
he didn't know how but he would proceed some way with his program
and the next time he saw him, he would have a new meteorite to sell
to him. Merrill amusing laughed and they shook hands. The next time
they met, Nininger had two specimens to sell him and both were
bought!
Because Harvey Nininger couldn't convince the main stream scientific
community in the United States to invest in his idea of finding
meteorites, he figured out a way to generate a program on his own.
One of the ways he paid for his program was to sell a number of his
finds and to make trades with museums. He generated his own
collection (the largest private collection in the world) as well as
a selling collection to pay for his efforts.
Nininger's program was this, talk to locals about meteorites and how
to find them, pass out leaflets that told the same. Show actual
specimens to people he had with him. Give lectures on meteorites at
high schools, colleges and other places of assembly of people. Offer
rewards by buying specimens for any specimens found. He would always
go back to the areas a few months later to see if anyone had found a
new specimen. He also talked to many farm houses, ranches and anyone who would listen to his fascinating topic of
meteorites.
In a 35 year time span, Nininger brought to light over 226
previously unknown falls, that added up to over 2,000 individual
meteorites during this time frame of hunting. No doubt that many
other new falls were found as an indirect result of his program to
other institutions, collectors and scientists. A Dr. Flecter Watson
of Harvard once wrote in his book " Between The Planets" Published
in 1941 that Nininger was accounting for half of all the discoveries
in the world at that time. In 1937 thirty one new discoveries were
tabulated to have been found due to Nininger's efforts. More than
three times the amount found in any three years previous for the
entire world. Nininger figured he had published over 150 different
papers, four books and two booklets and passed out over 200,000 free
leaflets in his effort to bring about new meteorite finds and
information.
Harvey Nininger is considered the father of American Meteorites.
Harvey Nininger and his wife Addie started what is now the
Meteortical Society. Nininger's gifted and entertaining ability to
get ordinary people interested in finding meteorites brought about
many new finds and falls.
--AL Mitterling
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