-
https://humanities.gbcnv.edu/omeka/files/original/c2dd2dbc63d64d50c4cf3c45716ed60c.pdf
4053307bf6729da5017f9528b81455d9
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
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Moon Rock: Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970
Subject
The topic of the resource
Howard Hickson's experiences in transporting a moon rock from NASA for display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum.
Description
An account of the resource
Howard Hickson's experiences in transporting a moon rock from NASA for display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in 1970. The story relates the problems NASA encountered in implementing a touring exhibit of the lunar materials.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Howard Hickson
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Howard Hickson's Histories archive: <a title="Link to Moon Rock Story in original archive" href="http://www.gbcnv.edu/howh/MoonRock.html" target="_blank">http://www.gbcnv.edu/howh/MoonRock.html</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
GBC Virtual Humanities Center
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007
Contributor
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Scott A. Gavorsky [VHC]
Rights
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© Copyright 2007 by Howard Hickson
Format
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pdf file; 4 pages
Language
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English
PDF Text
Text
Howard Hickson’s Histories
Moon Rock
Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko – 1970
When NASA released several lunar samples for exhibition around the nation, the
Nevada State Museum in Carson City applied. NASA doesn't ship their moon rocks
so Pete Herlan, Curator of Biology, flew to Washington, D.C. to pick up one for
display.
At that time, the rocks traveled in a black box. Pete was on board, sitting with the case
on his lap. This was more than thirty years before 9/11 but airlines were always alert
for unusual situations. A flight attendant stopped at Pete's seat and asked him what he
had in the box.
Pete replied, "A moon rock."
Flight attendants are usually calm when dealing with difficult passengers. She said,
"Sir, I'm serious. What do you have in the case?"
Pete replied, "I'm serious, too. I have a moon rock."
Thinking she had a real nut case on her hands, the attendant headed for the cockpit
and came back with the flight engineer who asked him the same question.
Pete then explained fully before they decided to throw him off the plane. He opened
the case and pulled out the lunar sample in its sealed container.
�Howard Hickson’s Histories – “Moon Rock: Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970”
A year or so later, I applied for one to display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in
Elko. I contacted NASA and received permission from one of their officials. His
business card was enclosed. On it, with his name, phone number and address was his
title, NLSTESO. Curious, I called him and asked what it meant.
He told me, "National Lunar Sample Traveling Exhibition Scheduling Officer." It
was, most certainly, too long a title for a small business card.
Procedures had changed since Pete's trip. I called all the airlines I traveled on and told
them I would be carrying a lunar sample with me on the return trip. I picked up a large
plastic case that contained the Plexiglas exhibit case, lighting, and labeling. The rock
was in a bright blue case. Printed on the outside was: "Critical Space Material,
NASA." That should have taken care of all potential problems, but it didn't.
Just before takeoff, a flight attendant came by and asked to see the moon rock. She
said she had never seen one. I opened the box and removed the small triangular case. I
held it up so she could get a good look.
She suddenly grabbed it and started up the aisle to show it to everyone on the plane. I
was speechless. One of the provisions of the contract said I had to personally carry it
and not to let it out of my sight. About five nervous minutes later, she brought it back
and thanked me. Big sigh of relief.
We, the rock and I, made it to San Francisco where they told me that they could get
me to Reno but not to Elko. A severe snowstorm was the reason. In Reno, I was
informed that no planes were going east, not even charters.
I had to get the moon rock to the museum by 7:00 p.m. Invitations had been sent for a
lunar sample celebration. After frantically calling around town, I found the only
Page 2 of 4
�Howard Hickson’s Histories – “Moon Rock: Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970”
transportation available was by Greyhound Bus and the next one to Elko was to leave
at 6:00 p.m. Well, the rock wasn't going to make it on time for the party. I called the
museum, thinking the event would be cancelled. It wasn't. Plans had been made,
champagne was ordered, the celebration would go on - without the lunar sample and
without me.
Dead tired by now, I knew I'd fall asleep so I put the case on the bus depot floor and
put both feet on the case. Before I dozed off, a derelict stopped and asked me what I
had in the box. I told him I didn't know, I was just a courier.
Finally, dejected, tired and grinding my teeth, off we went in a snowstorm across
northern Nevada. It was probably the slowest trip the moon rock had ever made.
In Elko, a big party was going on in the museum. Dr. Tom Gallagher, a board
member, with tongue-in-cheek, brought a stone from his house and set it on a display
stand.
When I arrived in Elko in the wee hours of the morning, I took the sample home just
to be on the safe side.
The moon rock took the place of the garden stone the next day. The display materials,
left in San Francisco, didn't arrive for two days. Finally, though, the lunar sample was
installed in its case.
I overheard a small boy say to his mother, "Why doesn't it go beep, beep, beep?"
Another woman, my mother-in-law Ruby, commented, "Looks just like some of the
rocks I have in my backyard." The moon rock exhibited at the museum resembled
very fine grained gray pumice.
Page 3 of 4
�Howard Hickson’s Histories – “Moon Rock: Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970”
Several thousand people saw the exhibit during the few weeks it was in the museum
in Elko, a big event for a small community.
All too soon it was time to take the sample back to Washington. Remembering the trip
to escort the moon rock and its exhibit case to the Northeastern Nevada Museum, I
wasn't enthused about taking it back. Dr. Tom and Irene Hood, members of the
museum board of directors, volunteered their daughter, Vickie, to do the chore. Good
choice, she has my eternal gratitude for making the trip - without incident.
Sources: Author's personal experience and recent note from Vickie Hood Console, Topeka, Kansas.
© Copyright 2007 by Howard Hickson
Archived and Presented by the
Page 4 of 4
�
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Howard Hickson Histories
Subject
The topic of the resource
Stories of northeastern Nevada history authored by Howard Hickson.
Description
An account of the resource
Howard Hickson's Histories are true stories about Northeastern Nevada's colorful past, written with wry humor and keen insight into the sometimes comic, sometimes tragic, sometimes downright eerie lives of cowboys, miners, and gamblers, villains and saints and men and women of both extremes, who've inhabited or passed through the region. The collection is a cultural treasure that Great Basin College is privileged to make available to the world via the Internet. New stories are added as Howard sees fit.
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Howard Hickson
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Web site of Howard Hickson's Histories. http://www.gbcnv.edu/hickson/index.html
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
Great Basin College
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
07/08/2014
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Great Basin College
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
c.2014 Howard Hickson
Relation
A related resource
Web site of Howard Hickson's Histories. http://www.gbcnv.edu/hickson/index.html
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
Content can be PDF or HTML documents.
Language
A language of the resource
English
Type
The nature or genre of the resource
Stories of northeastern Nevada history authored by Howard Hickson.
Coverage
The spatial or temporal topic of the resource, the spatial applicability of the resource, or the jurisdiction under which the resource is relevant
Elko, Nevada, northeastern Nevada, history, articles, Great Basin
Website
A resource comprising of a web page or web pages and all related assets ( such as images, sound and video files, etc. ).
Text
Any textual data included in the document
<table width="450" border="" cellpadding="10" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="left"><center><span style="font-size: medium;">H</span><span style="font-size: small;">OWARD</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> H</span><span style="font-size: small;">ICKSON'S</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> H</span><span style="font-size: small;">ISTORIES</span> <br />[<a href="index.html">Index</a>]</center><hr width="100%" /><center><span style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moon Rock</span></span> <br /> <em>Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970</em></center>
<p>When NASA released several lunar samples for exhibition around the nation, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City applied. NASA doesn't ship their moon rocks so Pete Herlan, Curator of Biology, flew to Washington, D.C. to pick up one for display.</p>
<p>At that time, the rocks traveled in a black box. Pete was on board, sitting with the case on his lap. This was more than thirty years before 9/11 but airlines were always alert for unusual situations. A flight attendant stopped at Pete's seat and asked him what he had in the box.</p>
<p>Pete replied, "A moon rock."</p>
<p>Flight attendants are usually calm when dealing with difficult passengers. She said, "Sir, I'm serious. What do you have in the case?"</p>
<p>Pete replied, "I'm serious, too. I have a moon rock."</p>
<p>Thinking she had a real nut case on her hands, the attendant headed for the cockpit and came back with the flight engineer who asked him the same question.</p>
<p>Pete then explained fully before they decided to throw him off the plane. He opened the case and pulled out the lunar sample in its sealed container. </p>
<p>A year or so later, I applied for one to display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko. I contacted NASA and received permission from one of their officials. His business card was enclosed. On it, with his name, phone number and address was his title, NLSTESO. Curious, I called him and asked what it meant.</p>
<p>He told me, "National Lunar Sample Traveling Exhibition Scheduling Officer." It was, most certainly, too long a title for a small business card.</p>
<p>Procedures had changed since Pete's trip. I called all the airlines I traveled on and told them I would be carrying a lunar sample with me on the return trip. I picked up a large plastic case that contained the Plexiglas exhibit case, lighting, and labeling. The rock was in a bright blue case. Printed on the outside was: "Critical Space Material, NASA." That should have taken care of all potential problems, but it didn't.</p>
<p>Just before takeoff, a flight attendant came by and asked to see the moon rock. She said she had never seen one. I opened the box and removed the small triangular case. I held it up so she could get a good look.</p>
<p>She suddenly grabbed it and started up the aisle to show it to everyone on the plane. I was speechless. One of the provisions of the contract said I had to personally carry it and not to let it out of my sight. About five nervous minutes later, she brought it back and thanked me. Big sigh of relief.</p>
<p>We, the rock and I, made it to San Francisco where they told me that they could get me to Reno but not to Elko. A severe snowstorm was the reason. In Reno, I was informed that no planes were going east, not even charters. </p>
<p>I had to get the moon rock to the museum by 7:00 p.m. Invitations had been sent for a lunar sample celebration. After frantically calling around town, I found the only transportation available was by Greyhound Bus and the next one to Elko was to leave at 6:00 p.m. Well, the rock wasn't going to make it on time for the party. I called the museum, thinking the event would be cancelled. It wasn't. Plans had been made, champagne was ordered, the celebration would go on - without the lunar sample and without me. </p>
<p>Dead tired by now, I knew I'd fall asleep so I put the case on the bus depot floor and put both feet on the case. Before I dozed off, a derelict stopped and asked me what I had in the box. I told him I didn't know, I was just a courier.</p>
<p>Finally, dejected, tired and grinding my teeth, off we went in a snowstorm across northern Nevada. It was probably the slowest trip the moon rock had ever made.</p>
<p>In Elko, a big party was going on in the museum. Dr. Tom Gallagher, a board member, with tongue-in-cheek, brought a stone from his house and set it on a display stand. </p>
<p>When I arrived in Elko in the wee hours of the morning, I took the sample home just to be on the safe side.</p>
<p>The moon rock took the place of the garden stone the next day. The display materials, left in San Francisco, didn't arrive for two days. Finally, though, the lunar sample was installed in its case.</p>
<p>I overheard a small boy say to his mother, "Why doesn't it go beep, beep, beep?" </p>
<p>Another woman, my mother-in-law Ruby, commented, "Looks just like some of the rocks I have in my backyard." The moon rock exhibited at the museum resembled very fine grained gray pumice.</p>
<p>Several thousand people saw the exhibit during the few weeks it was in the museum in Elko, a big event for a small community.</p>
<p>All too soon it was time to take the sample back to Washington. Remembering the trip to escort the moon rock and its exhibit case to the Northeastern Nevada Museum, I wasn't enthused about taking it back. Dr. Tom and Irene Hood, members of the museum board of directors, volunteered their daughter, Vickie, to do the chore. Good choice, She has my eternal gratitude for making the trip - without incident.</p>
<p><span>Sources: Author's personal experience and recent note from Vickie Hood Console, Topeka, Kansas.</span></p>
<p><span>© Copyright 2007 by Howard Hickson</span></p>
<center>
<p>[<a href="index.html">Back to Hickson's Histories Index</a>]</p>
</center></td>
</tr>
<tr>
<td align="left"> </td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
Local URL
The URL of the local directory containing all assets of the website
Moon Rock <center>
<table width="600" cellpadding="10" border="" bgcolor="#FFFFFF">
<tbody>
<tr>
<td align="left"><center><span style="font-size: medium;">H</span><span style="font-size: small;">OWARD</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> H</span><span style="font-size: small;">ICKSON'S</span><span style="font-size: medium;"> H</span><span style="font-size: small;">ISTORIES</span></center><hr width="100%" /><center><span style="color: #000066;"><span style="font-size: medium;">Moon Rock</span></span> <br /> <em>Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970</em><br /> </center>
<p>When NASA released several lunar samples for exhibition around the nation, the Nevada State Museum in Carson City applied. NASA doesn't ship their moon rocks so Pete Herlan, Curator of Biology, flew to Washington, D.C. to pick up one for display.</p>
<p>At that time, the rocks traveled in a black box. Pete was on board, sitting with the case on his lap. This was more than thirty years before 9/11 but airlines were always alert for unusual situations. A flight attendant stopped at Pete's seat and asked him what he had in the box.</p>
<p>Pete replied, "A moon rock."</p>
<p>Flight attendants are usually calm when dealing with difficult passengers. She said, "Sir, I'm serious. What do you have in the case?"</p>
<p>Pete replied, "I'm serious, too. I have a moon rock."</p>
<p>Thinking she had a real nut case on her hands, the attendant headed for the cockpit and came back with the flight engineer who asked him the same question.</p>
<p>Pete then explained fully before they decided to throw him off the plane. He opened the case and pulled out the lunar sample in its sealed container. </p>
<p>A year or so later, I applied for one to display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in Elko. I contacted NASA and received permission from one of their officials. His business card was enclosed. On it, with his name, phone number and address was his title, NLSTESO. Curious, I called him and asked what it meant.</p>
<p>He told me, "National Lunar Sample Traveling Exhibition Scheduling Officer." It was, most certainly, too long a title for a small business card.</p>
<p>Procedures had changed since Pete's trip. I called all the airlines I traveled on and told them I would be carrying a lunar sample with me on the return trip. I picked up a large plastic case that contained the Plexiglas exhibit case, lighting, and labeling. The rock was in a bright blue case. Printed on the outside was: "Critical Space Material, NASA." That should have taken care of all potential problems, but it didn't.</p>
<p>Just before takeoff, a flight attendant came by and asked to see the moon rock. She said she had never seen one. I opened the box and removed the small triangular case. I held it up so she could get a good look.</p>
<p>She suddenly grabbed it and started up the aisle to show it to everyone on the plane. I was speechless. One of the provisions of the contract said I had to personally carry it and not to let it out of my sight. About five nervous minutes later, she brought it back and thanked me. Big sigh of relief.</p>
<p>We, the rock and I, made it to San Francisco where they told me that they could get me to Reno but not to Elko. A severe snowstorm was the reason. In Reno, I was informed that no planes were going east, not even charters. </p>
<p>I had to get the moon rock to the museum by 7:00 p.m. Invitations had been sent for a lunar sample celebration. After frantically calling around town, I found the only transportation available was by Greyhound Bus and the next one to Elko was to leave at 6:00 p.m. Well, the rock wasn't going to make it on time for the party. I called the museum, thinking the event would be cancelled. It wasn't. Plans had been made, champagne was ordered, the celebration would go on - without the lunar sample and without me. </p>
<p>Dead tired by now, I knew I'd fall asleep so I put the case on the bus depot floor and put both feet on the case. Before I dozed off, a derelict stopped and asked me what I had in the box. I told him I didn't know, I was just a courier.</p>
<p>Finally, dejected, tired and grinding my teeth, off we went in a snowstorm across northern Nevada. It was probably the slowest trip the moon rock had ever made.</p>
<p>In Elko, a big party was going on in the museum. Dr. Tom Gallagher, a board member, with tongue-in-cheek, brought a stone from his house and set it on a display stand. </p>
<p>When I arrived in Elko in the wee hours of the morning, I took the sample home just to be on the safe side.</p>
<p>The moon rock took the place of the garden stone the next day. The display materials, left in San Francisco, didn't arrive for two days. Finally, though, the lunar sample was installed in its case.</p>
<p>I overheard a small boy say to his mother, "Why doesn't it go beep, beep, beep?" </p>
<p>Another woman, my mother-in-law Ruby, commented, "Looks just like some of the rocks I have in my backyard." The moon rock exhibited at the museum resembled very fine grained gray pumice.</p>
<p>Several thousand people saw the exhibit during the few weeks it was in the museum in Elko, a big event for a small community.</p>
<p>All too soon it was time to take the sample back to Washington. Remembering the trip to escort the moon rock and its exhibit case to the Northeastern Nevada Museum, I wasn't enthused about taking it back. Dr. Tom and Irene Hood, members of the museum board of directors, volunteered their daughter, Vickie, to do the chore. Good choice, She has my eternal gratitude for making the trip - without incident.</p>
<p><span>Sources: Author's personal experience and recent note from Vickie Hood Console, Topeka, Kansas.</span></p>
<p><span>© Copyright 2007 by Howard Hickson</span></p>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>
</center>
Dublin Core
The Dublin Core metadata element set is common to all Omeka records, including items, files, and collections. For more information see, http://dublincore.org/documents/dces/.
Title
A name given to the resource
Moon Rock: Northeastern Nevada Museum, Elko - 1970
Creator
An entity primarily responsible for making the resource
Howard Hickson
Source
A related resource from which the described resource is derived
Howard Hickson's Histories archive: <a title="Link to Moon Rock story in original archive" href="http://www.gbcnv.edu/howh/MoonRock.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">http://www.gbcnv.edu/howh/MoonRock.html</a>
Publisher
An entity responsible for making the resource available
GBC Virtual Humanities Center
Date
A point or period of time associated with an event in the lifecycle of the resource
2007
Contributor
An entity responsible for making contributions to the resource
Scott A. Gavorsky [VHC]
Rights
Information about rights held in and over the resource
© Copyright 2007 by Howard Hickson. Used with permission of author.
http://humanities.gbcnv.edu/omeka/items/show/103 [admin access only]
Format
The file format, physical medium, or dimensions of the resource
html coding (4.01)
Language
A language of the resource
English
Subject
The topic of the resource
Howard Hickson's experiences in transporting a moon rock from NASA for display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum.
Description
An account of the resource
Howard Hickson's experiences in transporting a moon rock from NASA for display at the Northeastern Nevada Museum in 1970. The story relates the problems NASA encountered in implementing a touring exhibit of the lunar materials.
<p><a href="/omeka/files/original/c2dd2dbc63d64d50c4cf3c45716ed60c.pdf">Read Article [pdf file]</a><br /> <a href="http://www.gbcnv.edu/howh/MoonRock.html" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Read original webpage [archive website]</a></p>
1970s
Community
Crossroads
HHH
NASA
Northeastern Nevada Museum
Story