Harley Rutledge

Harley D. Rutledge
Born(1926-01-10)January 10, 1926
Omaha, Nebraska
DiedJune 5, 2006(2006-06-05) (aged 80)
Cape Girardeau, Missouri
Academic background
EducationUniversity of Missouri
Academic work
InstitutionsSoutheast Missouri State University

Harley D. Rutledge (January 10, 1926 – June 5, 2006) was an American physics professor and ufologist.[1] He earned his doctorate in solid state physics from the University of Missouri and served for nearly two decades as chair of the physics department at Southeast Missouri State University. In the 1970s he gained national attention for directing Project Identification, a long-term field investigation into reports of unidentified aerial phenomena in Missouri. Reported as the first sustained scientific study of such phenomena, the project used trained observers and technical instruments to record hundreds of hours of skywatching, with Rutledge publishing his results in the 1981 book Project Identification: The first Scientific Study of UFO Phenomena. Although he became known publicly as a UFO expert and frequently appeared in media interviews, Rutledge emphasized that many sightings could be explained as natural or man-made phenomena and rejected speculation about extraterrestrial origins.

Life and career

Harley D. Rutledge was born in 1926 to Earl and Irene Hoagland Rutledge, in Omaha, Nebraska.[2] The Daily Nonpareil identified Rutledge as a native of southwest Iowa.[3] Rutledge attended high school in Red Oak, Henderson, Macedonia and Wales-Lincoln, Iowa.[3] He served in the United States Army from March 16, 1944 to May 3, 1946.[2] Rutledge married Ruth Lootens in 1954 at Taos, Missouri.[2][4] He and his wife had five children, including Mark.[4] Rutledge was a softball pitcher and bridge player.[4]

Rutledge first joined the physics department at Southeast Missouri State University in 1963.[5] In 1966[6], Rutledge completed his Ph.D. in solid state physics at the University of Missouri. He subsequently took the position of professor and chairman of the physics department at Southeast.[7][6][4] Rutledge was chairman of the Southeast physics department for 18 years as of 1988.[5][3] He retired from teaching in 1992.[5]

He served as president of the Missouri Academy of Science, Mathematics and Computing.[8][6] Rutledge was a longtime member of the Southeast Missouri Astronomy Club.[4]

Rutledge died on Monday, June 5, 2006 at the Missouri Veterans Home aged 80.[5]

UFO Research

The Nonpareil and other newspapers identified Rutledge on the matter of UFOs as "an expert, appearing on numerous television and radio interviews and delivering papers to scientific bodies around the world".[9][3] Challenged to explain sightings of unidentified lights and luminous phenomena in the sky around Piedmont, Missouri, Rutledge decided to subject these reports to scientific analysis.[4] He put together a team of observers with college training in the physical sciences, including a large array of equipment: RF spectrum analyzers, Questar telescopes, low-high frequency audio detectors, electromagnetic frequency analyzer, cameras, and a galvanometer to measure variations in the Earth's gravitational field.[4] Oxford University invited Rutledge to present his UFO findings.[7]

Of the UFO situation in Piedmont, Rutledge was quoted in 1977 by the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: "I didn't like the way the Piedmonters were being treated by the media, and I was disturbed that some of the people there were truly frightened."[4] Rutledge framed his initial interest as humanitarian; he identified to the Nonpareil that he was motivated by how frightened retirees were at a rest home, and that women began arming themselves[10] due to strange theories spread by "pseudo scientists" at the time.[3] The St. Joseph News-Press indicated that Rutledge began the affair as a skeptic.[10] Rutledge was described as only caring what "his data says".[10]

The resulting Project identification commenced in April 1973, logging several hundred hours of observation time.[10][8][6] The Kansas City Times and other contemporary reporting stated that Rutledge applied scientific scrutiny and standards to his studies of UFOs.[7][8] This was the first UFO scientific field study, able to monitor the phenomena in real-time, enabling Rutledge to calculate the objects' actual speed, course, position, distance, and size.[8] With Drake Kambitch, a pilot and physics major at Southeast, and then other members in a growing team of researchers, they began searching for locations every weekend from the air and researching the area.[4] Rutledge said he first saw a UFO himself on May 11, 1973, in a Cessna airplane with others during their investigations.[6] Rutledge reported to the Times that he approached the project as a skeptic, but became convinced of the need for scientific research on the matter.[8] Rutledge's research team received some financial grants to support their studies, including $2000 from the St. Louis Globe-Democrat.[8]

At Southeast, Rutledge taught a course in identified objects in the sky.[11] According to Rutledge, many UFOs can be explained as normal aircraft or atmospheric conditions.[8] As of 1977, Rutledge reported seeing more than 140 UFOs.[4] As of 1988, Rutledge reported a total of 163 sightings.[3] Rutledge reportedly discounted the likelihood of certain UFOs being "hoaxes", on the grounds that only a government could afford the related expenses.[8]

Rutledge was notably uncomfortable in his UFO-related role.[4] Rutledge reported having become depressed for several weeks when he first observed a UFO.[3] Rutledge believed he would be "ridiculed" and "ostracized" by colleagues as a result.[10] Rutledge, according to the Enterprise-Courier of Missouri, believed the term "UFO" carried "connotations of sensationalism".[6] Rutledge was noted for refusing to accept a UFO sighting as completely valid unless he observed it himself.[11] Rutledge was adamant he did not advocate or believe in things such as the Extraterrestrial UFO hypothesis.[10] "I don't have the facts to prove that," he said, "Once I am known as an extraterrestrial believer, I will have to defend that for the rest of my life."[10] According to the Daily American Republic in 2011, Mark Rutledge, his son, stated that his father never shared a conclusion of his theories to him before his death.[7] "He wouldn't answer that question," his son said, adding, "Scientists are not going to draw conclusions on things data won't support."[7]

Books

  • Project Identification: The first Scientific Study of UFO Phenomena. Prentice-Hall 1981 ISBN 0-13-730713-6 by Harley D. Rutledge, Ph.D.

Research Papers

  • Project Identification: Thirteen Years and One-Hundred and Sixty Sightings Later, Harley D. Rutledge, Ph.D. (presented at the 1986 MUFON symposium).

References

  1. ^ "Did you know that Piedmont is the UFO capital of Missouri?". FOX 2. 2023-09-30. Retrieved 2023-12-06.
  2. ^ a b c "Dr. Harley Rutledge". Southeast Missourian. 2006-06-07. Archived from the original on 2025-09-10.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g Wilmarth, Winnie (1988-08-15). "Man studies UFO mysteries". The Daily Nonpareil.
  4. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Creighton, Jim (1977-12-04). "Dedicated Watcher Of Sky Mysteries". St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
  5. ^ a b c d Greaney, TJ (2006-06-06). "Area UFO expert Dr. Harley Rutledge, 80, dies". Southeast Missourian. Archived from the original on 2025-09-10.
  6. ^ a b c d e f "Professor describes lights in sky as 'miracles of physical science'". Enterprise-Courier. 1979-01-21.
  7. ^ a b c d e Farley, Donna (2011-06-19). "UFO revival news interest in bizarre sightings". Daily American Republic. p. 2.
  8. ^ a b c d e f g h Brimble, Phlllip S. (1973-12-08). "UFO Sightings Make Missouri Professor a Believer". Kansas City Times.
  9. ^ "UFOs Are Still Out There Says Dr. Harley Rutledge". Wayne County Journal-Banner.
  10. ^ a b c d e f g Jakovac, Lou (1981-07-22). "Scientist says he's seen UFOs 158 times". St. Joseph News-Press.
  11. ^ a b Rossi, Frank (1979-01-21). "UFO observers". Columbia Daily Tribune.
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