Rocket PoweR, InteRstellaR tRavel and eteRnal lIfe

These are questions in the writer’s mind; also in the
minds of many Elmirans, I feel certain.
As before stated, the number who had the “dream”
was limited to few men. Dr. Goddard was one; Max
Valier (Germany) another and one or two from
Smithsonian and Dan and Floyd Hungerford,
Elmira.
Yes, I wonder what Doctor Goddard would say,
what Max Valier would say and your home town
man, what does he say?
ENDNOTES
188 Daniel D. Hungerford to H. Steven Sekella, January 12, 1967.
189 Sekella to author by telephone, November 3, 2008.
190 A similar photograph appeared in the Sunday Telegram for
March 8, 1970.
191 Unidentified 1936 newspaper clip.
192 Soon after Hopkins and Hungerford married, Robert
Hopkins himself married and by 1920 resided as a sign
painter in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania. Robert Hopkins
returned to Elmira and operated the Hopkins Sign Company.
193 Shirley H. Hyde to Geoffrey Stein, September 9, 1992.
194 Quoted in an unidentified newspaper clip from 1936.
195 Cliff R. Towner to Geoffrey N. Stein, November 22, 1994.
196 Vol. 11 no. 12, May 17, 1958. “Aber als der Segelflieger Jack
Omera, der mit dem Raketenflugzeug starten sollte, toedlich
verunglueckte, liessen die Brueder Hungerford ihren Plan
fallen.”
197 Daniel D. Hungerford to Alton V. Sliter, editor and publisher
of the Troy Record, August 13, 1964.
198 Frank H. Winter to Geoffrey N. Stein, July 16, 1979. Syracuse,
site of the State Fair, was one of the venues Keith Martin
noted as a Hungerford rocket car demonstration.
199 November 25, 1957.
200 Hungerford noted on the newspaper clip that “missile” is
more accurate than “rocket” here. The article dates from
November 25, 1957.
201 George Mapes told the author by telephone on September 29,
2008 that the Pontiac was a gift to the Hungerfords from
Mapes’ uncle, Rolla Dickson. Earlier Mapes had borrowed
the car from his uncle for dates since he rode a motorcycle.
Later, with Hungerford ownership, the car was not in good
shape Mapes recalls. The vehicle was shifted from first to
third gears since second did not work.
202 Sekella by telephone to the author, November 3, 2008.
203 Daniel D. Hungerford to Keith Marvin, May 18, 1964.
204 Daniel D. Hungerford to Alton V. Sliter, August 13, 1964.
205 Spajic, Restored Cars, Number 140, May-June 2000, p. 16.
206 The letter refers to “my late brother, Floyd S. Hungerford”,
who had died December 19, 1963.
207 Sekella in telephone conversation with the author, November
3, 2008.
208 Daniel D. Hungerford to “Ed & Helen”, August 26, 1966. A
photocopy of a handwritten letter dated November 24, 1964,
asks for a response to his letter of October 17, 1964, in which
he, apparently, requested funding. The November letter has
no inside address, but a notation of a copy to Congressman
Howard W. Robinson suggests the main recipient was a government
agency. Hungerford wrote, “We built our model
some 30 years ago now I need the work.” On October 2, 1966,
Hungerford wrote to Sekella that the amount requested from
N.A.S.A. was $150,000.00.
209 Daniel D. Hungerford to Edward R. Redding, December 16,
1964. Only a partial photocopy of Hungerford’s letter was
available to the author.
210 Mellor A. Gill to Daniel D. Hungerford, September 19, 1966.
211 The letter, signed “Daniel D. & Floyd S. Hungerford by D. D.
H.”, is dated October 27, 1966. For information about
osteomyelitis see author Steven Schmitt in The Merck Manuals
Online Medical Library (February 2008).
212 Daniel D. Hungerford to “Ed & Helen”, August 26, 1966.
213 Daniel D. Hungerford to “Ed & Helen”, August 26, 1966
214 October 2, 1966. The inside address for Sekella, who was stationed
with the army in Germany, was “Some where in
Germany or on the European Continent” In November 2008,
Sekella wrote the author, “I believe the electro-magnetic
model was with Dan on E 3 rd St.”
215 Daniel D. Hungerford to Mechanics Illustrated, September 30,
1966. Hungerford’s handwriting makes recognition of some
of his words difficult.
216 Daniel D. Hungerford to H. Steve Sekella, January 12, 1967.
In a postscript, Hungerford noted that he hadn’t seen Pete
(Oakley) since Sekella went to Europe. Perhaps Hungerford
had in mind the “self-moving wheel” project.
217 H. Steven Sekella to Daniel D. Hungerford, no date (probably
early 1965).
218 Much of the content of this solicitation document appears to
be based on a hand-written “Our Philosophy of Life” dated
by Daniel Hungerford May 23, 1962. That statement begins,
“Based upon the fact we are here for no reason of our own
…why not make the best of it? And recognizing the destiny
of man as involving the conquest of space – occupation of the
stars – and the attainment of eternal life – on this side of the
grave – let us – strive – together…” A copy of the
“Philosophy” was made available to the author by Linda
Lathrop.
Chapter Seven: To the Stars by “Electronic-Magnetic Space Drive” 57