Episode 146: Aliens or Bust | Orville Enoch Hodge and the 1947 Flying Disc Craze

00:00:00
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01:05:41

October 26th, 2022

1 hr 5 mins 41 secs

Season 3

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About this Episode

Tina and Hillary cover Auditor of Public Accounts Oliver Enoch Hodge and the 1947 flying disc craze.

Tina’s Story
Orville Hodge served as Illinois Auditor of Public Accounts after winning election in 1952. But when he lined his pockets instead of balancing the books, it cost him big time.

Hillary’s Story
When pilot Kenneth Arnold witnessed what he described as high speed flying discs. BUT little did he know that his sighting would spark a flying disc craze that still intrigues UFO enthusiasts today.

Sources
Tina's Story
Chicagoist
The Chicagoist Flashback: The Demise Of Orville Hodge--by Samantha Abernathy

Chicago Tribune
ORVILLE HODGE, AUDITOR WHO ROBBED STATE

Downfall Dictionary
Orville E. Hodge: high flying lifestyle--by Dirk Langeveld

NPR Illinois Public Radio
Illinois Issues: Comptroller, Treasurer - The Story Of How One Office Became Two--by Sam Dunklau

State Journal Register
Flashback Springfield: July 22, 1956--by Rich Saal

Time
ILLINOIS: Hodge Dislodged

Photos
Orville Enoch Hodge--via NPR Illinois Public Radio
Orville Hodge getting fingerprinted--by Chicagoist via Downfall Dictionary

Hillary's Story
Sources
Britannica
Roswell incident

CBS News
Recently uncovered 1947 headline from long-defunct newspaper offers "amazing glimpse" at UFO incident in Roswell

FBI Vault
Roswell UFO

History
What Really Happened at Roswell?--by Adam Janos

National Catholic Register
Nuns Reveal Hidden Truth About Roswell ‘UFO Crash’--by KV Turley

NPR WLRN
The Truth Is (Still) Out There In 'UFO Capital' Roswell, New Mexico--by Kirk Siegler and Liz Baker

Smithsonian Magazine
In 1947, A High-Altitude Balloon Crash Landed in Roswell. The Aliens Never Left--by Donovan Webster

The Washington Post
75 years ago, Roswell 'flying saucer' report sparked UFO obsession--by Dave Kindy

Wikipedia
1947 flying disc craze
Kenneth Arnold UFO sighting
Roswell Incident

Wired
July 8, 1947: Roswell Incident Launches UFO Controversy--by John C Abell

Photos
Pilot Kenneth Arnold--from Associated Press file photo via East Oregonian
Flying Discs over Tulsa--by Enio Gilmore from Tulsa Daily World via Wikipedia
Front Page of Paper--from the July 5, 1947 Florence Times via Muscle Shoals
Roswell Crash Article--from Corsicana Daily Sun via History

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