Page Four - CROSSROADS - August, 1977
Wernher von Braun
Knowing science and religion
INSietiT
Editor’s Note: “Crossroads” asked Fr. Bradley to
discuss in his Insight column his reflections on the late
Wernher von Braun.
Some years ago in Washington, D. C., I was working on
two interesting publishing projects. One was the
preparation of a 10-volume set of books which aimed at
presenting Catholic teaching in the light of the Second
Vatican Council. For this project I recruited some 200
scholars in Europe and in the United States. The
completed work was titled The Catholic Layman’s
Library, published by Good Will Publishers, Inc., of
Gastonia, North Carolina. The other project was the
compilation of a book of some 20,000 quotations titled
TTie International Dictionary of Thoughts, which was
published by J. G. Ferguson Publishing Company, of
Chicago, a subsidiary of Doubleday in New York. Both
were large and challenging projects, and the fact that
they were eventually completed after seven years’ work
was due in large measure to the help of a small but
competent staff.
One of the most rewarding experiences of this work
was the opportunity it afforded me of meeting and
working with many able and interesting people here and
in Europe. Indirectly, and to me also surprisingly, it
was the occasion for my meeting with and getting to
know the late Dr. Wernher von Braun. This came about
through a mutual good friend. Dr. Carsbie Adams, who
arranged for me to meet with von Braun and some of his
friends. Dr. Adams, who is incidentally an honorary
alumnus of the College, had written a number of books,
one of which he had co-authored with Dr. vonBraun, and
he was also very interested in the U. S. space project. I
looked forward to such a meeting, for, like everyone
else, I was fascinated with the space program and Dr.
von Braun was, of course, at that time at the very center
of it. We met in Dr. Adams’ home and two other
associates of Dr. von Braun, who worked with him in the
space program. Dr. Fred Ordway and Dr. Fred Singer,
joined us for what turned out to be an informal and most
enjoyable evening.
I had expected to be regaled with first-hand ex
periences and inside information about the space
program, and though this did enter into our conversation
to some extent, it turned out that they really wanted to
talk to me because of my involvement in the 10-volume
theological project in which I was then engaged. All
three - Dr. von Braun, Dr. Ordway and Dr. Singer -
were very interested in religion; incidentally von Braun
was a Lutheran, Ordway is an Episcopalian, and Singer
is Jewish. Their religious interest, however, in their
talks with me did not deal with denominational af
filiations but focused on the existence of a transcendent
God. It certainly was a delightful experience for me to
find these three first-rate scientists so anxious to discuss
for many hours the notion of a Supreme Being, who could
only be reached by ways that were outside the normal
methodology of empirical science.
In this connection, I remember discussing one time
with Dr. von Braun the difficulties scientists must have
in talking about the existence of God, since we postulate
that God is a Being in no way empirically verifiable.
Von Braun looked at me and said, “We only know
electricity by its effects. And scientists accept the
existence of electricity, don’t they? That’s what I mean
when I talk about God; we know Him from His effects.”
Thanks to the good offices of Dr. Adams, I met with Dr.
von Braun, Dr. Ordway and Dr. Singer many times after
that first meeting. When I became President of the
College and moved here from Washington, Dr. Adams
and Dr. von Braun visited the College a number of times.
Dr. Ordway, who is now working in the Federal
Government energy program, and Dr. Singer, now a
professor of Physics at the University of Virginia, also
visited us here at the College over the years. During one
of these visits, when Dr. von Braun came to see me here
at the College, he agreed that if I could raise sufficient
funds to establish as an adjunct of the College an In
stitute of Science and Religion, he would gladly serve as
its Director. Unfortunately, the financial needs of the
College in the areas of our normal operation were such
then (as they still are alas) that I had to conclude that
whatever money could be raised should be applied to
these needs rather than to establishing an Institute of
Science and Religion, helpful as such an Institute would
be to the College. Nevertheless, Dr. von Braun con
tinued to visit the College from time to time, and on three
occasions spoke to large groups in Charlotte. I
remember asking him, before one of these talks, to in
clude in his speech what he had often told me in our
conversations, because hearing this from him would
have a great impact on his audience. What I asked him
to say publicly was this: “The more years I spend in
space science, the more am I convinced of a divine intent
throughout the universe.” He did so, and this, together
with the rest of his speech, did indeed greatly impress
his audience.
I found Dr. von Braun to be a fascinating man: good
company, full of humor, and enormously well versed in
fields well beyond his own discipline. His dedication to
space science has a message for so many people today
for whom money seems to be the ultimate criteria. For
many years he was paid about $30,0(X) a year by N.A.S.A.
All during that time he resisted the efforts of l^e firms
who wanted to hire him at more than $200,(XX) a year. He
eventually left N.A.S.A., his work a success, when he
was about sixty years old, to take a position with Fair-
child Industries so that he could make financial
provisions for his wife and his still young family. Those
of us who knew him are sad that he did not have more
time to enjoy his laurels, but this sadness is relieved by
the conviction that he now has the happiness of seeing
“face to face” that “divine intent throughout the
universe” which he spoke of so often while he was with
us here on earth. Belmont Abbey College is proud that
he prized the honorary doctorate he received from the
College in 1972, and we mourn his passing.
Thinking as I frequently do of men like von Braun,
Ordway, and Singer, I find myself returning again and
again to something that has intrigued me for many
years. So many first-rate scientific minds seem to have
little difficulty with belief in a Supreme Being. I am sure
I could compile a long list of them, but coming im
mediately to mind are Einstein, Whitehead, and, of
course, Wernher von Braun himself. I often think it’s a
pity that nowadays the young minds of students in
colleges and universities are exposed all too often to
lesser scientific minds ~ to instructors who tell students
faith in God is an indication of weak intellectual
equipment and a superstitious hold-over from medieval
times. It’s unfortunate that students and our society in
general all too seldom get the opportunity to hear the
viewpoints of the many first-rate scientists who find no
incompatibility between their belief in a Supreme Being
and their dedication to science.
AUMNI NEHS AUMNI
NEWS AUMNI news
’54 - It was good to see Father Kieran Neilson when he
came down from Richmond for the Theological Seminar
in June.
’59 - It was great to see Mike Santore, his wife Mildred
and daughters Lisa and Gina, when they visited the
Abbey on July 22, the first time in eighteen years! Mike
is a commercial artist and they live in Hicksville, New
York.
’60 - Father Justin Bain was down for the Theological
Seminar in June and it was good to see him. He is pastor
of St. John’s Catholic Church in Marion, Virginia.
Richard Kovacs stayed a few days with us the last of
July. We always enjoy his visits.
’62 - John Harrington is manager of Drug Fair in
Vienna, Virginia.
’65 ” Nancy and Tim Ford, . Nina and Ted
Bremekamp, Linda and Lenny Brown, and Jack
Hanahan, who visited some of the alumni in New Jersey
in July, had a wonderful shore dinner at the famous
Sweetwater Casino near Tuckerton in South Jersey on,
Wednesday evening, July 15, enjoying the food and chink
and reminiscing about the Abbey.
’66 - Alan Main stopped by for a short visit when he
was in the area in June. He and Joy live in Atlanta
where Alan is with Southern Bell.
’67 - Chuck Sullivan will be Poet-in-Residence for the
South Carolina Arts Commission during the next school
year and will be living in Rock Hill.
’68 - Ken Wilburn is working on his Ph.D. in History at
Oxford University, having received the Master’s from
the University of South Carolina. Does anyone know his
address? We need a current one for him.
Congratulations to Ed Tobiasson, who received the MBA
from Rutgers University on June 2. James Carpenter is
with Piedmont American Corp. of Gastonia. He and his
wife, Katherine, have two children, Kathy, age 4, and
Chris, bom May 18. They live in Bessemer City.
’70 - Congratulations to Don Falato, who received his
M.A. in Educational Administration from Glassboro-
State College on May 25 and has accepted a position as
principal of Lindenwold Elementary School No. 1 in New
Jersey. Thanks for sending this news, Trish, and for
your kind words that “Don’s success has merely been an
extension of the excellent educational foundation he
received at Belmont Abbey.” They live in Berlin, New
Jersey.
’72 ~ Congratulations to Ned Paul Carpenter, who
received the CPA in May.
’73 ~ Enjoyed the letter from Mark Schulte, who is a
dentist in the U.S. Navy stationed in Meridian, Miss. He
and his wife Virginia are expecting a baby in January.
Congratulations to Rickey McCarver, who received the
CPA in May.
’75 - Congratulations to Paul Brown, who received the
M.A. in History at Niagara University. His thesis was
“The CSCE Final Act: Reinstitution of the Congress
System?”
76 - Tom Gillespie has been elected to the Gaston
County Board of Elections and appointed to serve on the
Gaston County Democratic Executive Committee,
taking office on July 1. Since Tom has a B. A. in Political
Science, he is well prepared for this position. Glenn
Lahti has his own business in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida,
called Glenn’s Greenery.
’77 - Congratulations to Raymond Isley on the big
article about him in the “Gastonia Gazette.” Ray is with
the Highway Patrol and is doing an excellent job. He
represented Belmont Abbey College in Washington last
year at the Center for the Study of the Presidency. Peter
Voilkommer stopped by to say hello when he visited the
Abbey in July. He has been working with John
Harrington (’62) in Vienna, Virginia, but will be director
of religious education at St. Joseph’s Church in Capulan,
Colorado, beginning August 5. Congratulations to Brian
Rogers, who received the CPA in May.
IN MEMORIAM - George M. Howe, Class of 1935;
Robert C. Miscally, Class of 1936, Joseph W. Cowhig, Jr.,
Class of 1960, Wernher von Braun, Class of 1962 (LHD)