| Harold L. (Hal) Mansfield, Ph.D. | |
| 7366 North County Road 27, Loveland, CO 80538 | |
| Phone: 970.667.3878 | E-mail: hal.mansfield3@gmail.com |
Roy Platte Craig was born on May 10, 1924 on the Florida Mesa. He was the son of Philip Craig and Anna Schaeferhoff Craig. Both parents were from pioneer La Plata County farming and ranching families. After a childhood filled with the adventures common for boys in his circumstances and after graduating from Durango High School, he attended Fort Lewis College at the Old Campus at Hesperus. His college career was interrupted by service in the military during World War II.
After his discharge from the service, he attended what was then Colorado A & M College and, later, the University of Colorado, where he finished his undergraduate work. He then attended the California Institute of Technology for his Master of Science degree and Iowa State University where he received his Ph.D. in physical chemistry.
His professional career included a stint at Rocky Flats. During this time, he was engaged in the development of nuclear weapons. Later, he joined the natural science faculty at the University of Colorado. While there, he was chosen by Edward Condon to serve as Chief Field Investigator for The Colorado Project (a.k.a.: The Condon Project), the official government search for scientific, verifiable evidence for the existence of Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs).
The purpose of the study was to determine if the huge number of alleged UFO sightings meant that spacecrafts from alien planets were visiting the Earth or if the sightings were of advanced military craft from our own planet. No scientific evidence was found for the existence of alien spacecraft or for advanced earthbound technology.
He wrote and edited parts of the official report. Years later, he wrote about many of his experiences doing UFO report investigations. His book, "UFOs: An Insider's View of the Official Quest for Evidence" was published in 1995 by the University of North Texas Press. His collected papers and other material were placed at Texas A&M University. The UFO controversy continues. Those who believe that the UFOs are evidence that aliens are visiting earth believe that the United States government is and has been, at least since 1947, engaged in a massive cover-up.
Roy took early retirement and returned to the family property on Florida Mesa. While there, he participated in the establishment of the Four Corners Research Institute (FOCERI). FOCERI's purpose was to offer environmental and other scientific investigation services to private and governmental entities. The institute flourished on a modest basis for a number of years. It was housed in the West Building in office space provided by Charles Butler, a local geologist.
Among the many studies that FOCERI completed were a series of contamination measurements at nuclear waste disposal sites in the Four Corners area, power line placement studies for Colorado Ute Electric, and water quality studies in streams throughout this area. Some of the nuclear studies were done in contracts with Ranchers Development Corporation of Albuquerque and its president, Maxie Anderson. Anderson later gained world fame with his efforts to circumnavigate the world in a hot air balloon and died in a ballooning accident in Germany.
Roy saw, fell in love with, and purchased La Boca Ranch on the Colorado/New Mexico
border, south of Ignacio. The old adobe ranch house was, at one time, a station
on the narrow gauge route from Durango to Antonito. In addition, there is a historic
schoolhouse on the property, which has been converted into a residence. Another
of the features of the ranch is a line of stately cottonwood trees, some of which
are the largest in Colorado.
A friend gave Roy a llama soon after Roy bought La Boca Ranch. This seemingly unimportant event led to one of Roy's major interests. From that one llama and a few subsequent purchases by Roy, a herd of over 60 llamas developed. Breeding, raising, caring for, and showing llamas became one of Roy's principle activities.
Roy taught some of the llamas to pull a small cart. He also taught George, his Airedale friend and companion, to "drive" the cart. Roy would dress in a costume, somewhat reminiscent of those worn by the natives of Bolivia, and march in area parades with George perched on the cart with the reins between his paws. This resulted in at least one "Best of the Parade" award.
Roy's sale of two of his llamas to Jake and Terry Hershey, of Houston, Texas and Pagosa Springs, Colorado, resulted in a friendship with Jake until Jake's death three years ago and a continued friendship with Terry. Terry was instrumental in putting Roy in touch with the University of North Texas Press at Denton, Texas, which eventually published Roy's UFO accounts.
Chess was another of Roy's hobbies. For twenty years, or more, he and Chet Anderson played nearly every Tuesday night. His interest in and mastery of chess remained strong. They played their last games one week before Roy died. They also skied together when Chet was the General Manager of the Purgatory Ski resort (now Durango Mountain Resort) north of Durango.
Land use issues were another of Roy's passions. For a number of years, he was involved in this area's Landowner Association. He fought against governmental control of and interference with private ownership of land and against zoning and other governmental means of depriving owners of their land, their rights with regard to property, and, especially, issues related to land as, sometimes, the only "wealth" that landowners have.
Roy's public criticism, including his letters to the Durango Herald editor, of the La Plata County planning process in the late 1970s and early 1980s made him the object of a lawsuit filed by Phillips, Brandt, and Reddick, a firm hired by the La Plata County to do its planning, and The Durango Herald Corporation. Roy studied the law for several months, acted as his own attorney, and won the case. Although he then could have filed a counter-suit, he determined not to do so, feeling that his victory over legal experts in the slander suit was vindication enough.
Solar energy was another of Roy's long-term interests. He was a founding member of the San Juan Solar Energy Society, a local solar advocacy group and of SUN San Juan, a local solar consulting group. He and Hal Mansfield organized both. They arranged and conducted meetings and workshop(s), published a solar newsletter for two years, and otherwise promoted conservation and renewable energy. For a time, the San Juan Solar Energy Society was one of the largest and most active local groups in the world. He constructed a greenhouse on the schoolhouse building at the ranch.
For many years, Roy was a member of an informal, local discussion group. Members of the group included: Chet and Ruth Shields, Helen Nossaman, Chet and Beverly Anderson, Wally and Billy Adams, Glen and Phyllis Phillips, Warren and Myrtle Nord, and John and Barbara Waters, among others. The group met to discuss subjects both enlightening and controversial, usually with a potluck dinner as a feature of the evening.
Roy was a friend, neighbor, and long-time supporter of United States Senator Ben Nighthorse Campbell, beginning with Ben's first venture into politics. That was when Ben ran for the Colorado House of Representatives and was a substantial underdog.
Roy frequently wrote letters to the editor of The Durango Herald. His letters were among the "most read" and, sometimes, among the most controversial. From his deathbed, he dictated a letter to his sister, Carolyn, objecting to the recent firing of Sheri Rochford by FLC's Acting President, Bob Dolphin. Roy worked closely with Sheri, through the years, on a number of FLC alumni projects.
Throughout his life and, especially, since his retirement, Roy traveled frequently and broadly. His travels took him around the world. Through a Purgatory Timeshare, he visited Mexico, the Caribbean, and other places, often several times a year. One of his most intriguing trips was a visit to Ponape, an island in the South Pacific, where he did some educational consulting. Ponape is famous for its pepper. Roy brought back a supply that, with characteristic generosity, he shared with family and friends.
While Roy was characterized by one of his cousins as the "intellectual of the family," he is not the only member of the Craig family with creative success. His cousin, Philip Craig of Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts is a noted mystery writer and long-time college professor. His cousin, Gayle Voss Button, is receiving increasing accolades for her paintings. His cousin, Howard Craig, does artwork that is notably creative. Howard's son, Rod Craig, has won numerous awards for his paintings and for his sculptures. Roy's nephew, Troy Craig, displayed artistic talent prior to his early death. His sister Dorothy's interests including gardening and cooking; his sister Caroline's interests included gardening, the Girls Scouts, and birding. Both sisters excel in their pursuits.
In 2001, Roy's biography was included in A. M. Marquis's "Who's Who in the World," a listing of leading scientists.
A number of Roy's ancestors homesteaded and otherwise acquired extensive land holdings in La Plata County. Farming and ranching continue to be important activities for the Craig families. Roy's brother, Bill, was a farmer, rancher, and outfitter, prior to his death. Bill's son, Philip, farms, ranches, and writes a column for The Durango Herald. Roy's other brother, Perry, operated a dairy farm on parts of the historic Craig property and also raised exotic birds, prior to his death. Perry's son, Joel, continues the family's farming/ranching tradition.
A little over a year ago, Roy was diagnosed with cancer. Over the past year, the cancer spread and intensified, bringing with it great pain and suffering. It was cancer that claimed his life at 6:00 a. m., March 18, 2004.
Recently, Roy established La Boca Ranch as a Conservation Trust. Prior to his purchase of the ranch, it had been formally subdivided. After he bought the ranch, he reversed the subdivision filing and returned it to its ranch status. The purpose of the trust will be to keep the ranch as a working ranch and to also see that it is used, in perpetuity, for educational purposes and research. It is listed as a historic site.
At 6' 6" and 220 (or so) pounds, Roy Craig was an unusually tall and large man. His intellect was even greater. And his heart was grander still. He was dedicated to his extended family, to his friends, to his students, and to the principles he lived by. His was a varied, complex life that exemplified some of the best and most humane values.
A confirmed, lifelong bachelor, Roy was preceded in death by brothers, Bill and Perry. He is survived by his sisters, Dorothy Voss McCormick of Durango and Caroline Shryock of Kirtland, New Mexico; sisters-in-law, Joyce and Helen; nieces, Billy Jean Craig, Gayle Voss Button, and La Rae Dell Craig; nephews, Marvin Voss, Jr., Philip, Timothy, Matthew and Joel Craig; cousins, Kenneth Craig, Howard Craig, and Martha Walker, of Durango, and Philip Craig of Martha's Vineyard, Mass.; and many, many other relatives and friends.