“Missiles, Mischief, and Mayhem” with Dr. Gordon Patterson

SYNOPSIS
Dr. Gordon Patterson lectures on the story of Florida Institute of Technology.

Our Service Leader is Sara Howze.

SERMON DESCRIPTION
“Missiles, Mischief, and Mayhem: The Story of  Florida Institute of Technology” is an improbable one. In 1958, a young nuclear physicist named Jerry Keuper, drawn to Cape Canaveral by the space program, decided to launch a university.  Initially, Keuper and his confederates called their school Brevard Engineering College (BEC).  The first contribution to the school was 37 cents. Many thought the college would not succeed.  Fortunately, there were a few men and women who disagreed.  Werner von Braun was one.  He called the university “Countdown College.” Virgil “Gus” Grissom, one of the original Mercury Seven astronauts, was a cherished friend.  Florida Tech has made a tradition of confounding skeptics and realizing its dreams.  This presentation will trace the story of the sometimes brilliant and, to be frank, occasionally farcical escapades of the men and women who built a university and succeeded in making America a space-faring nation. 

PRESENTER BIO
Gordon Patterson is a history professor at Florida Tech, where he has taught since 1981.  Before coming to Florida Tech, he taught for seven years in the University of Maryland’s European Division. He holds two graduate degrees from UCLA and a B.S. from Northwestern University.  At Florida Tech, Patterson has received the Faculty Excellence Award for service; the Faculty Excellence Award for teaching; the Sustained Commitment to Student Life Award; and the Florida Tech Student Alumni Association for outstanding teaching. In May 2021, Florida Tech’s Student Government Association named him the College of Psychology and Liberal Arts Professor of the Year.   Patterson co-founded the Julius Montgomery Pioneer Award and was recently honored with the 2024 Harvey L. Riley Bridge-Builder Award for his efforts to document African American experience in Brevard County.  He is the author of multiple books.  Most recently, Missiles, Mischief, and Mayhem: The Secret History of Countdown College (2024), which is available both on Amazon and Barnes & Noble.