Wernher von Braun (PhD)

Dr. Wernher von Braun, a German engineer, began his rocketry career at age 12, strapping six rockets to a small wagon. After "ignition", the experiment performed beyond his wildest dreams, for which he was taken into custody by the police. So began his career in rocketry. As World War II drew to a close, Von Braun surrendered to the Americans, along with 1,600 other German scientists as part of Operation Paperclip. However, amidst the tumult of war, von Braun had developed associations with the "dark side" of Germany, becoming a member of the SS and Nazi Party. He also spearheaded development of the V2 rocket known as the "vengeance weapon", causing widespread destruction and havoc in allied cities. After the war, von Braun redirected his focus, helping the first men walk on the moon. Despite the shadows cast by his work during the war, von Braun became a Christian in 1966: "The vast mysteries of the universe should only confirm our belief in the certainty of its Creator. I find it as difficult to understand a scientist who does not acknowledge the presence of a superior rationality behind the existence of the universe as it is to comprehend a theologian who would deny the advances of science."