A magnificent, old time example of these rare uranium bearing species from the Congo!!! This specimen consists of an intensely colorful
combination of dark green vandenbrandeite, yellow soddyite, and bright green cuprosklodowskite!!! This specimen
retains an old Dr. Herman Bodson Collection label!!! A breif bio of Dr. Bodson follows below and, as you'll see, it is definitely worth a quick
read!!!
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Courtesy of The Mineralogical Record:
"Herman Bodson
(1912-2001)
Herman Bodson was born in Belgium on December 21, 1912, the son of Alida
and Fernand Bodson, an architect, and earned a Doctor of Science degree in
Physical Chemistry from the University of Brussells. He was also very close
to also acquiring a Master's Degree in Mineralogy (lacking only some lab hours).
When World War II came he was drafted into the Medical Corp, and soon entered the
Resistance. With his background in chemistry, Bodson became an expert in explosives
and sabotage, leading a group of fighters that blew up military trains and
installations (including a bridge whose destruction killed some 600 German soldiers),
cut German communication lines, and rescued downed American fliers. While on a mission
for Allied Intelligence he was among those who were trapped in Bastogne, where he cared
for wounded American soldiers during the Battle of the Bulge. He was awarded numerous
Belgian ribbons for participation in WWII, and in the European Resistance, including
the British Kings Medal for courage in the cause of freedom, and the US Medal of Freedom
for having saved the lives of 17 downed American fliers.
After the war Bodson founded and directed a stone quarry for a while, then returned
to Brussells where he worked for the Union Chimique Belge in the pharmaceutical
expansion department. In August of 1947 he met Catherine ("Tinca"), and she became
his wife in June of 1948-- they had three children together: daughters Claude and Claire
and son John.
In 1951 Herman and his family moved to the Belgian Congo (later Zaire) where Herman
served as "Directeur du Bureau Bia" at Elizabethville, in the mineral rich province of
Katanga. It was there that he became acquainted with the Belgian geologist and mineral
dealer Gilbert Gauthier (q.v.). Bodson purchased a collection of uranium minerals from
Gauthier around 1957-1958 (but didn't actually pay for them until 20 years later!).
In June 1960 the Belgian Congo achieved independence, and the following political
unrest forced the Bodsons to move to Rhodesia. In 1961 they emmigrated to America,
where they settled in Stow, Ohio. For the first two years Herman supported his family
as a mineral dealer (Intercontinental Minerals), but eventually he was forced by necessity
to find regular work, and took a teaching job, though he had never taught before. In 1963
he became a science teacher at Lake Erie College in Painesville, Ohio. There he taught
physics, geology and astronomy, and started a course (without a textbook) on Physical
Environment. He also taught Algebra and Economic Geography. He became a naturalized
citizen in 1966.
In September-October 1973 he advertised in the Mineralogical Record to sell his
personal collection of worldwide minerals, including 1,500 display specimens and
2,500 study-grade specimens, for a minimum offer of $8,000. Since the ad did not
repeat, it is likely that the collection sold promptly. William Pinch purchased the
Congo uranium minerals, and many of the other specimens were purchased by Ward's
Natural Science Establishment.
In June of 1978 Herman and his wife retired to Taos, New Mexico. He wrote an autobiographical
work, Agent for the Resistance: A Belgian Saboteur in World War II (2003), and also Downed
Allied Airmen and Evasion of Capture: The Role of Local Resistance Networks in World War II,
a work which is now required reading at the Air Force Academy. Bodson died in Taos on
December 28, 2001.
References:
American Men & Women of Science. A biographical directory (12th, 13th and 14th editions).
Taos News memorials: Herman Bodson (December 1, 1991).
KING, V. (2007) Personal communication."
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