In 1923, a brilliant fireball changed the course of H. H. Nininger’s life. Nininger, a biology professor at McPherson College in Kansas, became fascinated by meteorites and embarked on a lifelong pursuit of these elusive “stones from the sky.” His remarkable journey helped transform the scientific study of meteorites—and became the story told in In Search of Falling Stars.
About the Book
In Search of Falling Stars restores the story H. H. Nininger originally intended to tell, drawing on his original manuscripts and other material omitted from his 1972 autobiography, Find a Falling Star.
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About H. H. Nininger
Harvey Harlow Nininger (1887–1986) was a pioneering American meteorite hunter, educator, and self-taught meteoriticist whose work helped advance the scientific study of meteorites. Originally trained as a biologist, he devoted more than half a century to locating, collecting, studying, and educating the public about meteorites.
Nininger traveled extensively in search of meteorites, assembled what became the largest personal meteorite collection of its time, and, with his wife Addie, established the American Meteorite Museum in Arizona. He wrote more than 140 scientific papers on meteorites and 10 books during his career.
In 1958, Nininger sold a significant portion of his meteorite collection to the British Museum. Two years later, Arizona State University acquired the remainder, an acquisition that led to the establishment of its Center for Meteorite studies. His meteorites continue to support scientific research and education today.
Read In Search of Falling Stars
The book that chronicles the discoveries, adventures, setbacks, and persistence that shaped H. H. Nininger’s remarkable career.