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OglethorpeUniversity:TimeCapsuleSecrets

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HudsonLetsTimeCapsuleSecretsOutoftheBottle

OurPresident

PaulHudsonwaslurkinginthebasementofHearstHall,flashlightinhand,whenhefirstdiscoveredtheCryptofCivilization.
Thesilverdoorshoneforamomentintherestrictedareaofthebuilding,andHudsonsoonforgotaboutitafterreturningback
tothelightofthecampus.

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Itwas1970andHudsonwasatthetimeastudent,withnocluethatthismetalboxtuckedawayoncampuswasoneday
goingtofiguresohighlyinhislife.NowRegistrarandLecturerinHistoryatOglethorpe,Hudsonhasbeenbittenbythetime
capsulebugandbalanceshisOUresponsibilitieswithhisdutyascofounderoftheInternationalTimeCapsuleSociety
(ITCS)headquarteredatOglethorpe.
"Igettwelvetofifteencallsadayrightnowconcerninginquiriesintotimecapsulesfromallaroundtheworld.TodayaloneI
wasonCanadianTVandradio,wascontactedbyacuratoratanAustrianmuseum,andacompanyinThailandhadsome
questionsaboutaproject,"saidHudson.
Whytheimmenseinterest?Well,it'sabouttimeforthemillennium,andpeopletheworldoveraretryingtomakeapermanent
markuponhistory,andtherearenobooksorcoursesthatyoucantakeonhowtomakethebesttimecapsule.There'sjust
PaulHudson.
Awriterandhistorian,Hudsonstudiedtimecapsulehistoryanddevelopmentbecauseofhisearlyinterestwiththeconcept
aftercomingacrosstheCryptofCivilizationlocatedatOglethorpe.AfterthatshadowybeginningtheNewYorkTimeshas
cometocallHudson"theforemostauthorityontimecapsules."
ItmakessensetohavetheITCSlocatedatOUduetothefacttheCryptofCivilization,sealedin1936byOglethorpe
PresidentThornwellJacobs,isfirmlyentrenchedoncampus.DescribedbyTheGuinnessBookofWorldRecordsas"thefirst
successfulattempttoburyarecordofthiscultureforanyfutureinhabitants...,"theCryptisn'ttobeopeneduntiltheyear8113
AD.
ButHudsonhasn'tjustfocusedonthepast.Heisclearlyexcitedaboutthehighprofiletimecapsulesarereceivingaswenear
themillennium.
Hudsonhasleapedfromsimplyanexperttosomethingofaworldauthorityrecently.InOctoberHudsonwillbespeakingat
theSmithsonianfortheirworkshop"TimeinaBottle:CreatingaTimeCapsuleProject."InNovember,Oglethorpewillalsobe
thelocationforthepremiereofTimeinaBottle,adocumentarybyCathleenO'ConnellforwhichPaulHudsonwasa
consultantandfeaturedinthefilmasanauthorityonthesubjectoftimecapsules.
Hudsondoesn'tseemtofearawaninginterestintimecapsulesoncethemillenniumcomesandgoes."Anyonewhohasever
buriedtreasureasakidisinterestedintimecapsules.They'realmostasAmericanasapplepie,andwehavethegranddaddy
ofthemallrighthere."
TheCryptofCivilizationisstilllocatedinthebasementofHearstHall,butnowflashlightsaren'tneededit'srightnexttothe
universitybookstoreandcanbevieweddaily.AplaqueclearlysignifiesthepurposeoftheCrypttoopenedin8113AD.The
contentsoftheCryptincludeover640,000pagesofmicrofilmedmaterial,asetofLincolnlogs,aDonaldDuckdoll,anda
devicetoteachtheEnglishlanguagetotheCrypt'sfinders,aswellasthousandsofotheritems.
byJerryPortwood'99
(OriginallyappearedinAtlantaIntownmagazinein2001.)

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