Clark University Marks 100 Years Since Dr. Robert Goddard’s First Rocket Launch

By-Hank Stolz

Photo-iStock. Composite by Radio Worcester

Worcester, MA- The world will soon mark the First Launch Centennial of Dr. Robert Goddard, whose first successful liquid-fueled rocket launch took place in Auburn, Massachusetts and reshaped the future of space exploration.

At Clark University, preparations are underway for a week-long celebration honoring the historic March 16, 1926 launch. The university is home to the Robert Goddard Archive, preserved and maintained at the Goddard Library.

Laura Robinson, University Librarian at Clark, said much of Goddard’s enduring legacy is owed to the tireless work of his wife, Esther.

“So, so much of Robert Goddard’s legacy with us is in many ways because of Esther’s diligence in taking care of his records in the most meticulous and organized ways,” Robinson said. “She was really a librarian in spirit, I like to say.”

Over the past two years, Clark University has undertaken a major effort to digitize thousands of documents from the archive, making them publicly accessible online for the first time. The materials offer researchers, students, and the public an unprecedented look at the origins of modern rocketry.

“It’s really amazing to have such an important thing have happened here,” Robinson said. “And certainly as a librarian it’s a huge amount of pride for us that we have the opportunity to care for these important materials that are really of national importance.”

The centennial celebration will run from March 16 through March 21, featuring special exhibitions, public programming, and guest speakers from NASA. One of the highlights includes the display of a miniature biography of Goddard that traveled to the moon aboard Apollo 11, carried by astronaut Buzz Aldrin.

Aldrin’s father, Edwin Aldrin, Clark University Class of 1915, was both a student and a close friend of Goddard, further tying the university to one of the most consequential chapters in scientific history.

A special Goddard display will be open to the public at the Clark University library daily from 2:00 to 4:00 p.m., with extended hours on Saturday, March 21, from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.