Sedona AZ: For many travelers, Sedona is an important destination on the path of spiritual discovery. Many visitors return to Sedona over and over, seeking rejuvenation from the unique energy they claim flows from Sedona's breathtaking landscape.
Photo, from left: Ann Eller, Dr. J. Allen Hynek, Dr. Hynek's lawyer, Tina Choate and Brian Myers.
Sedona's natural beauty will endure for millennia, but other, more fleeting treasures are to be found in the unique personalities that reside here—and the knowledge they have to share. Those intent on the journey know they must spend more time in this red rock wonderland, if for only the chance to uncover its more elusive secrets.
Gateway To Sedona strives to focus the light on Sedona, to enhance the traveler's experience. In that spirit, we are excited to introduce one Sedona personality with a compelling story.
If you type in an Internet search, “Ann Eller, Sedona Arizona,” you’ll find no references or headlines. Ann labels herself a "Nobody," living an average life. We believe this is about to change.
Ann is presently working with a writer to recount her life story. Through her story, she hopes to inspire others to "be on fire in your spirit for those things that stir your soul, in the quest for greater insight into the universe and the potential to expand humanity’s understanding of existence.”
Wander through one of Sedona's many fine art galleries or dine in many of Sedona's popular restaurants, and you may have the opportunity to meet Ann Eller and engage in a lively conversation. You’ll find she is vivacious and personable, with an upbeat pace and indefatigable approach to the hurtles of life. Perhaps she will tell you about her upcoming autobiography.
Ann’s story revisits her early years during WWII, her 1950s residence in Japan (courtesy of the US Navy), her days in the White House and a timeline full of other "Exceptional Encounters." One chapter of interest to us in particular covers her close association with one of the world's most famous names in UFO research, adding a few more mesmerizing pages to UFO history. For you see, this researcher was none other than the renowned astrophysicist, Dr. J. Allen Hynek.
For those of you who spend your leisure time staring at vast stretches of green, artificially grown turf, only occasionally looking skyward as your eyes follow that little white ball into sand trap after sand trap and you’re drawing a blank at the name J. Allen Hynek, we’ll save you a trip to the Google search engine.
For over twenty years, Dr. J. Allen Hynek was the United States Air Force appointed Scientific Advisor to three consecutive major UFO studies. The first was Project Sign from 1947 to 1949; then came Project Grudge, started in 1949 and ending in 1952, followed by Project Blue Book from 1952 until 1969. Dr. J. Allen Hynek is credited with coining some of the most iconic terms and classifications identified with the UFO field of study, such as "Close Encounters of the Third Kind" and "Swamp Gas."
Many prominent people crossed paths with Dr. Hynek, but few came to know him as well as Ann Eller. You see, Ann was Dr. Hynek's personal secretary. She organized his office and was responsible for filing away all the classified UFO stories reviewed and evaluated for the United States Air Force, including many more accounts that flowed in after Dr. Hynek retired from his post as Scientific Advisor.
