Originally published at Washington’s Blog by Kevin Ryan on 10/29/16
Scientist and scholar Frank Legge passed away on October 20th 2016. Frank was a leader of the international 9/11 Truth Movement. He had been a co-editor of the Journal of 9/11 Studies and a founding member of both Scholars for 9/11 Truth & Justice and Scientists for 9/11 Truth. His contributions to research into 9/11 will be remembered as among the most important in history.
Frank had a long and fulfilling life before and beyond the events of 9/11. He was a husband, father, and grandfather as well as a farmer, pilot, research scientist, and entrepreneur.
After obtaining a Diploma of Agriculture (Longerenong, Victoria, Australia), Frank spent his early years as an agricultural employee, then a contractor, in the state of Queensland. He then obtained a “conditional purchase” block of virgin bush in Western Australia, which he cleared and developed as a sheep and grain farm. On completion of this, Frank moved to Perth and enrolled at the University of Western Australia. During this period he obtained a pilot’s license and acquired a share in a plane, which was useful in enabling him to easily visit and continue operating the farm.
On graduating with a Ph.D. in chemistry, in 1983, Dr. Legge worked as a research officer for the Department of Agriculture for a number of years. This included research into the manufacture and use of biodiesel. He was also involved with the Australian Merino Society in the development of their sheep-breeding index. With a colleague, he then formed a company, Solar Track Pty Ltd, and embarked on a project manufacturing solar tracking devices, based on a patented concept they developed in conjunction with the Department of Agriculture. Lastly he moved to consulting.
Frank’s understanding of the events of 9/11 was set out in his website, now maintained by David Chandler. http://www.scienceof911.com.au/
This site includes links to many papers on the subject, including those Dr. Legge wrote and co-authored. He believed that the evidence for explosives in controlled demolition of all three of the buildings at the World Trade Center was convincing and that the failure of the U.S. agency NIST to consider this possibility was prima facie evidence of corruption and obstruction of justice.
Some of Dr. Legge’s most important contributions to the 9/11 debate:
- He was a prolific contributor to the Journal of 9/11 Studies, starting with the first publication in June 2006. His careful, logical approach was the basis for a dozen articles and half a dozen letters published by the Journal. In October 2007, he joined as co-editor and continued in that capacity until July 2012.
- Among his most important articles was an early examination of the fall of WTC Building 7 in which Dr. Legge examined video and graphed the acceleration of the building. This paper, published ten years ago, initiated a series of similar calculations that led to irrefutable arguments in favor of demolition.
- Dr. Legge’s insights and expertise were often less visible than the work of his colleagues. That fact is exemplified by his listing as fourth author of eight on the seminal article Extremely High Temperatures During the World Trade Center Destruction. His co-authors would agree that his leadership on the article was invaluable.
- He was co-author for articles that brought the unanswered questions of 9/11 into mainstream scientific discussion. These included a search for common ground with official investigators called Fourteen Points of Agreement with Official Government Reports on the Destruction of the World Trade Center. Frank was also an important contributor to the breakthrough article entitled Active Thermitic Material Discovered in Dust from the 9/11 World Trade Center Catastrophe.
- Collaborating with Warren Stutt, Dr. Legge provided a study of the data file from the Flight Data Recorder (FDR) for the flight that was reported to have hit the Pentagon. The purpose of this work was to show that, contrary to widespread belief among activists, the data portrayed a flight that corresponded with the official reports of the course of the aircraft. Frank’s position was that there were many reasons to doubt the truthfulness of the 9/11 reports but the data from the FDR was not one of them. His hope was that this information would help to unify the Truth Movement as it would reduce the tendency to assert claims, based on misinterpretation of the FDR file, that the plane did not hit the Pentagon.
- As co-author with David Chandler, Legge examined the case that the Pentagon was hit by a plane, and that it did not fly over, as asserted by some activists. Again Dr. Legge’s hope was to unify the Truth Movement. This was followed by an Addendum that strengthened the case.
Although a sound scientific approach was characteristic of his work, Legge’s personality was also important in that he was often the most mature participant in any discussion. This is not to say he was merely the oldest but that he was levelheaded and composed in many heated, ego-driven, arguments. That is, Frank Legge was the grown-up at times when it was most needed.
This fact was exhibited in many of his writings and communications. For example, in order to achieve incremental improvement in the debate about what hit the Pentagon, Legge advocated a “precautionary principle,” urging everyone to assert only what was truly known. In order to address arguments raised in support of the “flyover” case, Legge wrote a paper on the Search for Consensus to seek common ground.
In the last decade of his life, Frank Legge had a tremendous influence on many people around the world. He led scientific inquiry into one of the most controversial subjects in history and he collaborated positively with many fellow citizens to reveal the truth. Those of us who worked with him during this time will remember his intelligence, dignity, and respect for others.
Kevin Ryan blogs at Dig Within.