John McConnell (peace activist)
| John McConnell | |
|---|---|
McConnell in front of his home in Denver Colorado, USA with the Earth Flag he designed
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| Born |
March 22, 1915 Davis City, Iowa, U.S |
| Died | October 20, 2012 (aged 97) |
| Nationality | American |
| Known for | Founder of Earth Day |
John McConnell (March 22, 1915 – October 20, 2012) was the founder and creator of Earth Day, and a luminary with a major passion for peace, religion, and science throughout his life. He originated and promoted major ideas to relieve human suffering and promote the common good. His interests included proposals for solving many of the critical problems that face humanity today.
John McConnell was born on March 22, 1915 in Davis City, Iowa. He was the son of a traveling Pentecostal evangelist. His first interest in the Earth began in 1939 while partnering with Albert Nobell, a chemist, in the Nobell Research Laboratory in Los Angeles that built a factory for manufacture of plastic. Realizing how much the manufacture of plastic polluted the Earth, his concern for ecology grew, notably during this time when concern for the environment was rare. Afterward, he was a lifetime believer in care of the environment, founded on his Christian passion for peace and love. Leading into World War II, he believed that love and prayer could be more powerful than bombs. "On October 31, 1957, right after the first Sputnik, John McConnell wrote an editorial entitled, "Make Our Satellite A Symbol Of Hope", calling for peaceful cooperation in the exploration of Space with a visible "Star of Hope" Satellite." Because of this event he was recognized all around the United States. This led him to create a Star of Hope organization to foster International Cooperation in Space.
In 1959 to pursue his dream of peace, John McConnell moved to California where he and his co-publisher, Erling Toness, founded the "Mountain View." Along with the "Mountain View", he organized a very successful campaign in San Francisco titled "Meals for Millions." This campaign in 1962 was held to feed thousands of Hong Kong refugees. In 1963, after the "Meals for Millions" campaign, McConnell worked on another campaign called "Minute for Peace". He worked on "Minute for Peace" for seven years after "Meals for Millions." He began his "Minute for Peace" campaign with a broadcast on December 22, 1963, ending the mourning period for President John F. Kennedy. On June 26, 1965 McConnell spoke at the National Education Association Convention in Madison Square Garden where the public came together for a "Minute for Peace."
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