Had Been Lost Arkansas When Former President Was Governor

They say you never know what might turn up in the papers of government officials, and that is certainly the case with a recent discovery among the files of former President Bill Clinton.

Apollo 17 Landing Site NASA Image

The director of the Central Arkansas Library System says that a moon rock missing since at least 1980 has turned up in the files of the former President. It was collected on the Apollo 17 mission, and was one of 50 given to each state by NASA.

Director Bobby Roberts says that an archivist opened a box that had been marked "Arkansas flag plaque." Reuters reports that the moon rock and state flag had originally been attached to the plaque, but the multi-million-dollar artifact had become dislodged and misplaced.

It was found in its plastic container at the bottom of the box. Roberts said the archivist figured it out almost immediately.

The moon rock had been presented to Gov. David Pryor in 1976. It was displayed in the Governor's office during Clinton's term as Governor, and after he lost a bid for re-election, it was packed up with the rest of the office and put on a shelf.

FMI: www.cals.lib.ar.us