Missing Persons

There are numerous individuals whose names drift in and out of the Townsend Brown saga and, not surprisingly, their trails are near impossible to trace.

For example, Robert I. Sarbacher is an individual who has been linked to Townsend Brown’s secret team.  His name shows up frequently in Dr. Brown’s “day book” from 1962, and has also come up often in my correspondence with Brown’s covert colleagues.

Sarbacher is a familiar name in UFO circles, owing mostly to a 1950 conversation that has been widely reported between Sarbacher and one Wilbert Smith, in which Sarbacher told Smith  “that flying saucers exist and that they were the most highly classified secret” in the United States at the time, classified two levels higher than the H-bomb.

But there is really very little that is known about this Robert I. Sarbacher.  Last April (2004), when I went to a UFO conference in Gaithersberg MD (Me?  I went to a UFO conference??? Oh, how far the apple has fallen from the tree…) I listened intently as one speaker invoked Sarbacher’s name with some authority.  Great, I thought, maybe this guy knows something about Sarbacher.  So I asked him after his presentation what else he knew about Sarbacher, and about all he had to say was “he was a very well known physicist.”

“Well known by who, in what circles?”  I pressed further.

“He has an  extensive entry in Who’s Who..” turned out to be the extent of this individual’s knowledge of Robert I. Sarbacher.

I actually tried to track down the family of Robert Sarbacher a while back, to no avail.  The trail went cold with an unlisted number in  the Washington D.C. area.

And so the mystery persists.  Anybody out there know anybody who can put me in touch with the family of Robert Sarbacher?

Another individual I would sorely like to learn more about is one A.L. “Beau” Kitselman.

Kitselman was another member of Brown’s clandestine organization, and may in fact have been Brown’s counterpart in an organization whose members typically worked in pairs (keep that in mind next time you read about “two men” instigating a situation, like the “two men” who approached ‘Carlos Allende’ with the story of ‘The Philadelphia Experiment’ or the “two men” who told pioneering UFO contactee George Adamski that they were from Venus…).

“Beau” Kitselman was a native of Hawaii (note:  see correction in comment from Elizabeth Riedler below) a mathematician of considerable note, and also — as has been pointed out to me on numerous occasions for reason I have yet to fully grasp — fluent in Sanskrit, of all things.   Kitselman is another name that appears in Townsend Brown’s “day book” from 1962, but their relationship goes way back before that.  Kitselman was the author of a thinly veiled biography of Townsend Brown called “Hello Stupid” which takes the scientific community to task for dismissing Townsend Brown’s discoveries in the 1950s.

Later in his life, Kitselman returned to Hawaii with his second wife, Betsy Kitselman, and together they were instrumental in the formation of spiritual community called “Huna,” based on the ancient teachings of the Islands’ Kahuna.

I don’t know when Beau Kitselman died, but I do know that his widow Betsy, who was considerably younger, remarried, and is, I believe, still alive today and living somewhere in Southern California.  I know that Mrs. Kitselman was close to the Brown family and no doubt has valuable insights into their life.

So, if anybody reading this can put me in touch with the former Betsy Kitselman, I’m sure that she has a great deal of knowledge of her husband and Townsend Brown’s activities.  Of course, given the nature of all this discussion, whether or not she’d be willing to share it with me is a different story altogether.

 

16 thoughts on “Missing Persons”

  1. wow, I am also looking to hook up with Betsy K. since my father was a very good friend of Beau. I have many things to sort out about his life and she may have some information/ and perhaps even art work of Salvador de Regil, my father.
    please respond if you have gotten in touch with her, I would love to know how to reach her and her new name. Thanks!
    Valenta de Regil

  2. Elizabeth Helen Drake

    Adding some information and some questions to the last post by Valenta de Regil.
    Valenta, would you know if your father ever spent time at a ranch on the west side of Pyramid Lake in Nevada, not far from Reno? It was owned by the Kitselmans in the thirties and forties and was used as a dude ranch during part of that time. Does this ring any bells with you? Please respond via this site or contact Paul. Thankyou. Elizabeth

  3. My parents worked at the Sage Dude Ranch 1937-39 when owned by the Kitselmans…I have some old photos, documents, etc…I have a watercolor by Salvador and would like to obtain additional information about him. I have autographed copies of “Tao Teh King” and “E-Therapy” by “Beau Kitselman, as well as letters and notes. Perhaps an exchange of information would fill in gaps we all have.

  4. hello to Elizabeth and Mary, the merging of lifelong mysteries seems to be happening here! I have been wondering for a long time about who and what around Pyramid Lake. I too have puzzlke pieces. I know that Beau was a very devoted friend of my fathers’ but he wasn’t to know me, my mother didn’t keep in touch with him after Salvador died in 1968.
    A big info find has been from the U of N site. the Bean family is listed there.
    Lets figure out a way to share information through Elizabeth. Thanks and Peace, Valenta

  5. Elizabeth Kitselman Riedler

    Hello! I am the youngest daughter of Alva “Beau” Kitselman and Betsy Kitselman. My father was not a native of Hawaii but of Muncie, Indiana. He came from a family of inventors and his father was quite well known in Indiana. My father died in September of 1980 at his home in La Jolla, California where he had lived since 1960. My mother died in 1998. I would be delighted to answer any other questions I can for those interested. I would especially love to see any photos that Mary may have of my father.

  6. Elizabeth Helen Drake

    Hello Again Paul …. I have a question for Valenta and now Elizabeth Kitselman Reidler .. Do either of you have a picture of your Dad and Townsend Brown … standing together? Sounds like a silly question, but as a researcher I have discovered a strange anomaly … Townsend Brown considered Beau Kitselman his, perhaps, closest friend … yet .. to my knowledge … there exists no picture of them in the same frame. Is there such a picture out there? Elizabeth

  7. wow, what a wake up call..I have been on this site several times in the last month and did not look carefully here to see who had posted, and now joy of joys I find a post from another daughter of these amazing men…Elizabeth Kitselman Reidler..our fathers were very close, and Beau was most likely his longest friendship. How great! Well, I am very excited and more connection must happen. I really have to cull my recources, we moved recently and many things are as yet unpacked. I will do my best to provide what I know and what I may be able to find that relates to everyones questions. Thanks to Elizabeth H. Drake and Paul Shatzkin for providing this cyber spot for us all to find! I will send 2 images that I have, one is of Salvador that may be with Beau, and a painting he made in which the same man’s face is the subject. I will sent these directly to Elizabeth Helen Drake.

  8. Hello! Nice to read about T. Townsend Brown, and his associations with my Dad. I am a daughter of Alva “Beau” Kitselman and Betsy, and would also like to see any photos or documents relating to my family. I remember Commander Brown, and the amazing stuff he was up to! I remember Salvador, was born at Pyramid Lake, and the “Huna” information posted above isn’t entirely correct. For the short version about my Dad: Papa did a lot of things. He just couldn’t stop learning stuff! Born at Battlecreek, MI on Jan 24, 1914, raised in Muncie, Indiana where his father was in steel. (my Grandad invented the first steel roller skates….put ball bearings in them….but that’s another story.) Some anecdotes on Beau Kitselman: Physicist, Mathematician, authority on eastern religions, psychotherapist, author. Studied Sanskrit at Stanford the last year it was offered, and was translating several Sanskrit volumes that were a gift of King Prahadjipok of Siam when he passed away. The Sanskrit does tie in with physics, actually: modern ‘discoveries’ in physics were actually uncovered in India around 5000 years ago, and some volumes he was translating were on those ancient physics studies. Several colleagues wanted him to publish his findings in Scientific American, but since Papa didn’t have a PhD, the magazine wouldn’t. Rules! Oh, well. Anyway, he was one of the ‘top 5’ mathematicians in the US for many years. In the 1960s, (when only weirdos had computers!) he wrote software for the intercontinental ballistic missiles, so that they would readjust their trajectory every 6/10ths of a second, when previously they had readjusted only every 8 seconds. In psychotherapy, he was one of the pioneers of ‘insight therapy’, which was a precursor to the modern style of cognitive therapy, aka ‘talk therapy’. There is a website that incorrectly links his psych work with L. Ron Hubbard. The two had been acquaintances while studying psych, and were discussing their plans in our living room after dinner sometime around 1958. When L. Ron said that he would make his therapy into a religion to avoid paying taxes, and create several different “levels” for his patients to achieve, taking lots of time and costing lots of money, my father escorted Mr. Hubbard to the door. That was the end of their friendship! (Papa didn’t like him) Around 1995 or so, a bunch of Huna types in San Francisco located my Mom, Betsy Kitselman, and flew her up to preside over one of their spiritual gatherings one weekend. They told us that their Huna-ism was somehow related to E-Therapy, which was Papa’s insight therapy (read the book). Neither Mom, nor I had ever heard of the Huna stuff! I have plenty of information about what scientific stuff my Dad was up to, as well as biographical info. Won’t post it here, but if Paul wants to contact me I will be happy to share.

  9. Suzette/elizabeth
    I have just discovred this on Google your Dad was a great man…hope you girls are keeping well.

  10. I first heard about Beau in 1969 in Seattle through David Worcester and his friends. David gave me a copy of E-THERAPY in 1971. David and I have discussed his work over the years since David had been a close friend of Beau for many decades sharing an interest in Krishnamurti.
    David is 78 years old now and still a great mystic/philosopher. I think the people here may be interested in talking to David to get a unique perspective on Beau. Does “Kapila” ring a bell for anyone here?
    Bob Dobbs

  11. I was 18 when i first met Beau in La Jolla (Cmo de la Costa) in 1968. i had just graduated from USMC Boot Camp in San Diego and took the bus to meet him. My brother, Larry Underwood had met him by mail and he urged me to meet him. I developed a love and appreciation for Beau, his housekeeper Nancy Fries and her boyfriend George Sode (amazing how they influenced me). I spent weekends there. everyone was very gracious. I did have pictures of youngest daughter (Elizabeth?) at front gate to home when she was pre-teen.
    Got numerous books autographed from Beay and did e-therepy with him. kept in touch until he died around 1979 (?) or so. traveled to see daughter who offered all the remaining books. i could not take them…sure wish i had! I really miss him and think of him often. My brother may have more to say.

  12. This has been fascinating to accidentally find this here.
    I was a personal student of Kahuna Nui Max Freedom Long.
    When it came time to be initiated into “Aumakua Therapy” as Kahuna Beau and Kahuna Max called it, and it is mentioned in “E-Therapy” (The “E” being our “Aumakua”) they had both died. I advertised all over the country. A friend of theirs, “Ron” I think his name was, called me to see if I were sane. When he made his decision, he had Betsy call me. Betsy and her mom, Bunny trained me in Aumakua Therapy over a span of 9 weeks. I traded Huna healing sessions on them for the Aumakua Therapy I received.
    After the Huna Heiau Church moved to the San Francisco area, Betsy came up to train our other na Kahuna in Aumakua Therapy.
    One night we went out to dinner with one of her daughters. Unfortunately her fine daughter and I didn’t “click”. No hostility, just no rapport either.
    Betsy told me that one of her fondest memories was the day she went with Beau over to Kahuna Max’s house, and she met him. She didn’t remember what happened that day, but remembered that she saw him all shinning with light. Betsy told me that that was the day, Beau turned Aumakua Therapy over to Kahuna Max.
    Kahuna Beau Kitselman had worked with the Huna religion extensively.
    And along with a friend of theirs, Kahuna Fred Kimball, they were all pals and ran around together and went to all the Metaphysical lectures in the Hollywood area in the 1950’s or so.
    Betsy Kitselman was a fine and wise woman. Crucial and important to the Huna Heiau Church.
    Our na Kahuna do Aumakua Therapy almost every day.
    Kahuna Keonaona and I did it last week on a Bi-Polar “transient”, as Beau called his “clients” and so we follow too.
    -Lani

  13. Lake, and the “Huna” information posted above isn’t entirely correct. For the short version about my Dad: Papa did a lot of things. He just couldn’t stop learning stuff! Born at Battlecreek, MI on Jan 24, 1914, raised in Muncie, Indiana where his father was in steel. (my Grandad invented the first steel roller skates….put ball bearings in them….but that’s another story.) Some anecdotes on Beau Kitselman: Physicist, Mathematician, authority on eastern religions, psychotherapist, author. Studied Sanskrit at Stanford the last year it was offered, and was translating several Sanskrit

  14. Looking for the grandaughter of Lorraine Myers Wahl. Her name may be Jennie Wright.
    Her father once lived in Chico area of CALIFORNIA. Jennie may have been raised in Wyoming when her mother took her there. I am her cousin. Lorraine’s mother was Ruby SMITH MYERS..from Paradise, CA Jennie, I may have some of the information you seek….Heard you are in SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA…perhaps near the Hearst Castle… DNS [email protected]

  15. Hi All. I wanted to let you know that Kahuna Lani passed away this past September 2007. I’m one of the few people trained by Betsy Kitselman at the Huna Heiau about 15 years ago or so. I would love to be in contact with Suzette Kitselman. I’m in the San Francisco Bay Area for anyone who needs me. Look for Lamaku online or at Tribe.net. Aloha, Lamaku.

Comments are closed.

Scroll to Top