[jrmenon]

JPL seems to have had quite a few founders. I recall reading about Jack Parsons who was also into occult matters:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Whiteside_Parsons

Happen to run into his story while reading about the history of Rocketry. His story even takes a more bizarre turn with L Ron. Hubbard, and finally his death in a mysterious explosion.

[mturmon]

Indeed. I first read the hints of that story in Mike Davis's book City of Quartz.

Another interesting co-founder (one of the original handful, along with Parsons) was Frank Malina, who was the second director of JPL (after von Karman).

Malina was also suspected by the FBI of having Communist sympathies. He eventually left JPL and went to live in France.