R. Cedric Leonard
Encyclopedia
Richard Cedric Leonard is an author and lecturer on the pseudohistorical
belief in ancient astronauts
and the mythical city of Atlantis
.
in 1934. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Oklahoma
, with a major in Anthropology
and a minor in Classical Culture. At Oklahoma City University he majored in Koine Greek
language. Then returning to the University of Oklahoma he took Homeric Greek
and Attic Greek
language, as well as Classical Greek composition. During these studies, by special arrangement, he also completed a Greek Studies program with Sanskrit
as its object. He completed his doctorate in Comparative Religion
at the unaccredited
Neotarian College of Philosophy in Kansas City, Missouri. He is self-taught in Canaanite
inscriptions and Egyptian hieroglyphics.
and to have translated it using a grammar by E. A. Wallis Budge
and other sources.
For a number of years Leonard was Anthropology Consultant for UFO research institutions, including the International UFO Bureau (IUFOB) and the Mutual UFO Network
(MUFON; then known as the Midwest UFO Network), and has lectured on the subject of "Ancient Astronauts
" in schools and universities, as well as in various symposium
s conducted by the above UFO organizations. Leonard’s career in Anthropology
has been marred by his insistent interest in the fields of ancient UFOs and Atlantis.
His interest in the alleged civilization of Atlantis
resulted in expeditions to Western Europe
, North Africa
, Mesoamerica
, as well as Caribbean
and Atlantic island groups, which gave him access to European museums and libraries, and allowed inspection of historic and prehistoric archeological sites. Now retired, Leonard was once a member of the International Platform Association. He also held memberships in the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and the Oklahoma Science & Arts Foundation. He is presently Director of the Atlantek Educational Facility and its associated website.
Pseudohistory
Pseudohistory is a pejorative term applied to a type of historical revisionism, often involving sensational claims whose acceptance would require rewriting a significant amount of commonly accepted history, and based on methods that depart from standard historiographical conventions.Cryptohistory...
belief in ancient astronauts
Ancient astronauts
Some writers have proposed that intelligent extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth in antiquity or prehistory and made contact with humans. Such visitors are called ancient astronauts or ancient aliens. Proponents suggest that this contact influenced the development of human cultures,...
and the mythical city of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
.
Biography
Leonard was born in Oklahoma City, OklahomaOklahoma City, Oklahoma
Oklahoma City is the capital and the largest city in the state of Oklahoma. The county seat of Oklahoma County, the city ranks 31st among United States cities in population. The city's population, from the 2010 census, was 579,999, with a metro-area population of 1,252,987 . In 2010, the Oklahoma...
in 1934. He received his B.A. degree from the University of Oklahoma
University of Oklahoma
The University of Oklahoma is a coeducational public research university located in Norman, Oklahoma. Founded in 1890, it existed in Oklahoma Territory near Indian Territory for 17 years before the two became the state of Oklahoma. the university had 29,931 students enrolled, most located at its...
, with a major in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
and a minor in Classical Culture. At Oklahoma City University he majored in Koine Greek
Koine Greek
Koine Greek is the universal dialect of the Greek language spoken throughout post-Classical antiquity , developing from the Attic dialect, with admixture of elements especially from Ionic....
language. Then returning to the University of Oklahoma he took Homeric Greek
Homeric Greek
Homeric Greek is the form of the Greek language that was used by Homer in the Iliad and Odyssey. It is an archaic version of Ionic Greek, with admixtures from certain other dialects, such as Aeolic Greek. It later served as the basis of Epic Greek, the language of epic poetry, typically in...
and Attic Greek
Attic Greek
Attic Greek is the prestige dialect of Ancient Greek that was spoken in Attica, which includes Athens. Of the ancient dialects, it is the most similar to later Greek, and is the standard form of the language studied in courses of "Ancient Greek". It is sometimes included in Ionic.- Origin and range...
language, as well as Classical Greek composition. During these studies, by special arrangement, he also completed a Greek Studies program with Sanskrit
Sanskrit
Sanskrit , is a historical Indo-Aryan language and the primary liturgical language of Hinduism, Jainism and Buddhism.Buddhism: besides Pali, see Buddhist Hybrid Sanskrit Today, it is listed as one of the 22 scheduled languages of India and is an official language of the state of Uttarakhand...
as its object. He completed his doctorate in Comparative Religion
Comparative religion
Comparative religion is a field of religious studies that analyzes the similarities and differences of themes, myths, rituals and concepts among the world's religions...
at the unaccredited
Accreditation
Accreditation is a process in which certification of competency, authority, or credibility is presented.Organizations that issue credentials or certify third parties against official standards are themselves formally accredited by accreditation bodies ; hence they are sometimes known as "accredited...
Neotarian College of Philosophy in Kansas City, Missouri. He is self-taught in Canaanite
Canaanite languages
The Canaanite languages are a subfamily of the Semitic languages, which were spoken by the ancient peoples of the Canaan region, including Canaanites, Israelites and Phoenicians...
inscriptions and Egyptian hieroglyphics.
Claims
Leonard claims to have found a copy of a controversial document (which may never existed and what Leonard saw could only have been a hieroglyphic copy of a hieratic copy of a possible hieratic original) known as the Tulli PapyrusTulli Papyrus
The Tulli Papyrus is an oft-cited document of questionable origins that some have interpreted as evidence of ancient UFOs.During a visit to Cairo in 1933, Alberto Tulli, a director of the Egyptian section of the Vatican museum, supposedly found an interesting papyrus in an antique shop...
and to have translated it using a grammar by E. A. Wallis Budge
E. A. Wallis Budge
Sir Ernest Alfred Thompson Wallis Budge was an English Egyptologist, Orientalist, and philologist who worked for the British Museum and published numerous works on the ancient Near East.-Earlier life:...
and other sources.
For a number of years Leonard was Anthropology Consultant for UFO research institutions, including the International UFO Bureau (IUFOB) and the Mutual UFO Network
Mutual UFO Network
The Mutual UFO Network is an American non-profit organization that investigates cases of reported UFO sightings. It is one of the oldest and largest UFO-investigative organizations in the United States....
(MUFON; then known as the Midwest UFO Network), and has lectured on the subject of "Ancient Astronauts
Ancient astronauts
Some writers have proposed that intelligent extraterrestrial beings have visited Earth in antiquity or prehistory and made contact with humans. Such visitors are called ancient astronauts or ancient aliens. Proponents suggest that this contact influenced the development of human cultures,...
" in schools and universities, as well as in various symposium
Symposium
In ancient Greece, the symposium was a drinking party. Literary works that describe or take place at a symposium include two Socratic dialogues, Plato's Symposium and Xenophon's Symposium, as well as a number of Greek poems such as the elegies of Theognis of Megara...
s conducted by the above UFO organizations. Leonard’s career in Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...
has been marred by his insistent interest in the fields of ancient UFOs and Atlantis.
His interest in the alleged civilization of Atlantis
Atlantis
Atlantis is a legendary island first mentioned in Plato's dialogues Timaeus and Critias, written about 360 BC....
resulted in expeditions to Western Europe
Western Europe
Western Europe is a loose term for the collection of countries in the western most region of the European continents, though this definition is context-dependent and carries cultural and political connotations. One definition describes Western Europe as a geographic entity—the region lying in the...
, North Africa
North Africa
North Africa or Northern Africa is the northernmost region of the African continent, linked by the Sahara to Sub-Saharan Africa. Geopolitically, the United Nations definition of Northern Africa includes eight countries or territories; Algeria, Egypt, Libya, Morocco, South Sudan, Sudan, Tunisia, and...
, Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica
Mesoamerica is a region and culture area in the Americas, extending approximately from central Mexico to Belize, Guatemala, El Salvador, Honduras, Nicaragua, and Costa Rica, within which a number of pre-Columbian societies flourished before the Spanish colonization of the Americas in the 15th and...
, as well as Caribbean
Caribbean
The Caribbean is a crescent-shaped group of islands more than 2,000 miles long separating the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, to the west and south, from the Atlantic Ocean, to the east and north...
and Atlantic island groups, which gave him access to European museums and libraries, and allowed inspection of historic and prehistoric archeological sites. Now retired, Leonard was once a member of the International Platform Association. He also held memberships in the Oklahoma Anthropological Society and the Oklahoma Science & Arts Foundation. He is presently Director of the Atlantek Educational Facility and its associated website.