Former Colorado governor had missing moon rock

The rock was given to Gov. John Vanderhoof by the Nixon administration, which awarded bits of moon rubble to all 50 states.

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Associated Press

Tue, Jun 01 2010 at 4:34 PM

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MOON ROCKS MIA: Experts say the whereabouts are unknown of hundreds of tiny rocks scooped up by U.S. astronauts and given to friendly nations by the Nixon administration. (Photo: NASA/AP)

A missing moon rock awarded to Colorado in 1974 has turned up in an ex-governor's house.

The lunar souvenir was given to former Gov. John Vanderhoof by the Nixon administration, which awarded bits of moon rubble to all 50 states and more than 130 foreign countries.

Vanderhoof is now 88 and living in Grand Junction. He has kept the rock on a plaque in his house and didn't think much of it until college students started looking for the moon rocks.

On Tuesday a Denver television station called to ask if he had Colorado's.

Vanderhoof joked that he had offered the rock to museums, but no one was interested. Its estimated value is $5 million.

Another set of moon rocks awarded to Colorado was found in storage at the state history museum about a decade ago.