Betty and Barney Hill: Pioneers of Time and Possibly Space

In September of 1961, two of Portsmouth, New Hampshire’s residents gave the small town a strong dose of historical clout when they experienced an out-of-this-world event. Betty and Barney Hill, an interracial couple with strong community roles as civil servants, reported the first thorough and well-documented account of alien abduction. Their story was picked up by the press and widely publicized. To this day, the Hill’s account stands as one of the most referenced and famous stories of alien abductions, setting the precedent for how the public, scholars, and paranormal enthusiasts alike interpret extraterrestrial phenomena. Betty and Barney Hill’s Background In mid-century America, interracial couples shared at least one commonality with alien abduction stories: both occurrences were rare. In 1960, only .4% of all marriages were between a black person and a white person. The public’s reception to these marriages was cold at best: a 1958 poll found that only 1% of southern whites and 5% of whites outside the south approved of interracial marriage. Although no alien abduction stories had been published before the Hills shared their encounter, aliens appeared in popular culture and governmental recognition. The Roswell, New Mexico incident had occurred in 1947, and the U.S. Air Force filed its first regulation report referencing “Unidentified Flying Objects” in 1953. The Hills’ salt-of-the-earth lifestyle, however, suggested anything but the paranormal. Betty was a social worker with a degree from the University of New Hampshire. Barney worked as a postal worker and was a member of the United States Commission on Civil Rights. The couple spent their spare time engaged in activism and participating in their local church. The Hills presented as steadfast, engaged citizens, devoted to making positive contributions to their community. Indeed, they stayed so busy engaged in work and community activities, that they had little time for much else. Their fated trip started out as a belated honeymoon celebration that had been pushed back because of their busy schedules. The trip was so spontaneous, they reportedly left without even stopping at the bank for money. The Hill’s Account of Their AbductionThe story as the Hills told it goes like this: on September 19th, 1961, the couple was returning from their impromptu getaway to Montreal, Canada. That night, they made a rest stop at a diner in Vermont to share a final meal and cup of coffee before completing the drive back to Portsmouth. As they drove, Barney noticed lights in the rearview mirror. Barney was a World War II veteran and plane enthusiast, so he initially discounted the lights as a satellite that had gone off course. As they continued driving, the lights seemed to follow them, growing brighter all the while. Finally, the couple got out of the car to investigate with a pair of binoculars. They saw a spinning, flat object hovering in the air. Barney continued to drive until they reached Route 3 when the object overtook them. At that point, Barney and Betty became drowsy and lost consciousness. They woke up some hours later at their home in Portsmouth, with no memory of what happened and scant evidence to point the way: a ripped dress that Betty had worn, scuffs on Barney’s shoes, and stopped watches on both their wrists. In the months that followed, the couple suffered from disturbing dreams and anxiety. They sought the psychiatric care of Dr. Benjamin Simon, who used hypnosis to extract stories of alien abduction on that September night. In 1965, the Hills account of their abduction was picked up by the newspaper the Boston Traveler. From that point onward, the Hills became superstars in their own right. News outlets far and wide picked up their story, they helped co-write a best-selling book about their experience, and a film starring James Holt came out that referenced their tale. Perhaps unwittingly, the Hills had become twofold pioneers: for interracial couples and alien abduction storytelling alike. Betty and Barney’s Continued Life on Earth Barney Hill died of a cerebral hemorrhage in 1969. Betty went on to live till 2004, continuing to testify to her experience and contribute to UFO research throughout the rest of her life. While the Hills are most famous for their contributions to paranormal research and legacy, the contribution their marriage made to their community is worth noting as well. Couples like Barney and Betty Hill helped pave the way for interracial marriages, which have increased exponentially since the 1960s. By making the unusual choice of choosing each other, the Hills enabled others to do the same—normalizing a love that went beyond the usual practices of the time and possibly, into other dimensions as well.