"The Million Volt Man" -A Biography (continued)

Preparing a demonstration with a volunteer.

The Birth of A Scientist

Dean C. Ortner was born in the upper Midwest where both his parents were college professors. His father, a 1930s barnstormer, learned to fly an airplane while being towed by a Model T Ford. At age 13, he built his own plane and during World War II, flew C-47s and B-17s. Dean's mother graduated from her university studies at age 17, then raised eight sons, Dean being the eldest.

Mom and Dad Ortner advocated a 12-month school program, so as early as nursery school Dean and his brothers found themselves in a year-round educational setting. Their school years were spent in a laboratory school at Moorhead State University where student teachers "practiced" on the pupils.

During summer school of the second grade, one of Dean's classmates showed him some jelly-like slime floating among a few weeds in some pond water. His friend said the slime was actually frog eggs. An amazed Dean Ortner exclaimed, "I can't believe that a frog could come out of that stuff." At that moment he determined to become a scientist and someday find out how slime became frogs.

Through his growing years, Dean was known for playing physics-based practical jokes on family and friends. Unwary victims experienced unexpected explosions and other unusual phenomenon as Dean put the laws of nature and science to work for his own amusement.

Searching for the Amazing

Dean (right) tours an organ transplant facility

At the age of 9, Dean designed and built his own analog computer, and at age 15 began his university studies. He soloed for his pilots license in a mere 5 1/2 hours, and enjoyed the adventures of skydiving. His career in higher education started at Moorhead State University in an aeronautical engineering major. As his classmates struggled with the design and construction of model aircraft, Dean followed in his father's footsteps, designing and building a full-sized, operating airplane.

While interested in the physics of flight, Dean soon discovered that the drafting board failed to produce the satisfaction he anticipated. Desiring something "more amazing," he switched to pre-med courses and completed a biology major. Adopting his parents' belief in the value of a well-rounded education, he spent two summers in Europe studying art, music and opera.

Dean undertook graduate and doctoral work at North Dakota State University in the field of Bio-nucleonics. Also a research associate at the university, he and his team searched for a biodegradable plant extract to replace DDT. In the process of their research, Dean performed brain surgery... on mosquitoes. So specialized and delicate was the team's work on the tiny insects that they designed and constructed their own surgical instruments. At age 22, while a research associate, Dean accepted a teaching position with the university's Department of Entomology, instructing classes filled with professors and doctors.

Logic and Reason Rule

During his university days, Dean was an outspoken proponent of evolutionary theories, ready to debate any comers. His logic and reasoning brought him out on top of most discussions he entered.

This ability carried over into other areas as he often engaged in deep debates on various subjects with one friend in particular, Norm. Dean would turn the subject to science, Norm would turn it to the Bible. One day, Dean made the comment that the Bible was full of errors and scientifically inaccurate. Norm challenged him to point out one of the mistakes. While Dean considered the challenge, Norm went on to indicate that, while not a science book, whenever the Bible touched on science, it was always accurate.

Dean vehemently questioned the validity of that statement, so Norm pointed him to some scientific information recorded in the Bible hundreds of years before science had discovered it. "You're familiar with the hydrologic cycle," Norm said. "Rivers flow into the oceans, but the oceans don't fill up because the water evaporates. The evaporated water then falls back to earth as rain, forming streams and rivers, and the cycle begins again. Ten centuries before Christ, the Bible recorded that cycle."

When Dean said it was probably an obscure reference that was given unwarranted meaning, Norm found a copy of the Bible and read from Ecclesiastes 1:7, "All streams flow into the sea, yet the sea is never full. To the place the streams come from, there they return again."

Norm continued, "Even before anybody ever speculated about the formation of things like the Grand Canyon, the oldest book in the Bible talked about water's affect on stone." From Job 14:18-19 Norm read, "But as a mountain erodes and crumbles, and as a rock is moved from its place, as water wears away stones and torrents wash away the soil, so you destroy man's hope."

An Intriguing Challenge

After one of these heated discussions, Norm gave Dean a copy of a paperback book. "When you have a chance," he challenged, "read this."

A couple of days later, Dean was involved in an intense study session for a physics exam. Late in the evening he decided to take a break. He sat on the edge of his bed, picked up the book from Norm and began reading. He became so engrossed in the book that he couldn't stop until he finished it. It was the New Testament.

Contemplating a challenge

During the same time of his life, Dean met a college co-ed. As Dean and Terry dated, Dean discovered that Terry was a new Christian. She would bring up the subject of Jesus Christ from time to time, but Dean would "pin her ears to the wall" with his logic. At one point, Terry said, "Dean, I'm going to pray for you!"

He assumed she meant "pray for his eternal soul." But Terry surprised him by saying, "No, I'm going to pray for your mouth. I'm going to pray that someday God will use your mouth to convince people of His truth rather than converting them to your evolution theories."

Something "Weird"

Dean and Terry dated for three years before they married. Then a couple of months after the wedding, Dean surprised his new wife. "Terry, I've been reading in the papers about this evangelist coming to town... an associate of Billy Graham. I've seen preachers like him on television before and I'm intrigued by how they operate and by the number of people that parade down to the platform after the speech. I think I'm going to go hear this one. I'd like to do some investigation on my own and find out what goes on at one of these things."

Thrilled at the prospect, Terry agreed to join him. But Dean's qualifying comment was, "We're going to go the last night and we'll sit in the back row so nothing weird happens to me."

That night, Dean listened to the evangelist. Suddenly, all that Norm had said, all that Terry had talked about, all that he had read in the New Testament made sense. With tears streaming down his face, Dean joined the hundreds of people "parading down to the platform."

When he reached the front, a gentleman came over to talk with him. He was a microbiologist from the university, one of Dean's favorite professors. Together they prayed as Dean found in Jesus forgiveness for his sins and a new life.

All Christians Go to Africa?

With a new perspective on life, Dean again picked up his New Testament and began reading. This time, the information fit together even better than before. He also came to the conclusion that everything he was teaching as science perfectly fit in line with what the Scriptures taught.

Moody Bible Institute

(At this point, evolution was not part of his curriculum, so no difficulty existed in his teaching. But as Dean investigated the Scriptures further and looked more closely at evolutionary theory, he came to the conclusion that man and the universe were created out of nothing by a superior Being. Today, Dean holds even more staunchly to the creation story of Genesis than he formerly held to the evolution theory.)

One day, while reading his Bible, Dean said to Terry, "All this reading of the Scriptures is good, but I don't understand how it's going to get us to the jungle." In his spiritual naivete', Dean thought that all Christians went to Africa as missionaries.

As they investigated how they could serve God as missionaries, close friends advised them to obtain some Bible training first. At the suggestion of one of these friends, they attended Moody Bible Institute, enrolling in a program that provided one year of intense study in Bible and theology for university graduates.

During their second week at Moody, the president of the school called Dean into his office. He explained that for several years the administration had been asking God to send them someone like Dean. Dr. George Speake, the current lecturer for Wonders of Science, was nearing retirement and they were looking for a replacement. He told Dean that, upon graduation, they wanted him to join the staff of the Moody Institute of Science and become the next lecturer for Wonders of Science. He would be a missionary, but use his love of science as an instrument for telling others about the love of God.

It's Show Time!

In 1973, Dean joined the Moody Institute of Science. His first year at the lab brought assignments like cleaning floors, shipping boxes and maintaining equipment... not exactly the type of scientific activity he anticipated. His first chance at doing the demonstrations came at the 1974 Spokane World's Fair. There, Dr. Speake began

Crowds wait to see Wonders of Science at the 1974 Spokane World's Fair

to train him in how the programs operated. After letting Dean watch a program dealing with light eight times, Dr. Speake finally pushed him out onto the stage and said, "It's just you and the Lord now!"

Dean was terrified, but went on with the program. He fumbled around, couldn't get some demonstrations to work and forgot others. When he completed the program he apologized to God, then to Dr. Speake. Dr. Speake looked at him, smiled and said, "Wonders of Science is so good that even when it's bad it's good."

One day, Dr. Speake said, "Dean, there's probably one demonstration you'll want to try in private before you do it on the stage." With that, Dr. Speake pointed him to the Oudin Resonator, the equipment that delivers an electrical charge of one-million volts. Knowing that by following natural laws he would be safe, Dean climbed on the generator and took the charge.

Since that time, Dean has been the principal lecturer with the Wonders of Science series. He builds, modifies and maintains

Making Repairs

the equipment, and travels nine months a year giving the presentations, often in military settings. Because of his work in the military and his experience as a pilot and skydiver, Dean received the distinction of being named an honorary Lt. Col. in the United States Army Airborne Unit (the Red Beret). He was also one of the first civilians allowed to fly the military's stealth aircraft simulator, and one of the few civilians to successfully simulate the landing of an F-18 on an aircraft carrier.

Over the years, Dean has added to his educational background, studying French, Spanish, Japanese and Hungarian. On one occasion, at Johns Hopkins Medical School, he "lectured" 25 surgeons who were from the Peoples Republic of China on the biblical creation story found in the pictographs of the Chinese language.

Tense Moments With High Voltage

By following natural law, the Million Volt Demonstration occurs without injury. Ignore the laws and you obtain fatal results. On one occasion a California man attempted a similar demonstration in front of a room full of reporters. Unaware of the existence of a hidden overhead steel beam, the frequency converter shorted out when the electricity contacted the beam, killing him instantly. One must follow natural law to the letter.

Dean usually takes the Million-Volt "ride" only once a week as part of the four-part Wonders of Science series. However, during the 1996 Atlanta Olympics, he performed the spectacular demonstration 16 times in 15 days. On another occasion, while working with a photographer to obtain some promotional photos, he took the ride 20 times in one day.

Only once has Dean suffered injury from the demonstration. While testing a new coil, an undetected short-circuit caused him to be thrown from the coil. The man at the controls, an electrical

An early experience with one million volts

engineer who had helped design and build the coil, instinctively knew what action to take. He instantly killed the power, turning off the voltage before Dean touched anything and grounded out, which would have been fatal. While Dean's life was saved, he did suffer a broken wrist from being thrown into a wall.

At one program during the 1976 Montreal Olympics, Dean selected a gentleman to help operate the controls. On command, the man turned the power on and watched as the board Dean held burst into flames. When Dean yelled the command, "Off," this man froze at the switch and the power remained on. Another man, one very familiar with the program, was sitting in the front row. After a few moments realized the problem and started chanting "Turn it off, turn it off!" Before long, the entire audience joined in, "Turn it off, turn it off!" Eventually, the man at the controls released his grip on the switch and the demonstration ended.

Since that time, except on rare occasions, Dean uses three people to handle the controls. For the power to come on, all three must throw their switch in the proper sequence, and any one of them

Briefing volunteers on the Million Volt Demonstration controls

can turn it off by releasing their controls. But, not trusting humans, Dean has designed a computer back-up to automatically shut down the charge if an unusually long time elapses.

Dean's scariest program came early in his career, during the first few days of the Spokane World's Fair. Dean had just received word that a close friend in Chicago was killed during a robbery. While still reeling from the shock of this news, he was informed of a bomb threat at the fair grounds. With nerves on edge, he continued preparing for the program. A tap on his shoulder caused him to spin around and be confronted by a very angry-looking 6'3" man. The man, a member of a cult, was upset at the number of people responding to the message of Wonders of Science during the first few nights of the fair. He threatened Dean, saying, "Stop speaking about this Jesus, or I'll make sure that you're killed and never say anything again!"

Dean looked at him and, paraphrasing a statement from the Bible, said, "Greater is He that is in me than he that is in the world" (1 John 4:4). He went on to say, "If you strike me down, another will just take my place. you can't kill the gospel." With that, Dean turned, resisted the urge to run, and calmly walked away.

When the program began, a young boy was sitting in the front row holding several helium-filled balloons. In the midst of the program, one of the balloons burst, sounding like a loud gunshot. Dean, convinced he'd been shot, grabbed his chest and staggered up against the back wall. When he looked down, he didn't see any blood. The audience, thinking it was all part of the show, roared with laughter.

When Dean realized what had happened, he explained to the audience the reason for his reaction and went on with the program. As the program drew to a close, a second balloon burst, and "brought down the house."

Dean has been doing the Million Volt Demonstration since 1973. Even after all this time, he admits that he still does not feel comfortable taking the ride. "If I ever find something that gets the same point across, is less dangerous and just as spectacular, I'll do it," he confesses. But nothing is quite as spectacular and explains the purpose of the programs more clearly. So Dean Ortner continues to be known as "The Million Volt Man."

WOS

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