As a boy growing up in Jamestown, Roger’s first love was moths. However, he had a problem: moths mostly came out at night, but there was a curfew for children — they were not allowed outside after dark. Roger went to the police station, pled his case and received written permission from the chief of police to collect moths after dark.

Even more amazing, Roger’s mother gave him permission to place the moths he collected on her indoor curtains. This allowed him to watch the life cycle of moths — from eggs, to larvae to cocoons to adult moths. No doubt, turning the family living room into a learning laboratory left some holes in Mrs. Peterson’s curtains.