Colonel Goddard is credited with founding the science of Firearms Identification and first applying it to help police solve the 1929 St. Valentine's Day Massacre in which seven gangsters were killed by rival Al Capone mobsters dressed as Chicago police officers.

That case led to the establishment of Northwestern University, the country's first independent forensic science crime laboratory, which Goddard headed. This university brought firearms identification, fingerprinting, blood analysis, and trace evidence under one roof. Goddard advised the FBI in 1932 when they set up a similar forensic science crime laboratory.

In the still controversial case of Sacco and Vanzetti, Goddard's firearms tests in 1927 verified that the revolver police found on Nicola Sacco was that used in the fatal robbery- the defense experts concurred with his finding. Because of Goddard's work, countless numbers of criminals have been brought to justice and the innocent vindicated.

Lucien "Luke" Haag is the winner of the 2012 Calvin H. Goddard Award for Excellence in Firearm Identification.

Luke Haag is the man that needs no introduction. One cannot possibly list all of his accomplishments, milestones and successes. In fact, every firearm examiner would describe him differently. For example, they might mention he was a past AFTE president, or an outstanding criminalist, an accomplished author, or a groundbreaking researcher, perhaps a profoundly knowledgeable trainer, or – in the words of one examiner – a modern day Calvin Goddard. Regardless of how he is described, one quality prevails: Everything Luke Haag has accomplished has had the goal of enriching our field, informing others, and – most importantly – seeking the truth.



From left to right: Robert Walsh (president of Forensic Technology), Luke Haag, and Ray Cooper (incoming AFTE president).