Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency memorandum for record, written by W. E. Lexow of the Applied Science Division, describes a meeting between CIA and Air Force officials about the Scientific Advisory Panel Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, dated 17 January 1953. Participants agreed that the full Secret report could not be declassified and chose a press release as the way to handle inquiries such as those from Leon Davidson. They also talked about Major Keyhoe's organization, Admiral Hillenkoetter's role on its board, and Dr. Menzel's suggestion.
Read from the scan by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word.
SUBJECT: Meeting with Air Force Personnel Concerning Scientific Advisory Panel Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, dated 17 January 1953 (Secret) 1. A meeting was convened this date with representatives of the Air Force to discuss what steps should be taken concerning the subject report in order to take care of inquiries such as the letters written by Mr. Leon Davidson. Mr. Davidson has been most insistent upon getting the entire report released. The full report is classified "Secret." A declassified version is available, a copy of which was given to Mr. Davidson. 2. The following personnel were at the meeting: Mr. Philip G. Strong DAD/C/SI, CIA Major Joseph E. Boland SAF LL-3 Major James F. Byrne AFCIN-XIA Major Lawrence J. Tacker SAFIS (5121) 3. Paragraph 3 of the report cites examples of actions that could be taken by an enemy with possibly dangerous consequences to national security. This is the principal reason that the entire report cannot be declassified. This was agreed to in the meeting. In addition, it was pointed out by Mr. Strong that several of the panel members specifically requested that while they had no objection to their names being used in connection with the report, they did not want their names connected to the Central Intelligence Agency. So far it is believed that all connections between the panel members and CIA have been made by unofficial personnel. 4. In dealing specifically with Mr. Davidson it was agreed that Major Tacker would answer for the DCI at the same time that he was answering for the Air Forces. (Mr. Davidson sent a copy of his letter to Major Tacker to the DCI for a response.) 5. Mr. Strong pointed out that perhaps the best way to forestall any future inquiries along these lines was to put out a press release covering the subject of unidentified flying objects, utilizing the panel report as much as possible. Major Boland agreed
FOIA release, from the cia-readingroom collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. The text was read from the page images by GLM-OCR; expect the odd misread word. 3 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.