Flying Saucers

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MEMORANDUM FOR RECORD

SURJECT2 Flying Saucers

1. At 1100 yesterday morning I met with Dr. Julius A. Stratton, Executive Vice President and Provost of Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Dr. Max Millikan, Director of CENIS. I briefed them on the various new reports of sightings including the Limestone Base Case, the Florida Scout Kaster, the Utah Motion Pictures, etc. I also brought Dr. Stratton up to date on developments which had occurred since our previous discussion of the subject in August. Dr. Stratton reiterated his earlier position that this is a subject which must be investigated and he said that probably the best means of getting a thoroughly competent review of the problem would be through Project LINCOLN. He said, however, that in view of the delicate position in relation to Air Force, as a result of the "Summer Study Report", any acceptance of this project by LINCOLN must be based on Air Force concurrence or on an independent proposal from one of the other services. He said that Alfred Hill would be the best man to head the group. Assuming that it might prove impractical to place the Project at LINCOLN, we explored other possibilities including Princeton and Cal Tech. Dr. Stratton felt very strongly that Cal Tech would be the better of the two in view of the presence there of Robertson, Lauritson, Spitzer (on temporary duty from Princeton), Millikan's brother and others. Dr. Stratton asked particularly that we keep him informed of the progress that we make in having this problem investigated as he is personally very interested as well as fully aware of the potential danger and implications of the situation.

2. Following the meeting with Drs. Stratton and Millikan, I had lunch at Faculty Club with Iloyd Berkner and Jerrold Zacharias and briefed them on the recent cases and our feelings regarding their implications. Berkner, while apparently not interested in taking a personal part, felt strongly that the saucer problem should be thoroughly investigated from a scientific point of view. Zacharias did not appear to be greatly interested in the problem and made only one suggestion, i.e. that Shirley Quimby of Columbia University be brought into the picture. Quimby took his physics degree at the same time as Zacharias; is now at Columbia University, having during the war been a Navy scientist working on ASH. Zacharias suggested Quimby because the latter is probably the most expert man in the country on magic and general chicanery.

3. My conclusion from these conversations is that it will probably be necessary to secure the full backing of DCI in order that a scientific review of this problem may be laid on. Without this backing, it would probably be impossible to secure the Air Force cooperation which would be necessary, particularly in the matter of availability of reports, etc.

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