Documents / FOIA release
This Central Intelligence Agency memorandum by W. E. Lexon, Chief of the Applied Science Division, records a meeting with Air Force representatives about the Secret Scientific Advisory Panel report on UFOs dated 17 January 1953. Attendees agreed the full report cannot be declassified because it cites examples of possible enemy actions. The memo also covers the inquiries from Leon Davidson, a proposed Air Force press release, concerns about Major Keyhoe's organization and former DCI Hillenkoetter, and Dr. Menzel's suggested rewording.
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 Major Joseph E. Boland Major James F. Byrne Major Lawrence J. Tacker Dr. A. Francis Arcier DAD/C/SI, CIA SAF LL-3 AFCIN=X1A Mr. George Carv Mr. W. E. Lexon SALFIS Legislative Counsel, CIA OSI, CIA 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. 2 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.