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CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90

CIA (Gerald Haines) · 1997 · 18 pages · text from the file's own layer

This 1997 study by Gerald K. Haines, National Reconnaissance Office historian, traces CIA interest in UFOs from the late 1940s to 1990 using Agency records compiled after DCI R. James Woolsey ordered a 1993 file review. It covers Air Force projects SIGN, GRUDGE and BLUE BOOK, the 1953 Robertson panel, U-2 and OXCART flights mistaken for UFOs, and disputes with Keyhoe and Davidson. It concludes that Agency concern was substantial until the early 1950s and limited and peripheral since.

UFOs
10. (S) SeeEdwardTauss,memorandum
forDeputyAssistantDirector, SI,
FlyingSaucers, 1August 1952. See
alsoUnitedKingdom,Report by the
FlyingSaucer WorkingParty, Uni
dentifiedFlyingObjects, no date
(approximately1950).
11. See Dr. Stone, OSI,memorandum to
Dr.WillardMachle, OSI, 15March
1949 andRalph L.Clark,Acting
AssistantDirector, OSI,memoran
dum forDDI, RecentSightings 0f
UnexplainedObje~ts, 29 July 1952.
12. Stone,memorandum toMachle. See
alsoClark,memorandum forDDI,
29 July 1952.
13. SeeKlass, UFOs, p. 15. For abrief
review of theWashingtonsightings see
Good,Above TopSecret, pp.269-27 1.
14. SeeRalph L. Clark,ActingAssistant
Director, OSI,memorandum to DDI
RobertAmory, Jr., 29 July 1952.
OSI and OCT were in theDirectorate
ofIntelligence.Established in 1948,
OSIserved as theCIA s focal point
for theanalysis offoreignscientific
andtechnologicaldevelopments. In
1980, OSI wasmerged into theOffice
ofScience andWeaponsResearch.
TheOffice ofCurrentIntelligence
(OCI),established on 15January
1951 was toprovideall-sourcecurrent
intelligence to thePresident and the
NationalSecurityCouncil.
15. Tauss,memorandum forDeputy
AssistantDirector, SI(PhilipStrong),
1August 1952.
16. On 2January 1952, DCIWalter
BedellSmithcreated aDeputyDirec
torate forIntelligence(DDI)composed
of sixovert CIAorganizations OSI,
OCI,Office ofCollection andDissemi
nation,OfficeNationalEstimates,
Office ofResearch andReports, and
theOffice ofIntelligence Coordina
tion toproduceintelligenceanalysis
for USpolicymakers.
17. SeeMinutes ofBranchChief sMeet
ing, 11August 1952.
18. Smithexpressed hisopinions at a
meeting in the DCIConference
Roomattended by his topofficers.
SeeDeputyChief,Requirements
Staff, PT,memorandum forDeputy
Director, Plans, FlyingSaucers, 20
August 1952,Directorate ofOpera
tionsRecords,Information
Management Staff, Job86-00538R,
Box 1. (S)
19. See CIAmemorandum,unsigned,
FlyingSaucers, 11August 1952.
20. See CIA,memorandum,unsigned,
FlyingSaucers, 14August 1952.
21. See CIA,memorandum,unsigned,
FlyingSaucers, 19August 1952.
22. SeeChadwell,memorandum for
Smith, 17September 1952 and 24
September 1952, FlyingSaucers.
See alsoChadwell,memorandum for
DCISmith, 2October 1952 and
Klass, UFOs, pp.23-26.
23.Chadwell,memorandum for DCI
withattachments, 2December 1952.
See alsoKiass, UFOs, pp. 26-27 and
Chadwell,memorandum, 25Novem
ber 1952.
24. SeeChadwell,memorandum, 25
November 1952 andChadwell,mem
orandum, Approval inPrinciple -
ExternalResearchProjectConcerned
withUnidentifiedFlyingObjects, no
date. See alsoPhilip G.Strong, OSI,
memorandum for therecord, Meet
ingwith Dr.Julius A.Stratton,
Executive VicePresident andProvost,
MIT and Dr. MaxMillikan,Director
ofCENTS. Strongbelieved that in
order toundertake such areview they
would need the fullbacking and sup
port ofDCISmith.
25. SeeChadwell,memorandum for
DCI, UnidentifiedFlyingObjects,
2December 1952. See alsoChad-
well,memorandum forAmory, DDI,
Approval inPrinciple -External
ResearchProjectConcernedwith Uni
dentifiedFlyingObjects, no date.
26. The IAC wascreated in 1947 to serve
as acoordinating body inestablishing
intelligencerequirements. Chaired by
the DCI, the IACincludedrepresenta
tives from theDepartment ofState,
theArmy, the AirForce, theJoint
Chiefs ofStaff, the FBI, and theAEC.
27. SeeKiass, UFOs, p. 27.
28. SeeRichard D.Drain,ActingSecre
tary, JAC, Minutes ofMeeting held
inDirector sConferenceRoom,
AdministrationBuilding, CIA, 4
December 1952.
29. (5) SeeChadwell,memorandum for
therecord, BritishActivity in the
Field ofUFOs, 18December 1952.
30. SeeChadwell,memorandum for
DCI, Consultants forAdvisoryPanel
onUnidentifiedFlyingObjects, 9
January 1953;CurtisPeebles, Watch
theSkies! AChronicle oftheFlyingSau
cerMyth(Washington, DC:
SmithsonianInstitution Press, 1994).
pp.73-90; andJacobs, The UFO Con
troversy, pp.91-92.
31. See Fred C.Durant III,Report on the
Robertson PanelMeeting,January
1953. Durant, oncontractwith OSI
and a pastpresident of theAmerican
RocketSociety,attended theRobert
son panelmeetings andwrote a
summary of theproceedings.
32. SeeReport of theScientificPanel on
UnidentifiedFlyingObjects (the Rob
ertsonReport), 17January 1953 and
theDurantreport on thepanel
discussions.
33. SeeRobertsonReport andDurant
Report. See alsoGood,Above Top
Secret, pp.337-38,Jacobs, The UFO
Controversy, p. 95, andKlass, UFO s,
pp.28-29.
34. SeeRebet,memorandum to IAC, 18
February 1953.
35. SeeChadwell,memorandum for
DDI, UnidentifiedFlyingObjects,
80

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