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This Gerald R. Ford Presidential Library file holds 1966 press releases and letters on UFOs from House Minority Leader Gerald R. Ford. In March 1966 Ford asked the House Armed Services or Science and Astronautics Committee to hold hearings. He called the Air Force's swamp gas explanation for the Michigan sightings flippant. Later statements say the Air Force had agreed to fund an independent scientific study. An October 7, 1966 release announces that the University of Colorado, under Dr. Edward U. Condon, had been chosen to do it.
Rep. George P. Miller, Chairman Rep. L. Mendel Rivers, Chairman Page Two March 28, 1966 Ronald Colier of Los Angeles, who identifies himself as "a scientist from M.I.T.," urges that you "do everything in your power to make Air Force Project Blue Book (the AF name for its study and verdicts on UFO reports) known to the people." Are we to assume that everyone who says he has seen UFO's is an unreliable witness? A UPI story out of Ann Arbor, Michigan, dated March 21, 1966, states that "at least 40 persons, including 12 policemen, said today that they saw a strange flying object guarded by four sister ships land in a swamp near here Sunday night." Matt Surrell of Station WJR, Detroit, cites an eye witness account of a recent UFO sighting by Emile Grenier of Ann Arbor, an aeronautical engineer emplOJed by Ford Motor Company. He points out that an aeronautical engineer can hardly be considered an untrustworthy witness. In the firm belief that the American public deserves a better explanation than that thus far given by the Air Parce, 1 strongly recommend that there be a committee investigation of the UFO phenomena, I think we owe it to the people to establish credibility regarding UFO's and to produce the greatest possible enlightenment on this subject. Kindest personal regards. Sincerely, /s/ Gerald R. Ford, M.C. GRF:plr Enclosures
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