Ford Press Releases, January - April 1966: 12130682

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March 28, 1966
Rep. George P. Miller, Chairman
Science and Astronautics Committee
U, s. House of Representatives
Washington, D.C.
Dear Chairmen Miller and Rivers:
Rep. L, Mendel Rivers, Chairman
Armed Services Committee
u. s. House of Representatives
Washington, D. c.
No doubt you have noted the recent flurry of newspaper stories about
unidentified flying objects (UFO's). I have taken special interest in
these accounts because many of the latest reported sightings have been
in my home state of Michigan.
The Air Force sent a consultant, astrophysicist Dr. J, Allen Hynek of
Northwestern University, to Michigan to investigate the various reports;
and he dismissed all of them as the product of college student pranks or
swamp gas or an impression created by the rising crescent moon and the
planet Venus. I do not agree that all of these reports can be or should
be so easily explained away.
Because I think there may be substance to some of these reports and
because I believe the American people are entitled to a more thorough
explanation than has been given them by the Air Force to date, I am
proposing that either the Science and Astronautics Committee or the
Armed Services Committee of the House schedule hearings on the subject
of UFO's and invite testimony from both the executive branch of the
government and some of the persons who claim to have seen UFO's.
I enclose material which I think will be helpful to you in assessing the
advisability of an investigation of UFO's.
May I first call to your attention a column by Roscoe Drummond, published
last Sunday in which Mr. Drummond says, "Maybe all of these reported
sightings are whimsical, imaginary or unreal; but we need a more credible
and detached appraisal of the evidence than we are getting. 11
Mr. Drummond goes on to state, "We need to get all the data drawn together
to one place and examined far more objectively than anyone has done so far.
A stable public opinion will come from a trustworthy look at the evidence,
not from belittling it."
"The time has come for the President or Congress to name an objective and
respected panel to investigate, appraise, and report on all present and
future evidence about what is going on."
I agree fully with Mr. Drummond's statements. 1 also suggest you scan
the enclosed series of six articles by Bulkley Griffin of the Griffin-
Larrabee N·~"'iS Bureau here. In the last of his articles, published last
January, Hr. Griffin says, "A main conclusion can be briefly stated. It
is that the Air Force is misleading the public by its continuing campaign
to produce and maintain belief that all sightings can be explained away
as misidentification of familiar objects, such as balloons, stars, and
aircraft."
I have just today received a number of telegrams
investigation of UFO's. One is from retired Air
Ardmore, Tennessee, who says, 111 have seen UFO.
testify."
urging a congressional
Force Col, Harold R. Brown,
Will be available to
Another, from Mrs. Ethyle M. Davis, Eugene, Oregon, reads, "Nine out of
ten people want .truth of UFO' s Press your investigation to the £ullest. 11
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