Documents / Hearing transcript

Symposium on unidentified flying objects: hearings before the Committee on Science and Astronautics, U.S. House of Representatives, Ninetieth Congress, second session, July 29, 1968.

U.S. House of Representatives · 1968-07-29 · 256 pages · text from the file's own layer

This is the printed record of a July 29, 1968 symposium on unidentified flying objects held by the Committee on Science and Astronautics of the U.S. House of Representatives, chaired by Rep. J. Edward Roush. The committee heard statements from six scientists: J. Allen Hynek, James E. McDonald, Carl Sagan, Robert L. Hall, James A. Harder and Robert M. L. Baker. It also printed papers from Donald Menzel, Stanton Friedman, Frank Salisbury and others. Hynek argued that puzzling UFO reports from competent witnesses deserve serious scientific study.

  • p. 7 …of advanced technological ma- chinery manned by some kind of intelligence, that is, the extrater- restrial…
  • p. 9 …American Association for the Advancement of Science; Astronomy Society(secretary). Specialty: Astrophysics. Fields of Interest: Stellar…
  • p. 19 …The Air Force has no evidence that UFO's are extra-terrestrial or rep- resent advanced…
  • p. 24 18 (The biography of Dr.McDonald follows:) DR. JAMES E. MCDONAI,D Born: Duluth, Minn., May…
  • p. 29 …from some advanced technology sufficiently advanced to do what we cannot do in the sense of…
  • p. 32 …The possibility that these are extraterrestrial devices, that we are dealing with surveillance from some advanced…
  • p. 40 …THE UNCONVENTIONAL NATURE OF THE UFO PROBLEM To both laymen and scientists, the impressive progress that…
  • p. 48 …At first, they thought it was a jet, whose exhaust was somehow accounting for the advancing…
  • p. 59 …advanced civilization of extraterrestrial origin, the pattern of the observa- tions, the motivation of the surveillance…
  • p. 75 …To ignore most of the salient features of a sighting in order to advance an easy…
  • p. 94 …Now, if we want to assess the likelihood that there are intelligentcivilizations somewhere in advance of…
  • p. 95 …be far in advance of our own,and this,therefore raises the question of how likely…
  • p. 96 …that an advance civilization comes here very rarely. But I again emphasize the great uncertainty in…
  • p. 97 91 So, to conclude what I understand is the main reason why this committee has asked…
  • p. 100 …the possibility of its development by other civilizations. But if each of, say, a million advanced…
  • p. 101 …a race of advanced and benign creatures were devoted to our welfare. The interest in unidentified…
  • p. 111 …The possible value of contact for purposes of advancing our knowledge of our technology. Let's…
  • p. 112 …again the same possible great value from under- standing the phenomenon in order to advance our…
  • p. 116 …We must then concern ourselves with the possible consequences of contact with technologically advanced civilizations whose…
  • p. 117 111 the task. We must also 'be concerned with the risks of panic resulting in people…
  • p. 124 …Gravitation remains one of the enigmas of modern science, although there have been some advances in…
  • p. 125 …This will depend upon advances in many fields of science. Some of the things required will…
  • p. 130 …Gravitation remains one of the enigmas of modern science, although there have been some advances in…
  • p. 132 …Baker's professional society memberships include the American Associa- tion for the Advancement of Science, Phi…
  • p. 140 …There have been many debates on the technical capabilities or limits on the capabilities of advanced…
  • p. 141 135 area of forecasting the social characteristics of an advanced extrater- restrial civilization. Philosophers, social scientists…
  • p. 142 …in the environs of the earth, or to make dubious speculations either concerning "their" advanced scientific…
  • p. 143 …the gross characteristics of an advanced civilization. These studies (probablynot Government funded) should include the social…
  • p. 150 …Applications and Advanced Topics, Academic Press, New York, pp. 112-115 and pp. 376 to 392…
  • p. 153 147 00015 "Recent Advances in Astrodynamics," (with Samuel Herrick), Jet Propul- sion, 28, No. 10, 1958…
  • p. 154 …00040 "State-of-the-Art-1960 Astrodynamics,"Astronautics, 5, No. 11, 30, 1960. 00041 "Novel Orbit…
  • p. 157 …Makemson) 00071 Astrodynamics - Applications and Advanced Topics, Academic Press, New York, 1967. 00072 "Recent Advances in…
  • p. 171 …In the past five years, he has advanced from assistant bookkeeper to teller to head teller…
  • p. 174 …He has no desire to advance any further up the bank totem pole, says he never…
  • p. 189 …advanced radar systems air being de- vekii2ed for our missile defense systems, such as the ALTAR…
  • p. 190 …of the Earth or to make very dubious speculations 191, t101 either concerning "their" advanced scientific…
  • p. 203 …The primary attribute of an advanced intelligent civilization is its ability to create its own environment…
  • p. 204 …Menzel became acting Director of Harvard College Observatory and, in 1954, was advanced to the Directorship…
  • p. 207 …approach it or advances as you move away. As we look over the Air Force files…
  • p. 210 …Or at least that is the com- mon argument advanced by UFO buffs. Radar is cursed…
  • p. 212 …Life Member of American Association for the Advancement of Science. Professional Organizational Activities: State delegate to…
  • p. 217 …our level of advancement? As noted in the Special Report of the USAF Scientific Advisory Board…
  • p. 219 …Friedman has a relatively unique background in advanced technology, hav- ing been actively involved in the…
  • p. 222 …the existence of advanced civilizations. We frequently forget that the resolution of present photographs of the…
  • p. 223 …36, 37) and the American Association for the Advancement of Science is planning a UFO seminar…
  • p. 224 …reason, would not examine the data relevant to UFOs or advanced technology. Marcowitz was totally wrong…
  • p. 225 …reason, would not examine the data relevant to UFOs or advanced technology. Marcowitz was totally wrong…
  • p. 226 …B., "The Phenomenological Aspects of Magnetogasdynamic Re-entry." Presented at the 10th Midwestern Mechanics Conference, Colorado…
  • p. 227 …not alone in the Universe and surely some civilizations are more advanced than ours, but interstellar…
  • p. 233 …possible sites in advance, we could simply move in to recover the desired information after an…
  • p. 234 …The effectiveness of the proposed procedure would depend very heavily upon the amount of thought, care…
  • p. 237 …listed in advance on a 'standardized rating sheet. However this part of the experiment will not…
115
Officer
Scott
and
myself,
after
our
verification,
continued
to
watch
the
object.
On
two
occasions
the
object
came
directly
towards
the
patrol
vehicle
:
Each
time
it
approached
the
object
turned,
swept
the
area with
a
huge
red
light. Officer
Scott
turned
the
red
light
on
the
patrol
vehicle
towards
the
object
and
it
im-
mediately
went
away
from
us.
We
Observed
the
object
use
the
red
beam
approxi-
mately
6
or
7
times,
sweeping
the
sky
and
ground
areas.
The
object
began
mov-
ing
slowly in
an
easterly
direction
and
we
followed.
We
proceeded
to the
Vina
Plains
Fire
Station
where
we
again
were
able
to locate
the
object.
As
we
watched
it
was
approached
by
a
similar object
from
the
south.
It
moved
near
the
first
object
and
both stopped,
remaining
in
that
position
for
some
time,
occasionally
emitting
the red
beam.
Finally
both
objects
disappeared
below
the
eastern
hori-
zon.
We
returned
to
the
Sheriff's Office
and
met
Deputy
Fry
and Deputy
Mont-
gomery,
who
had
gone
to
Los
Molinos
after
contacting
the
radar
base.
Both
had
seen the
U.F.O.
clearly
and
described to
us
what
we
saw.
The
night
jailer
also
was
able
to
see
the
object
for
a
short
time,
each
described
the
object
and
its
maneuvers
exactly
as
we
saw
them.
We
first
saw
the
object
at
2.350
hours
and
observed
it
for
approx.
2
hours
and
15
minutes.
Each
time
the
object
neared
us
we
experienced radio
interference.
Sir,
we
submit
this
report
in
confidence,
for
your
information,
we
were
calm
after
our
initial
shock
and
decided
to
observe
and
record
all
we
could of the
object.
CHARLES
A.
CARSON, No.
2358.
S.
E.
SCOTT,
No.
1851.
Officers
Scott
and
Carson were
searching
for
a
speeding motor-
cyclist
along
Hoag
Road,
east
of Corning,
Calif.,
between
U.S.
High-
way
No.
99W
and
99E
when
they
saw what
at
first
appeared
to
be
a
huge
airliner
dropping
from
the sky.
This
was
at 11:50
p.m.
They
stopped
and
leaped
from
the
patrol
car in order to get
a
position
on
what
they
were
sure
was
going
to
be
an
airplane crash.
From
their
position outside
the car the
first
thing they
noticed
was
an
absolute
silence. Still
assuming
it
to
be
an
aircraft
with
power
off,
they
con-
tinued
to
watch
until
the
object
was
probably
within
100
to
200
feet
off
the
ground, whereupon
it
suddenly
reversed completely,
traveling
at high speed
back
up
the
45
-degree
glide
path
it
had
been
taking,
and
gaining about
500
-feet altitude.
This
observation
was from
a
distance
of
one-half to
1
mile.
They
said
it
was
about the
size
of
a
DC
-6
without
wings;
Officer
Carson
later
made a
sketch
which
shows an
elliptical
object
150
feet
long
and
40
feet
high.
It
was a
very
clear
night,
with
no
clouds,
and
as
the
object
hovered
for about a minute
they got
a good
look at
it.
It
was
obviously
not
an
aircraft
of
any
design familiar to
them,
they
said.
It
was
surrounded
by a
white
glow,
making
the
object
visible.
At
each
end
there
were
definite
red
lights,
and
at
times
five
white
lights
were
visible
between
the
two
red
lights.
They
called
the night dispatching
office
at the
county
sheriff's
office
and
asked that other cars
be
sent,
and
that
all
other cars in the area
be
alerted.
They
also
asked the radar
base
be
notified.
The
object
then
drifted
westward toward them,
losing
altitude,
and
got within
some 150 yards of them,
easy
pistol
range, before
drift-
ing eastward again.
During
this
time
it
performed
aerial feats
that
seemed
unbelievable.
It
was
capable of moving
in
any
direction—up,
down,
back,
and
forth.
At
times the
movement was
very slow,
andat times completely motionless.
It could
move
at extremely high speeds,
and
several
times they watched
it
change
direction
or
reverse
itself
while
moving
at unbelievable speeds.

Cases discussed

About this file

Hearing transcript, from the govinfo collection. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is above. 256 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.