Original documents (8) in pdf format

Letter from H. Marshall Chadwell to Dr. Julius Stratton Re: Robertson Panel

Jan 27 1953

 

Dr. Julius A. Stratton, Provost

Massachusetts Institute of Technology

Cambridge 37, Massachusetts

Dear Dr. Stratton:

            Remembering your request to be kept informed of any progress in the problem of “unidentified flying objects,” this letter will bring you up to date.

            Last December, the section of the Air Technical Intelligence Center charged with investigation of reports of sightings presented a status briefing at the Agency. Based upon the evidence presented, the subject was discussed at a December meeting of the Intelligence Advisory Committee (CIA, Army, Navy, Air Force, Joint Staff, State, AEC, and FBI). At that time it was recommended that CIA should assemble a panel of highly qualified personnel to examine the problem and its ramifications. Particular competency in the fields of physics, radar and astronomy was believed desirable.

            We were fortunate to obtain the services of especially qualified men, I believe you will agree. Enclosed for your information are copies of the report submitted by the Panel and related material. We concur in the conclusions and recommendations of the Panel, and are forwarding the report to appropriate authorities. Since the problems related to this subject appear to be operational rather than intelligence in nature, we will be concerned only indirectly in the future. However, if there are any developments in which we believe you might be interested, we shall inform you. Incidentally, knowledge of any interest of CIA in the subject of “flying saucers” has been carefully restricted, in view of probable misunderstanding if it were publicly known.

      With best wishes,

                                                                                                            Cordially yours,

                                                                                                          Signed, H. Marshall Chadwell

                                                                                                            Assistant Director

Enclosures:

1.                  Panel Report

2.                  List of Personnel

3.                  Evidence presented

Distribution:

            Boston Office [blacked out] with Enclosures – 1

            ??/C  [blacked out] no enclosures – 1

OSI [?D] Div (27 Jan 53)


 

27 January 1953

Acting Chief, P&E Division

??

Lt. Col. F. C. E. Oder, CP Branch

Meeting of OSI Advisory Group on Unidentified Flying Objects, 14-17 January 1953.

  1. At your request I represented P&E Division at the subject meeting. I was present at nearly all meetings of the group with the exception of the afternoon of Friday, the 16th and on the session of Saturday, the 17th. During the latter two sessions the Advisory Group went into executive session for the production of their report to AD/SI.

  1. The following OSI Consultants formed the Advisory Group:

                        Dr. H.P. Robertson, Chairman

                        Dr. Sam Goudsmit

                        Dr. Luis Alvarez

                        Dr. Thornton Page (missed morning session on 16th)

                        Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner (present only on afternoon of 16th and 17)

                        Dr. J. A. Hynek (an ATIC consultant – he sat in on all the sessions after the first day, but did not sign the report to AD/SI as an official group member)

  1. The following OSI staff members attended:

                        Dr. H. M. Chadwell (most of the first day only)

                        Mr. P. G. Strong (although not an OSI consultant, he functioned as a staff member for the conference and attended all sessions including the executive sessions.

                        Mr. D. B. Stevenson, Weapons Division

                        Lt. Col. F. C. E. Oder, P&E Division

  1. The following persons we invited to present certain background information to the Advisory Group:

                        Captain Edward Ruppelt, ATIC who presented information on the work of Proj. Methods (and its predecessors “Grudge”, “Saucer”, and “Sign”) and discussed in detail many of their specific investigations.

                       Major Fournet, AFIN (by now on inactive status and with the Ethyl Corp.) who presented [unreadable] [unreadable] of ATIC, representative of the Navy Photographic Labs who presented their analysis of films of a “sighting.”

  1.    The first business on the agenda was a [unreadable] by [unreadable] [unreadable] ([unreadable]) to the group by [unreadable]. This was followed by a [unreadable] of the [unreadable] by ([unreadable]) As had been requested by IAC to look into the “flying saucer problem” issues of the [unreadable] national security problem: (a) possible exploitation to [unreadable] hysteria, (b) the [unreadable] and [unreadable] inherent in observation of “flying saucers” by the U. S. radar and observance, (c) the [unreadable] “flying saucer reports” overloading the [unreadable] communications [unreadable] of the Department of Defense.

  1. [unreadable] of the quality of the consultants and the excellence of their introduction to the subject by Dr. Chadwell and Mr. Strong and the Advisory Group never lost sight of its goals in spite of the fact that the discussion took many excursions.

  1. The Advisory Group submitted its report to AD/SI on 17 January 1953. Their principal finding was that at the present time the unidentified flying objects pose no threat to the security of the United States. They recommended the establishment of programs of education regarding the sighting particulars as concerns the U. S. radar and defense system, and for the general public as well.

  1. Most of the OSI files on this subject are being retained in the office of the AD/SI. Weapons Division has a considerable file which according to Stevenson, they would like to dispense of because of the findings of the Advisory Group that “flying saucers” pose no present threat tot eh United States security. Mr. Durant feels that the material in the Weapons Division file should be maintained in one the [unreadable]  Division of OSI and had suggested that P&E Division take them over [unreadable]  them. Mr. Stevenson of Weapons Division currently has the material and estimates that several [unreadable] per [unreadable] will be required to keep it current. He indicates that it is [unreadable] to Mr. Strong, Chief of Weapons Division, that P&E Division get the files. I would like to suggest that the Active Chief, [unreadable] Division discuss this with [unreadable]. I personally don’t see why P&E Division has any greater interest in this material than Weapons Division.

  1. If GP Branch, P&E Division is given the responsibility for the files mentioned in paragraph 8, above, one (1) additional [unreadable] will be required.

                                                                                                Frederic C. E. Oder

                                                                                                Lt. Colonel, USAF

    [unreadable]:ss

   cc:     Orig. & 1 – Div. Off.

                         1 – [unreadable]        

                        1 – [unreadable]         

                        1 – Originator

 

 

CHARGE TO O/SI ADVISORY GROUP ON UNIDENTIFIED FLYING OBJECTS

1.      To review available evidence on unidentified flying objects and to consider possible dangers to national security related thereto.

2.      To advise concerning the amount and kind of data necessary for a scientific evaluation of these phenomena.

3.      In particular to comment on:

a.       Validity of current CIA evaluation of related dangers.

b.      Methodology and scope of current and planned ATIC Investigation.

c.       Advisability of further feelings of this group or further review of the subject by a larger panel.

 

POSSIBLE EXPLANATIONS

 

A.     Hysteria, hallucinations, hoaxes, etc. (Psychological)

B.     Misidentifications of conventional objects:

  1. Aircraft, missiles, searchlight reflections, etc. (man-made, controlled)
  2. Balloons, kites, etc. (man-made, uncontrolled)
  3. Birds, bugs, etc. (animal)
  4. Dust, seeds (e.g. dandelion), paper, etc. (foreign matter)

C.     Natural phenomena:

  1. Light aberrations, reflections, refractions, etc.
  2. Anomalous radar propagation.
  3. Ionization, static electricity, ball lightening, etc.
  4. Planets, meteors and other astronomical bodies.
  5. Others

D.     Unconventional man-made devices:

  1. US
  2. USSR and other foreign

E.     Extraterrestrial origin:

  1. Animal
  2. Machine

Hand-written note

            Basis of Maj. Fournet’s [unreadable] to OSI Advis. Gp. 14-17 Jan 53

                                    (given on 16 Jan)

 

 FORMATIONS

(This image has been cleaned-up a bit without changing the formations themselves. Jean)

Link to original image

 
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