STANDARD FORM NO. 64
Office Memorandum • UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Mr. Tolson
FROM : L. B. Nichols
SUBJECT: WILLIAM ALBERT RHODES
INFORMATION CONCERNING
FLYING DISCS
BUREAU FILE 62-83894, Serials 80, 184, and 225
DATE: June 4, 1952
During my absence at 11:50 A.M. today, Fred Blumenthal, in the office of Drew Pearson, called and talked with Wick. Blumenthal stated Pearson has been in contact with Dr. W. A. Rhodes (Phoenix telephone number 5-0048) concerning photographs which the above captioned took of flying discs in the Phoenix area in July of 1947.
Blumenthal states that Dr. Rhodes told Pearson today that the FBI borrowed his negatives of the flying discs and when asked for their return the FBI told Rhodes the negatives were not available.
Blumenthal asked whether there is any truth to this statement of Rhodes and what the FBI knew about him.
It appears that Pearson is interested in using the photographs on his television program and is desirous of borrowing them from the Bureau or having them returned to Dr. Rhodes.
BACKGROUND:
Bureau files reflect that on August 29, 1947, a Mr. George Fugate, Jr., called at the Phoenix Office exhibiting credentials reflecting he represented A-2, Fourth Air Force, Hamilton Field, California. He asked an Agent to accompany him to interview William Rhodes who previously reported the photographing of a flying disc in Phoenix on the afternoon of July 7, 1947.
The Phoenix Office contacted SAC Harry Kimball of the San Francisco Office and Mr. Kimball verified the fact that Fugate came to Phoenix as a representative of Colonel Donald Springer of Hamilton Field, and it was suggested the Phoenix Office assist Fugate not in investigating the matter, but in simply talking with Dr. Rhodes.
By letter dated September 4, 1947, the Phoenix Office set forth in four pages the results of this interview and stated Fugate had requested the negatives from Rhodes who did not have them in his immediate possession. Rhodes stated, however, he would deliver them to the FBI the following morning for transmittal to Fugate at Hamilton Field, California.
cc - Mr. Ladd
cc - Mr. Belmont
REW:md
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Handwritten annotations and markings:
- Top left: "RA" (in blue ink)
- Top center: Three black ink smudges
- Top right: Black ink smudges
- Right margin: List of names with checkmarks or annotations:
- Tolson ✓
- Ladd ✓
- Nichols ✓
- Belmont ✓
- Clegg ✓
- Glavin ✓
- Harbo ✓
- Rosen ✓
- Tracy ✓
- Mohr ✓
- Tele. Rm. ✓
- Nease ✓
- Gandy ✓
- Right side: "9-1" (blue ink), "982" (red ink), "INDEXED" (blue ink), "RECORDED" (blue ink), "62-83894-982" (red ink)
- Bottom right: "JUN 18 1952" (red ink), signature (illegible)
- Bottom left: "0 JULY 1952" (red ink), "36" (red ink)
- Various underlines, strikethroughs, and handwritten corrections throughout the text.
Note: The document contains numerous handwritten annotations, strikethroughs, and corrections. These have been described in the "Handwritten annotations and markings" section for completeness, as they are not part of the typed text but are visually present on the page. The typed text has been transcribed exactly as it appears, including all line breaks and spacing.