Documents / Report

Robertson Panel Report

The Black Vault · 1953 · 29 pages · text from the file's own layer

This declassified CIA document, released through The Black Vault, reports on the meetings of the Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, which the Office of Scientific Intelligence convened on January 14 to 18, 1953. It includes a history of the sessions and the panel's informal comments, and it appends the formal report signed by H. P. Robertson and others. The panel found no evidence of a direct threat to national security. It recommended stripping UFOs of their special status and starting a public education program.

Open the PDF at page 18 Original source ↗

“CIA”28 pages

  • p. 2 …S CONVENED BY OFFICE OF SCIENTIFIC INTELLIGENCE, CIA January 14 - 18, 1953 25X1A Declassified b}' _ ooees…
  • p. 3 - ~. Approved For Release 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R0.00030027-0 Purpose ~·-~··fi!#~-..:::i'lftlltl!ftM!!I…
  • p. 4 • • . Approved For Release 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.100030027-0 ·~ ~~ 16 February 1953 MEMORANDUM FOR: Assistant…
  • p. 5 …WEDNESDAY MORNING The AD/SI opened the meeting, reviewing CIA interest in the subject and action…
  • p. 6 …Besides Panel members and CIA personnel, Capt. E. J. Ruppelt, Dr. J. Allen Nynak, Capt. Harry…
  • p. 7 …Besides Panel members.and CIA personnel, Mr. Ruppelt and Dr. Hynek were present for both sessions…
  • p. 8 …Besides Panel members and CIA personnel, Dre Hynek was present. as Panel Member, was present at…
  • p. 9 ·. Approved For Reise 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.100030027-0 ·~ :g~·~~ ~M~n conclusions reached. A…
  • p. 10 .Approved For Rel.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560RO&oo30027-0 ....IIPJ!fi'l'#'· ~1Jrlj!1…
  • p. 11 …Approved For Rel.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560RAoo030027-0 ..,.,.s.~~!O:I; ~·~l~~M@en…
  • p. 12 25X1A . Approved For Reise 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560Ra00030027-0 ~.J' ~'~'Moa have been so labeled…
  • p. 13 …aeronautical engineer and technical intelligence 25X1A -10- Approved For Release 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R000100030027-0
  • p. 14 …Approved For Re.se ~001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R-100030027-0 ~i\.~ ~~=-.::r........e~.. ~...-~... •Q~VJ…
  • p. 15 Approved For Re.se 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R~00030027-0 ··•"""'$liiit:tl~~~'1~~,,.,,"""'"">:50 'E…
  • p. 16 Approved For Re.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560Roe00030027-0 ,•}_:· - . "' ·-,'. .. d• Objects in the Great Falls…
  • p. 17 …Approved For Re.se 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.00030027-0 k. Hand "jitter 11 frequencies…
  • p. 18 …Although not the concern of CIA, the first two of' these problems may seriously affect the…
  • p. 19 . Approved For Rel.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R0.00030027-0 ~;:i~~·&4!i'#\,\%t S…
  • p. 20 Approved For Re.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R~00030027-0 of the sky is now…
  • p. 21 Approved For a:se 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560.100030027-0 S..~·ro@>~·!lr ·~ .........., ..S&&w…
  • p. 22 …Approved For Rel.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R0.0030027-0 -&+~~- ..,,_,_-.t.~.jjtjara:(~. '·... ,.... 'D"C'~~ '· . . . '~~~- 25X1A…
  • p. 23 …Fo.:l:a.se 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R005.00100030027-0 ~~~tijt~"'m.J!I """~~; levels…
  • p. 24 25X1A Approved For Reise 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.00030027-0 W•ms mentioned as possibly…
  • p. 25 Approved For R~~e· 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R0.. , historical cases but thEC current ones. Recent…
  • p. 26 Approved For Reise 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.00030027-0 _......£j.;.•~..~~i,.,;~\\;!• f!f.<11~~~ would…
  • p. 27 Approved ;or ·~se 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560.0100030027-0 great influence on mass thinking if…
  • p. 28 ~ . Approved For RAse 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R.100030027-0 ~~;j!,~""""' .3~~,m~fl·on REFORT…
  • p. 29 .. Approved For Aase 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R005601o100030027-0 ... -tt·'fJ'~~··q!.....,.._...,, Released in MORI -.-S…
Approved For Re.e 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R-00030027-0
;porENTIAL RELATED DANGERS
The Panel Members vTere in agreement with 0/SI opinion that,
although evidence of' any direct threat :from these sightings ivas
vmolly lacking, related dangers might well exist resulting from:
a. ltisidentification of actual enemy artifacts by defense
personnel•
b• Overloading of emergency reporting channels with nfalsen
information (nnoise to signal ratio" analogy-
c. Subjectivity of' public to mass hysteria and greater vul-
~erability to possible enemy ~sychological warfare.
Although not the concern of CIA, the first two of' these problems
may seriously affect the Air Defense intelligence system, and should
be studied by experts, possibly under ADC. If. U.F.O.'s become dis-
credited in o. reaction to the nflying saucer" scare, or if report-
ing channels are saturated with false and poorly documented reports,
our capability of detecting hostile activity will be reduced.
nr. Page noted that more competent screening or filtering of reported
sightings at or near the source is required, and that this can best
be accomplished by an educational program.
GEOGRAPHIC LOCATIONS OF UNEXPLAINED SIGRTINGS
25X1A
The map prepared by ATIC showing geogr~phic locations of officially
reported unexplained sightings (1952 only) was ex8mined by the Panel.
This map shol·red clusters in certain strategic areas such as Los Alamos.
This might be explained on the basis of 24-hour watchful guard and
-15-
Approved For Release 2001/08/07: CIA-RDP81R00560R000100030027-0

Cited by

Cases discussed

About this file

Report, cited by the archive. The PDF is mirrored here; the original link is under it. 29 pages are in the text index: search them above, or from the library's search.