Project 10073 Record Card — Akron, Ohio, 21 January 1961

This document is a collection of reports and correspondence regarding a UFO sighting in Akron, Ohio, on January 21, 1961. The primary incident involved the Pulliam family, who reported seeing a large, reddish-orange, circular object with a flat top near Nesmith Lake. The sighting lasted approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The family reported the incident to the Akron UFO Research Committee, and the case eventually reached the Aerospace Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) via a tape recording forwarded by the family to the President and members of Congress. Captains Robert T. Smith and Earl J. Wolf, Jr. were dispatched to Akron in March 1961 to investigate. During their seven-hour interview with the family, they also collected reports from four other individuals who had witnessed similar phenomena on the same night. The investigators established a working relationship with the local UFO Research Committee and the Akron Civilian Defense Office. The Air Force concluded that the object was the setting moon, distorted by atmospheric refraction. This conclusion was supported by the fact that the moon was setting in the west at the time of the sighting, and the reported behavior of the object aligned with the moon's position and atmospheric conditions at the time. The document includes extensive meteorological data, including adiabatic charts and surface weather observations, to substantiate the atmospheric refraction theory. The report also highlights the friction between civilian UFO researchers and government officials, noting that the witnesses had previously been treated with 'childish disrespect' by other officials, which initially made them wary of the Air Force investigators. The investigators recommended utilizing local civilian organizations for future investigations to improve relations and gather information more economically.