Congressional Investigation of the UFO Program

This collection of documents details the internal Air Force response to potential Congressional interest in the UFO program (Project Blue Book) during the summer of 1961. The correspondence centers on the visit of Mr. Richard P. Hines, a staff member of the House Science and Astronautics Committee, to the Foreign Technology Division (FTD) at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base in August 1961. The Air Force, specifically the FTD, was concerned about the possibility of a formal Congressional hearing regarding their handling of UFO reports. Internal memos indicate that the Air Force viewed the pressure for these hearings as being orchestrated by Major Donald E. Keyhoe and his organization, the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). The documents reveal a concerted effort by the Air Force to prepare for potential scrutiny by briefing staff members like Mr. Hines and ensuring that key personnel, including project consultant Dr. J. Allen Hynek and Major Robert J. Friend, were aligned on the Air Force's position. The Air Force's stated objective was to analyze facts and explain them clearly, while simultaneously protecting the privacy of individuals involved in reporting incidents. By late August 1961, the Air Force received confirmation that the Chairman of the House Science and Astronautics Committee, Congressman Overton Brooks, had decided against holding hearings on UFOs during that session of Congress. A significant piece of correspondence included is a letter from Congressman Joseph E. Karth to Major Donald E. Keyhoe, dated August 28, 1961. In this letter, Congressman Karth expresses his profound disappointment with the proposed plans submitted by NICAP for the hearings. He criticizes the organization for appearing to prioritize 'defaming' and 'ridiculing' the Air Force over providing factual evidence of extraterrestrial craft. Karth explicitly states that he is not interested in 'headline making accusations' or 'cheap service rivalry' and informs Keyhoe that his terms and suggestions for the hearings will not be accepted. The documents collectively illustrate the tension between private UFO advocacy groups and the military establishment, as well as the role of Congressional staff in navigating these competing interests.