FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION FREEDOM OF INFORMATION/PRIVACY ACTS SECTION COVER SHEET SUBJECT: EXTRASENSORY PERCEPTION SUBIECT' CROSS REFERENCE S! 1. - UNITED GOVERNMENT ' nou : W. A. Brds Mr. Bran igan Be-lmonz . Parsons .i ,_ erc zven. b Afr. Ij_fi_l as a headquarters, in Washington, D. C. This ibition za1s'i72forwzal 6%!-1;L - and attended b"'twenty individuals, ly officials of ~ the Veterans/Idrzinistration. b'[ce W ,, , Mr. Foos, resident ofichmond, Va., isa high school ~" , graduate employed in a minor capacity with the C. and 0. Railway. ~ About two years ago he became*~inteF'ested-in axtra sensory perception-~ ~- a term probably technically inaccurate! and began experimenting with _ members of his family. He claims to have achieved amazi success and in recent weeks has ceived a consi Tlmn i .._ Iinxcnond _._._ exh Tale. Room _._ e is holding r ons a o ly in an apparent a to create interest in his ability to teach the blind to see. He has appeared at Duke University where experiments have long been conducted on the power of extra sensory perception, and various '7 overnment agencies including the Veterans Administration} are very much interested. 57 Very Simply, Fbos claims the ability to teach the blind . to see; in six months to teach a person without eyes to see 92 sufficiently uell to drive an automobile safely. Bk disclaims any supernatural power and, not being a scientist or physician, has no technical or scientific explanation. .He merely states that a person can do uhat he makes up his mind to do. H2 claims to have taught not only members of his family but approximately 25 other individuals as mull, including persons completely blind, to see with 100% efficiency. v. To illustrate his ability, his daughter, Margaret Foos . about l6 - 17 years of age! was blindfolded by the observers"w'ith F'- pads and an elastic band, thereafter reading, distinguishing color-j92 d moving about the room with comple e ease. She could read _ , 92 Belmont from Bran igan Re: E1>f.'Z?2A SENSQRY PEEYCEPTI ON Y minute handwriting submitted b,y those in attendance, accurately trace the written material and in all unys function w hout error as with complete vision. In answer to a question as to whether distance uns a factor, Foos stated e recent public exhibit Margaret had distinguished colored balloons at a distance of 400 feet. In answer to another question as to uizether motion would complicate the problem, Margaret played the childhood game of jacks using a small l;~" diameter! rubber ball, deftly retrieving it regardless of angle of bounce. .'-Zr. Foos uas questioned -as to his ability to teach a person to read an article covered by a pad or to see through a wall. He at that time avoided a directa:nswe~r;stating-that-- --- because of the defense aspects of such a possibility he uas not at liberty to discuss it. Later, however, in private conversation, . he claimed that he had taught one of his students to accurately read an article completely obscured by heavy cardboard and that teaching the ability to see beyond a solid masonry uzzll was merely a matter of degree. He would pursue this matter no further. _ inquired of Foos as to his general method of teaching - whether individual tutoring uas essential. He stated that he had taught a group with equal facility. He further stated that he had found it much easier and had had greater success in teaching the physically blind rather than those with ordinary vision. 57. Should his claims be well-founded, there is no limit to the value which could accrue to the FBI - complete and undetectable access to mail, the diplomatic pouch; visual access to buildings - the possibilities are unlimited insofar as law enforce- ment and counterintelligence are concerned. ' As fantastic as this may appear, the actuality of extra sensory perception has long been recognized - though not to the degree of perfection claimed by Mr. Foos. It is difficult to see how the Bureau can afford to not inquire into this matter more Belmont from Bran igan e. ECHZA SENSORY .PERL!ETTIaN fully Bureau interest can be completely dzscreet and con rolled and no embarrassment would result RECQIEMATION e FBI make r her zn zry each znd o see, earzng zn mm e remendous potentzal to the FBI should those clazms prove well founded. Attached for approval Z8 a memorandum for Rzchmond Offzce wzth copzes for Mobzl . ?J'= EXTRA S',NS_ORYrl3ERCEPTI0N , 0_]7;C6 Memamndum - UNITED sures GOVERNMENT 1 = nmacwoa, FBI " August 13, 1957 = sac, RICHMOND -129! _A u 7 -O INFORMATION CONCERNING Re Bulet July 22, 195]. . r The records in the library of the Richmond Time spatch and the Richmond News-Leader, newspapers R Virginia, were checked on August 9, 1957, by SA wh1h pg- flected an article by K. LEWIS WARREN, a 6 lined June 17, 957!, which related that MAHARET F008, a sixteen year old high school girl, had demonstrated with her father, WILLIAM FOOS, of Ellerson, irginia, methods by which WILLIAM FOOS hoped to teach the blind to read. Cotton pads had been placed over the eyes of MARGARET FOOS, secured by a black elastic blindfold, and in that condition she had, found and read passage from a magazine furnished by a reporter and had read samples of handwriting as well as verses -h from the Bible by request from the audience. The article further stated that WILLIAM F008 did not be a psychologist or to have had even elementary know- the subject; however, he claimed to_.haye_,aread everything on the subject of Extra Sensory Perception since starting 4 ' his experiments some two years previous, p L1; QB Bureau BEN. mm, ,1 up 0. I I claim to .4 ~ ledge of at pp possible l - gharlotte! 6 !RECQRDED-In V .1 V L 92D jmiz/6:? INDEXED-11 Q2 {$33 to 1 The article further stated that FOOS was a foreman in the salvage warehouse of the C. & O, Railway on leave of absence, that he started experimenting with the children who visited his place in Hanover County, irginia, to fish and ride his horses and later began working with friends. Further, that EOOS had recentl been to Duke Ugiggggitx where he had demon- strated for two aye e ore r. JOSEPH B. RHINE, an eminent ' authority on the subject and other members of the Parasychology Department of the University. The article then states that FOOS impressed the viewers d t t d that his main interest as being thorggghly sincere an s a e in his project is to e p t e blind; however, he refused to divulge his methods of teaching, but believed he can teach other instructors in the field. The article further set out that FOOS hoped to obtain P ti R r h Inc and listed a charter for Extra Sensor erce on esea c ., p the backers and memsers of the organization as EHY CARAVATI, Richmond Public Relations Han, WILLIAM CANTOR, an auctioneer, and ROBERT CANTOR, a lawyer. Further, if the charter was granted FOOS planned to recruit blind youngsters who would be willing to cooperate in the experiment. The library contained another newspaper article, date lined June 22, 957!, to the effect that ESP Extra 3enscry Perception! Research, Inc., received a charter yesterday from the state Qorporation Commission and will undertake clinical training for the blind. The officers and staff of the organi- zation were set forth as follows: WILLIAM A. F003, President and Director of Research HENRY L. CARAVATI, Vice-President _ . ROBERT A. LLOYD, Vice-President . SAM LOMBARDO, Vice-President ' ROBERT CANTOR, Secretary WILLIAM CANTOR, Treasurer MARGARET FOOS, Research Assistant . The article further set forth that the staff was to leave Monday to conduct a series of demonstrations in Washington and New York and that a clinic would be opened when the staff returned, . _ One c of this communication is be furnished for Inanllnruulllall u I6 Memorandum UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT = A H Belnont PAT3 August 9, 1957 I A Branigan Bram an B.,,,.,....., WEIR!-I EIIRA SENSQRY PR1'H1'ION P-m. Memo Branigan to Belmont Re: EXTRA SENSORY PERCEPTION . RECOMMENDATION: It is recommended that this memorandum 1' and attachments thereto be filed for possible future _reference QQEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATIOIIQ FOIPA DELETED PAGE INFORMATION SHEET Page s! withheld entirely at this location in the le. One or more of the following statements, where indicated, explain this deletion. Deleted under'exemption s! , 57d _ with no segregable material available for release to you. Information pertained only to a third party with no reference to you or the subject of your request. Information pertained only to a third party. Your name is listed in the title only. Document s! originating with the following govemment agency ies! . was/were forwarded to them for direct response to you Page s! referred for consultation to the following government agency ies!; . ._. . ._ , _ as the information originated with them. You will be advised of availability upon retum of the material to the FBI. Page s! withheld for the following reason s!: For your information: The following number is to be used for reference regarding these pages: DELETED PAGE S! NO DUPLICATION FEE X FOR THIS PAGE XXXXXX """ .- I f_If.=. ocs of Richmond, Virginia, allegedly gave a demonstration in /.4r-?=-- s -'w=Jwr= osr gzzozrrzoy nxuomsr TION X wilwlu ; '@iC6 Memorandum - U._NITED sums GOVERNMENT ~-A According to information furnished to the Bureau, iilliamyg -;_. _e a sensory perception to representatives of military intelligenc 5 "and central Intelligence Agency CIA! sometime during August, 195?. ' Pursuant to the requ u ervisor inquiry conoernin EDD ie, not representing the Department of tgirjmy however.% DLCLASQ :I:.u BY Q I Of the Army. oNgL6 V J I g? ,fg. Lieu olonel John Do nie, Special Operations Branch, 031, advised t a representative from his office and a resentative o e Army Intelligence Center at Fort Holabird, %_and, had attended a demonstration given by Foos held on this was made by SA Liaison ec ion, at the Office Q of the Assistant Ch _ , ,1 tel ' ce ACSI!, Department ;;$ ugust 8, 195?, at the llarriot Motor Hotel, U. S. Highway #1, _Arlington, Virginia. Attached hereto is a copy of a memorandum Y submitted by George C. Blackwell, the representative from Colonel - Downie's office attending this demonstration. As far as colonel Downie knew, there was no representative from CIA at this demonstration, however, it was his understanding'that on August 8, l95?, another dem nstration was given by Foos to individuals unknown to Colonel A--;_; ;. Colonel Downie stated that Lieutena t Colonel Leroy C. Hill-," the representative from the Army Intelligence Center, is making an evaluation of the demonstration; however, to date he has reached no conclusion. According to Colonel Downie, when colonel Hill completes his evaluation he, Downie, will so advise the Bureau. _ Colonel Downie further advised that his office has made inquiry from others who have attended different demonstrations put on by Foos . with the following results: Inquiry was made of representatives fro the President 's committee on