Correspondence regarding the declassification of the Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects report

This correspondence, addressed to Dr. Lloyd V. Berkner, concerns the declassification of findings from the Scientific Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects, which was constituted in January 1953. The panel, chaired by Dr. H. P. Robertson and including members Samuel Goudsmit, Luis W. Alvarez, and Thorton Page, had produced a report containing two primary recommendations, referred to as Tab A. The Air Force requested that the conclusions of this report be declassified for public release via the press. The author of the letter consulted with Dr. Robertson and Dr. Goudsmit regarding this request. While there was consensus that the recommendation in paragraph 4a could be declassified, the Agency and the consulted panel members were opposed to the declassification of the conclusion in paragraph 2 and the recommendation in paragraph 4b. The Agency expressed a strong desire to avoid public disclosure of its association with the panel, suggesting that paragraph 1 be rewritten to eliminate this connection, while allowing the final six lines of paragraph 4 to remain as written. Furthermore, the letter addresses the potential disclosure of the panel members' names. The Air Force indicated that these names would only be used within official circles and not released to the press. However, the author warns that if the names are approved for use, they may eventually become common knowledge.