Consultants for Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects

This memorandum, dated January 9, 1953, is addressed to the Director of Central Intelligence from the Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence. The primary objective of the document is to secure the services of Dr. Luis W. Alvarez and Dr. Thornton Page as ad hoc consultants for the O/SI Advisory Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects. The panel was scheduled to convene on January 14, 1953. The document justifies the selection of these two individuals based on their specific expertise: Dr. Alvarez is described as an outstanding scientist in the fields of radar operation, characteristics, and anomalies, while Dr. Page is noted as a competent astronomer and astrophysicist who has given considerable thought to the subject of unidentified flying objects. The memorandum references a decision made during the IAC meeting on December 4, 1952, which mandated that the Agency enlist the services of selected scientists to review and appraise available evidence regarding unidentified flying objects. The author explains that a review of the existing Consultants' Registry revealed that currently employed consultants either lacked the appropriate qualifications or were unavailable for this specific task.