Memorandum: Declassification of the 'Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects'

This memorandum, dated December 20, 1957, was issued by Philip C. Strong, Deputy Assistant Director of the Central Intelligence Agency, to the Assistant Chief of Staff, Intelligence, at the Department of the Air Force. The document addresses the declassification of the 'Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects.' Strong informs the recipient that the CIA and the members of the panel have reached an agreement regarding which portions of the report may be released to the public. Specifically, the conclusions of paragraph 2 and Recommendation 4.a are approved for declassification. However, the document explicitly states that the conclusion of paragraph 3 and Recommendation 4.b must remain classified. Furthermore, the CIA decided that no information regarding the agency's connection to the panel should be disclosed. To facilitate the Air Force's use of the material, Strong includes a revised version of the report, which incorporates a paraphrased version of paragraph 1, the exact wording of paragraph 2, a new paragraph 3, and a paraphrased version of the remainder of paragraph 4, excluding 4.b. The document concludes with a distribution list indicating that copies were provided to various doctors and legislative counsel.