Meeting with Air Force Personnel Concerning Scientific Advisory Panel Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, dated 17 January 1953 (Secret)

This Memorandum for Record, dated 16 May 1953, documents a meeting held between representatives of the Air Force and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The primary purpose of the meeting was to determine the appropriate response to persistent inquiries from a Mr. Leon Davidson, who had been demanding the release of the full Scientific Advisory Panel Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, originally dated 17 January 1953. The document notes that while a declassified version of the report existed and had been provided to Mr. Davidson, he remained insistent on obtaining the full, classified version. Attendees at the meeting included representatives from various military and intelligence offices, including the CIA's Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC). A significant portion of the discussion focused on the potential national security implications of the report's contents, specifically regarding actions an enemy might take. Mr. Strong of the CIA noted that several panel members had expressed a desire to avoid having their names publicly associated with the Central Intelligence Agency in connection with the report. To manage the ongoing correspondence with Mr. Davidson, it was agreed that Major Tacker would respond on behalf of the Director of Central Intelligence (DCI). Furthermore, the participants discussed the possibility of issuing a press release on the subject of unidentified flying objects as a strategic measure to mitigate further inquiries from the public.