Memorandum: Air Force Request to Declassify an OSI Paper on UFO's

This memorandum, dated July 20, 1966, addresses a request from the United States Air Force to the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI) regarding the declassification of the February 1953 'Report of the Scientific Panel on Unidentified Flying Objects.' The document details a meeting held on July 19, 1966, between Mrs. Sara B. Hunt of the Office of the Secretary of the Air Force and Mr. D. B. Stevenson. Mrs. Hunt indicated that the Air Force's interest in declassifying the report was prompted by the May 12, 1966, 'CBS Reports' program, which featured Dr. H. P. Robertson, the chairman of the original panel. The program reportedly contained sufficient references to CIA involvement in UFO analysis to generate public and press reaction. The memorandum notes that a previous declassification request in December 1957, approved by Mr. Phil Strong, resulted in a sanitized version of the report that excluded the original meeting minutes, case histories, and references to CIA involvement. The author of the memorandum observes that the current Air Force request does not explicitly ask for additional declassification, though Mrs. Hunt expressed that the Air Force intends to declassify all U.S. Government work on UFOs. The author concludes that significant deletions would be necessary for any further declassification and recommends that the Air Force submit a formal request if they wish to pursue the release of the original minutes and case histories.