Office Memorandum: Unidentified Flying Objects

This Office Memorandum, dated May 27, 1953, and authored by H. Marshall Chadwell, the Assistant Director of Scientific Intelligence, formalizes the internal administrative transfer of responsibilities regarding Unidentified Flying Objects (UFOs). The document explicitly assigns the responsibility for maintaining current knowledge of UFO sighting reports to the Physics and Electronics Division of the Office of Scientific Intelligence (OSI). Furthermore, the memorandum directs that the Chief of the Applied Science Division provide support regarding weapons and hardware aspects of the subject. The document notes that major files concerning UFOs were previously located within the Air Branch of the Applied Science Division, with additional administrative papers held by the Operations Staff under the custody of Mr. Jackson Heckert. The memorandum instructs that the Physics and Electronics Division take over custody of these files and coordinate with Mr. Heckert to ensure that future material on the subject, originating from O/CI, is routed directly to the Physics and Electronics Division.