Office Memorandum: Unidentified Flying Objects

This office memorandum, dated July 3, 1953, was authored by the Chief of the Physics & Electronics Division, SI, and addressed to the Assistant Director, SI. The document serves as a formal response to a previous memorandum dated May 27, 1953, which had assigned the Division the responsibility of maintaining current knowledge regarding reports of unidentified flying objects. The author notes that the previous directive lacked specific guidance on the priority of the project relative to the Division's normal responsibilities. Following a review of the project's status, which included informal consultations with ASD personnel, Mr. Hekert of OCI, USAF personnel, and members of the Scientific Review Board convened by the CIA the previous year, the Division reached a definitive conclusion. The review determined that the available data did not indicate a serious, direct threat to national security, nor had any information emerged since the Board's initial findings to necessitate a change in that assessment. As a result, the Division decided to classify the project as inactive. Future procedures would involve periodic reviews of incoming material to distinguish between recognizable phenomena and those meeting the definition of 'unidentified flying objects.' All relevant material was to be deposited in files for future reference, provided it raised a recognizable problem of concern to national security. To manage this reduced scope, the Division planned to utilize a part-time analyst and a file clerk, requesting one additional filing cabinet to facilitate the storage of these records.