CONVERSATION WITH DR. WILLIS GIBBONS OF TSS RE OLSON CASE

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00144972
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 22, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: December 1, 1953

- 1 December 1953
MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD �
SUBJECT: Conversation with Dr. Willis Gibbons. of TSS re Olson Case
�
ft, All LSD is in Gibbons' safe for.which he only has combination.
2. Preparing cables to field to find -out who has custody and
access. Atsugi and Manila. Issuance dohe only with Gibbons or
)rum's concurrence and use only with DD/P-approval. Bulline wanted
fork broadened to include biological as well as chemical.
3. Man in Bureau of Narcotics has some. Has good access to
:riminal types in N. Y.--George White-:-expert for Kefauver Commission
Ind close friend of Halley. Now out. of town. Got it from us.
4. Grants-in-aid to Dr. Harold Abramson, 133 East 58th. D.
:obert Hyde, Boston Psychopathic Hospital. U. S. Public Service
[ospital, Lexington, Kentucky (Dr. Harriss Isbell). Dr. Carl Pfeiffer,
partment of Pharmacology, University of Illinois, School of Medicine,
hicago. Lilly has been trying to make it. Another trying by radin-
ctive to see what part .of body it works on. These are to? secret
leered. Got grant from a foundation to work through. Is overt. :se
oluntary subject. Give us reports. -Would go on normally but we
nsure it does. Abramson is a psychiatrist and his people are
bnorpal. Rest are normal.
5. Acquisition. Not classified as narcotic--organic chemical.
on't purchase it--because an experimental can't be sold in U. S.
as been doled out by Sandoz Co. of Basle. With one exception LSD
as been given to us--Gottlieb and Lashbrook. Eli Lilly and Co. has
iven us some.
� 6. Correspondence and memorandum. Have file cabinet drawer
ull. Don't believe any reports addressed to Agency. DD/P has one
emo on subject. Gottlieb's trip to Far East. Mentioned in reports of
onthly progress-- is pseudo.
.- 7. Lashbrook (TSS), Hughes (OP), Gottlieb (TSS), Alfred Ulmer
31), Harold Cooper (PP) all have had it. De Florez, Gibbons, Drum
ld Roosevelt all know about it. Also Wisner, Helms, Barnes And Scott
Id Field of the I & R Staff.
8. Gottlieb had discussed use of something of this type with
:perts from Camp Dietrich and they had all agreed that an unwitting
:periment would be desirable. The LSD was given to all of the ten
. the camp except Walinovsky (who doesn't drink) and one other who
,s a heart condition, both of Camp Dietrich. About.20 minutes-after
ving the dose, Gottlieb told them what they had been given. They
I agreed that it was an interesting experiment and there as no
verse comment. Only after Olson committed suicide was there any
action adversely to the experiment itself.
9: According to Gibbons; Olson has a history of mental dis-
rbances. Last summer he apparently told his wife that he was upset
d she suggested he see a doctor. He objected to being made divisizn
ief because of a fear he couldn't do the job, and after receiving
e job shortly thereafter asked to be relieved. On the Monday �
llowing the experiment he told Col. Ruette that he expected to be
red or asked to resign. He then went up _to New York with Lashbrook
d saw Dr. Abramson. After several trips between New York and
lashcngton, Abramson finally came to the conclusion that Olson should �
:o to the Chestnut Hill Sanitarium. On Friday night, November 27,
Uson at +dinner with Lashbrook in New York appeared to be completely
rational and discussed the time they would have to get up in the '
lorning to get the train, etc. �
�
Lyman B. Kirkpatrick
Inspector General