PROJECT (DELETED) RE EXISTANCE OF FILE

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00146155
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 17, 2024
• Document Release Date: January 15, 1983
• Publication Date: February 14, 1975

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MEMORANDUM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Project
14 FEB 1975
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,ting with the senior CIA official that morning and the existence and
presence of my file on the project. I told him that I
wanted him to be aware of the file and also of its contents, and
I requested that he read the material contained therein. I
stated that it was my intention after he read the material to
e trie senior CIA official aware of the file's existence. I also statea
that it was my intention to make available tO-Ciie senior CIA official
copies of those documents that recorded the early history of
those organizational developments pertaining to the proje_ct. --
ated that I also intended to advise the senior CIA Official that the-file
contained other information -- technical in nature -- along with
the identities of some individuals, and that I intended not_to
make this information available to him but would make him aware
ts existence. I stated that if he, a CIA physician, after reading
--
the file would have any additional views, I would appreciate
his advice.
1. Following the Morning Meeting of 3 February (which
'had been chaired by a senior CIA official) 1..was invited to stay on ane
meet with an Agency official. He was interested in discussing the
project. He reported that Mr. Colby at his second meeting
with the Commission had discussed matters with them that were
not contained in the allegations but which bore some degree
of sensitivity. Among these, according to the senior CIA official
he discuss3d the project. Sometime after that meeting, the
Director was phoned by the Chairman of the Commission in that
project since some allegation had been made that a staff employee
had died by reason of drug experimentation. The senior CIA official
ged me the file material that he had on this incident as repoited
by the Office of Security. He went on to say that there were
no records available on the project as to how it came
into being or the nature of its purpose, and he wondered if
I had such information. I advised that I thought that I probably
did not but would review our material to see if such were the
e. After leaving the senior CIA official around 10 o'clock and arriving
at my office, I found a file entitled project lying on my
desk as placed there by my secretary. who had
found the same in my private safe. This file contained a mis-
cellany of material relating to the project for the years
- 1952-1958 at which time the record ends. I subsequently met
)with an Agency physician and then later in thd day with a. senior
-CIA official. �
2. On learning of the existence of this file, I reviewed
the material contained therein but did not perform a detailed
scrutiny. I then invited a CIA physician in and advised him of my
CL BY: 003027
E2 I:4PDET
31 December 1937 !
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SUBJECT: Project
3. The CIA physician indicated later in the day that he had
read the file over and that he had paperclipped those items
that he thought were of some significance in documenting the
record of the early project history. He was in agreement
with my approach and had no further suggestions to make. I
then made an appointment to see the senior CIA official and took the
file in its entirety with me. . .
4. In the meeting with the senior CIA official I advised him
that my file contained a variety of information pertaining
to project and that apparently any information
relating to the Project that had come my way during the years
1952-1958 had been filed by previous secretaries in this one
file location. As such, the file contained copies of documents
relating to the early founding of �the project and some
of its developmental features, at least developmental questions.
The file also contained technical information which was of a
reporting nature to our Medical Office. I stated. that I intended
to make copies available to him of the documents pertaining to
the early history. I also stated that I felt that I had responsi-
bility for protecting individuals who had participated in the
.project in earlier days and did intend to safeguard such in-
formation. The senior CIA official advised that the Committee on which 1
served had similar feelings and were not inclined to reveal
-identities but were inclined to make references in terms of IDENA,
B, etc., with some basic reference document containing true
"identities held in custody by the Agency. With his agreement, I
then proceeded to show him the -project file, This was not done
in detail. ' I merely showed him the general Content of material
with examples of material that I proposed to make available and
examples of material I proposed not to make available. He was
accepting of this approach. I also noted that the material
was labeled TOP SECRET and felt obliged to retain that level of
classification in providing him with documentation. .At this
point, he phoned the Inspector General And
-advised him that the project file was available in my custody
and that I proposed to make material available to him and wondered L.
if the level of classification would provide any problem. Ap-
parently, the senior CIA official was assured that such classification
as not a problem, and it was agreed at that point that I would pro-
ceed as planned.
5. On returning to my office, I met again with the CIA physicia:
and briefed him as to the foregoing. I asked the CIA physician to
review the file once more and to identify those documents thaf
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SUBJECT: Project
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would provide the background information on the project.
I suggested he do this at a more deliberate pace since there
did not seem to be any need for an immediate deadline. The CIA phy-
sician agreed to this and he got together with me again on
the 5th of February, having studied the file in greater detail
and paperclipped those documents that he thought satisfied the
request and my stipulations. I accepted the CIA physician's judgment
and asked that he get together with my secretary to make two
copies of those documents paperclipped and also to prepare a
covering memorandum that was appropriate for the transfer of
this information. (One set of documents was to be retained for
.our records and the other set to be forwarded through
A-DD/A to the Inspector General.) It was also under-
stood that the document would be prepared and transported in
accordance with TOP SECRET procedures.
6. This task was accomplished. I asked the CIA physician
prepare a Memorandum for the Record as to his participation in
these events and to provide a copy of that memorandum, along
with a copy of the material that had just been documented as
part of the project file. I stated that I would prepare a
Memorandum for the Record as to my contributions in this
matter and would show it to him before it also would be placed
in the project file..
Director�of Medical Services
OMS/a (13Feb75)
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Distribution:
Orig Only - D/MS private files
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