CALIFORNIA COMMITTEE FOR SAUCER INVESTIGATION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP81R00560R000100030023-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 3
• Document Creation Date: December 9, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 23
• Publication Date: February 9, 1953
• Content Type: MEMO

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STANDARD FORM e
NO.
"Approved F elea Q10 GG' ? -RDP81 R005W000100030023-4
Office lViemorandum ? UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO : Assistant for Operations, CSI
ATT 25X1A
FROM : Chief, Contact Division, 00
SUBJECT: California Committee for Saucer Investigation
DATE: 9 February 1953
25X1A 1. Recently, ad occasion to hear Dr.
ell something of the activities of the California Committee for
saucer nves igation (CSI). His comments, as follows, may be of interest: 25X1A
He gave every
impression or eing a competent scien s , especially knowledgeable on rocket
matters. He seemed a balanced person, not given to fixations.
25X1A
3. CSI has been in operation some years, composed of private individuals
intrigued and scientifically interested in finding an explanation for "saucer"
phenomena. To date, they have received some 1570 letters relating to reported
sightings. Of this number, they have been able to immediately or quickly elim-
inate 75h as not worth follow-up. The great proportion of this 25% have been
discarded upon further investigation. What was somewhat surprising to the writer
was the exhaustiveness with which these investigations are being made. Not only
are very careful calculations made, if the data exists, to check the possibility
of the report being physically possible (e.g., in terms of lines of sight), but
the individual reporting the sighting is investigated privately at his place of
residence to establish a general background of reliability and credibility. Of
the 25~ investigated, perhaps 25 or so sightings have been established as "reliable"
in the sense that no known existing explanation exists for them. Apparently, most
of these have been forwarded to Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, although there appears
to be a time lag of some duration while CSI is making its own check and calculations.
description of one reported sighting by a TWA pilot and crew, and the
1o ow-up wi h respect to it, was impressive to the writer in the thought applied,
25X1A the pains taken, and the very careful application of scientific method. 25X1A
4. 6o serious is CSI with respect to its investigation that indi-
cated that they are going to execute a planned "hoax" over the Los Angeles area,
1111 in order to test the reaction and reliability of the public in general to unusual
aerial phenomena. (The sightings reported over 4alibu in thOsL.QoiAtlgelesLps,pergeCD0339')
ffah_,~3 could possibly be this hoax.) From this experiment, they hope to ascertain
how many people report an aerial visual phenomenon which has been conducted so as to
be clearly visible to allarge number of people in the area. They will also, of
course, be able to test the variation of report details, etc. This experiment is
designed to give a better background against which future sightingsecan be evaluated.
1029
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Approved For Release 2001/08/07 : CIA-RDP81 R00560R000100030023-4
 Approved F elease 2001/Q8/ !9A. DP81R00*000100030023-4
directed toward the [T53k,
to si htineye gs as and interest t in are
for r. reactions Apparently,
the PRAVDA are observed. This interest
reported ~ iron also evident in the paper entitled Rockets Behind the Iron Curtain",
presented before the annual convention of the American Rocket Society in New
York City on 4 December 1952, by George P. Sutton, also of Aerophysics Depart-
ment (North American Aviation, Inc.)and associated with CSI.
6. Of incidental interest may be the fact that NAA (National Aeronautical
Association) suggested politely and perhaps indirectly to that he
disassociate himself from official membership on CSI. 25X1A
Approved For Release 2001/08/07 : CIA-RDP81R00560R000400030023-4
 . C
ROUTING AND RECORD ET
IN RUCTIONS: Officer designations should be used in the "TO" column. Under each comment a line should be drawn across sheet
and each comment numbered to correspond with the number in the "TO" column. Each, officer should initial (check mark insufficient)
before further routing. This Routing and Record Sheet should be returned to Registry.
FROM: NO. 10C,29
DATE
TO ROOM DATE OFFICER'S COMMENTS
NO. RECD FWD'D INITIALS
g7el
~25X1A 25X1A
5.
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10.
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14. S L Z I 833 MI,
15. T S/Sd0
10-01165-1 *
U. S. GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE
FEBB 1950 51 1o Approved For Release 2001/08/SEC 31-RDP81 R00560R000100030023-4