FOIA: Proposed Congressional Investigation into UFO's 1961

Proposed_Hearing_1961.pdf
Proposed Congressional Hearing 1961
Correspondence that speaks of a possible Congressional Investigation on the USAF UFO program. Newsweek article.
Document date: 1961-08-21
Department: USAF
Author: Col. Edward H. Wynn, Maj. Robert J. Friend
Document type: Letters, Memorandum, Magazine Clipping
pages: 22


Archivist's Notes: Good Quality Scans, Letters discussing a possible Congressional Investigation on the UFO program. Includes letter from Joseph E. Karth to Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe, also letters regarding Richard P. Hines inquiry into Project Blue Book. Additionally a clipping from Newsweek July 3, 1961 Periscope and Periscoping the World sections.

Proposed UFO Hearing 1961 – 22 pages.

Assortment of letters/documents concerning a Congressional Investigation on UFO sightings. Page 3 is copied again as page 4 (due to last paragraph on 3 being illegible?)

Interesting comments – I worked from end to beginning on this one:

Pdf pg 22 Letter by Major Robert Friend (Aerial Phenomena Group)
“Mr Slavsky then contacted Congressman Karth and was advised by that worthy gentleman that he would not be a part of Major Keyhoe’s cheap scheme to discredit the United States Air Force and that there would be no hearing.”
Pdf pg 21 Memo from Major Robert Friend to Col Evans RE Congressional Hearings
“Major Coleman stated that most of the present pressure was from Congressman Downing of Virginia…”
pdf pg 20 Memo from Major Robert Friend to Col Wynn RE Congressional Investigation
“Col. Tacker indicated that there was no official information on the subject…”
pdf pg 17 Memo from Col.Edward Wynn (USAF Deputy for Science and Components) to General Pierce RE Congressional Investigation of the UFO program.
“SAFLL’s present efforts are directed toward heading off the investigation or, if it is to occur, having it take place in Washington D.C. with Dr J. Allen Hynek, Consultant to the UFO Program and Major Robert Friend…in attendance….If the investigation is carried out at FTD I intend to handle it within the Deputy unless otherwise directed.”
Pdf pg 15-16 Memo from Col.Wynn to Gen.Pierce RE Congressional Investigation.
This has the proposed official ‘way to tackle’ Mr Hines’ visit.
Pdf pg 10 Letter from Richard Hines (Staff Consultant) to Maj. Robert Friend
“Today the Chairman confirmed his previous decision that no hearings will be held on UFO’s during this session of Congress and no specific date can be or will be set for next year. For this I am sure both you and I breathe a deep sigh of relief. However, as you can imagine, the ‘plaintiffs’ have begun their clamor, stimulated by notices in the press of our committee’s interest in UFOs.”
Pdf pg 6-7 Memo from Gn.Pierce to AFSC RE Congressional Committee Staff Member Visit.

“Mr Hines indicated that Congressional interest in the UFO program resulted from pressure of undisclosed sources which were brought to bear on Congressman John McCormick…Discussion resulted in the collective opinion that Maj.Donald Keyhoe, U.S. Marine Corps Retired, and present Director of the National Investigation Committee of Aerial Phenomena, a private UFO organization, was probably behind the effort….”

Pdf pg 2-5
Letter from Joseph Karth to Major Keyhoe.
This whole letter is worth reading!!!! Karth expresses very clearly his disappointment and points to areas of dishonesty.

This document contains correspondence concerning a Congressional Hearing on the investigation of the UFO Phenomenon, which had been requested by the civilian UFO group NICAP headed by Maj. Donald E. Keyhoe.

The most interesting document is the first letter from Rep. Joseph E. Karth to Maj. Keyhoe turning down his proposals of conditions to the hearings. It is a rather heated letter accusing him of setting up the Air Force to be embarrassed and for trying to create headline news.

Rep. Karth expressed that he was under the impression that NICAP had some proof of the flying saucers to bring to Congress and was disappointed that this wasn’t the case. He further accused Maj. Keyhoe of dishonesty by expecting full disclosure from the Air Force, but said NICAP would withhold the names and information of witnesses that asked to remain anonymous. He went on further to say that he didn’t want to give them the opportunity to embarrass the Air Force by asking questions that “couldn’t be answered by anyone”. Because of these reasons Rep. Karth said he rejected the proposal of conditions and did not see a reason to hold a congressional hearing.

He referred to a letter he received a letter from Maj. Keyhoe, but this letter was not included in this document. I have not been able to find it from other sources. It would be interesting to read the letter that brought on such a strong response. I wonder if the response was genuine, or if it was a tactic used to avoid the hearing, which the letter on Page 10 from Richard P. Hines to Maj. Robert E. Friend expresses that they wanted to avoid.

This Congressional hearing was turned down, but there were others later in the 60’s that are interesting to read about.

Related FOIA Documents:
FOIA: Congressional Briefing July 11-15, 1960

Related Links:
Congressional Hearings on UFOs