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that the Central Intelligence Agency had released some information related to the UFO problem, I requested copies of this information from the CIA and received it in 1979. Some of the documents refer to the Colorado Project. On February 7, 1967, a memorandum for the Deputy Director for Intelligence reports on the U.S. Air Force contract with the University of Colorado to investigate the UFO situation. It reported arrangements between Brigadier General Ed Giller (USAF) and Dr. Thomas Ratchford (AFOSR) with Arthur C. Lundahl (Director of the National Photographic Interpretation Center [NPIC] of the CIA), which provided for NPIC to provide photographic services to the Air Force in support of the Colorado Project. Arrangements were made for Condon, Low, Saunders, William Price (ex-director of AFRST), and John Coleman (listed as “ex-director of the National Academy of Sciences”) to visit NPIC. All five visitors were cleared for at least USAF secret. Lundahl had told the USAF representatives that he could “have no part in writing whatever they might conclude on this UFO phenomena [sic].”8 Lundahl goes on to say, “I might be able to preserve a CIA window on this program for whatever use DRS&T; might want to make of it.”

A memorandum for the record, dated February 23, 1967, concerns the planned visit to NPIC, which occurred on February 20, 1967. Dr. Condon was accompanied by “Dr. Richard Lowe [this must refer to Mr. Robert Low], Dr. David Saunders, Dr. William Price, and Dr. Thomas Ratchford. The clearance level was secret. It was agreed that NPIC would assist Dr. Condon on the understanding that this assistance would not be identified as work accomplished by the CIA. NPIC presented briefings on their analytical capabilities and on their results “on the second UFO project.” There followed a general discussion on UFOs.”

A document dated March 24, 1967, is entitled “Guidance to UFO Photographers” and comprises a list of ten recommendations to photographers who have an opportunity to photograph a UFO event, and an information sheet that the photographer should complete. This document was prepared by NPIC and approved by Dr. Arthur C. Lundahl, Director of NPIC. On May 1, 1967, the Colorado Project issued a press release calling for “pictures of unidentified flying objects from private citizens,” and it gave a set of recommmendations to the photographer and a list of items of information that the photographer should prepare. This press release is simply a rewrite of the NPIC document.

A “memorandum for the record,” dated May 8, 1967, concerns a “UFO briefing for Dr. Edward Condon, 5 May 1967.” Those listed as being in attendance

8We must hope that Lundahl had no firm basis for his assumption that the conclusions of the study were to be written by Air Force staff rather than by the Director of the study. On the other hand, when we find phrasing such as “Paralleling the official government interest, was a burgeoning of amateur interest . . .” (Condon & Gillmor, 1968, p. 13) in a section ostensibly written by Condon, a master of scientific prose, and when we contrast Condon’s detailed and apparently accurate history of Air Force involvement (pp. 502-552) with his sparse and inaccurate account of the work of his own team (pp. 7-50), it seems highly likely that he had received some help from official quarters.

 

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