CIA letter to a senator regarding a UFO report

Summary

In January 1957, the CIA received a letter from Senator Margaret Chase Smith, who had been contacted by a citizen of Maine reporting an unidentified flying object. The senator's letter included a message from Mrs. Vincent J. Perry, who likely described a UFO sighting. The CIA responded formally, assuring that the message would be forwarded to the appropriate authorities for action. The reply, signed by Allen W. Dulles, then CIA director, was brief and polite, offering no further details on the content of the report or subsequent actions.

Although the specific phenomenon reported is not detailed, this document reflects how the CIA handled UFO reports in the 1950s. Rather than investigating directly, it referred the information to other agencies. This kind of correspondence shows that even in this early period, UFO sightings were generating interest among political and government circles. The letter also illustrates the CIA's protocol for handling such matters, which, while not a priority, were still treated with a degree of seriousness.