Conversations on UFOs with the CIA

Summary

This 1953 CIA document details a conversation between agency officials and scientists regarding flying saucers. The coordinator, Philip C. Corr, reports on a call with Dr. Jessup, who showed little interest in UFO studies, focusing instead on his work in Mexico. However, Jessup recommended Mr. Wayne Aho, a researcher connected to the topic. The CIA arranged a meeting with Aho, attended by experts in applied sciences and geophysics. A report of the conversation and a clipping from the Washington Post about Aho are attached, showing the agency's attention to press coverage on UFOs.

The document concludes that further follow-up is unnecessary, but the information is shared due to the connection between Jessup and Aho. These records reveal how the CIA, in its early days, maintained a peripheral interest in UFOs, more as a monitoring of scientists and media than as a direct investigation. Despite official indifference, the fact that these conversations were documented shows the phenomenon was not ignored in intelligence circles.