Government1958

CIA offers a declassified Robertson Panel report to Davidson and Keyhoe

When: Apr 1958
Where: Washington, D.C.
Sources: 2 public sources

An April 1958 CIA memo answering letters from Leon Davidson and NICAP's Donald Keyhoe recommended sending them a declassified Robertson Panel report written in late 1957 that omitted any CIA tie. The CIA kept refusing to release the full report until 1975.

Sources

OfficialComments on Letters Dealing with Unidentified Flying Objects (memorandum, 4 April 1958) (opens in a new tab)Central Intelligence Agency, FOIA Electronic Reading Room / 1958-04-04
OfficialCIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90 (Gerald K. Haines, Studies in Intelligence) (opens in a new tab)Central Intelligence Agency (copy hosted by the Federation of American Scientists) / 1997

How sources are chosen and tiered

How the story came out

This reports on Robertson Panel (17 Jan 1953).

See it on the timeline: happened vs became public

Where it fits

Earlier in GovernmentAir Force Secretary Quarles releases Blue Book statistical study to the publicOct 1955 Later in GovernmentJ. Allen Hynek becomes chair of Northwestern's astronomy department1960

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