Date Sent: 06-17-1986
Subject: 1966 DR. J.E. McDONALD
SOURCE: AP (PIERRE, SD)
DATE: 21 OCTOBER 1966
PHYSICIST SCORES `SAUCER' STATUS
Dr. James E. McDonald, professor of meteorology at the U of Arizona and senior physicist at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, yesterday urged a "radical change" in the investigation of unidentified flying objects. Dr. McDonald said that explaining saucers as extra-terrestrial visitors seems "absurd," but that now seems to be the "least
unsatisfactory hypothesis" for at least some of the sightings. "I
believe this is a problem of the first order of scientific importance.
It has been neglected and misrepresented and is crying for high- caliber attention." For about 12 years, he has interviewed anyone in the Tucson area who reported seeing unusual objects in the sky, and now the rash of sightings across the country and Congressional attention on the subject has increased his own interest.
Dr. McDonald said that 18 years of "administrative foul-up" by USAF, "a very low level of scientific competence," and deliberate debunking of UFO sightings had frightened away scientists and left needless confusion in the public's mind. While he is convinced there is no attempt "to cover up a super-secret," he says he found evidence in a USAF document that the CIA in 1953 asked USAF to `debunk' saucer reports because they were clogging vital military reporting channels and demanding too much time of investigators. The CIA reiterated a statement it made earlier this month that the agency had helped analyze sighting reports of
unidentified flying objects in the early 1950's to help determine if some objects "might have originated overseas. "USAF at that time
concluded that the objects were not hostile `artifacts' of foreign or extraterrestrial origin. "Presently, the subject of UFOs is a
responsibility of the Air Force and we have absolutely no interest
either in building up or debunking any information regarding, or views on, UFOs."
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