CIA OSI Director Chadwell Memo: 'Something Going On That Must Have Immediate Attention'
On December 2, 1952, OSI Director H. Marshall Chadwell sent a memo to DCI Walter B. Smith stating: 'At this time, the reports convince us that there is something going on that must have immediate attention.'
Background
The Chadwell Memo
In the aftermath of Eisenhower's victory, the first week of December served to focus Agency attention on 'the problem' and a potential resolution. On December 2, 1952, OSI Director H. Marshall Chadwell sent a memo titled 'Unidentified Flying Objects' to Walter B. Smith, Director of Central Intelligence.
Chadwell expressed an urgency over the matter: 'At this time, the reports of incidents convince us that there is something going on that must have immediate attention.' Sightings of unknowns at great altitudes and speeds near defense installations were neither natural phenomena nor known aerial vehicles. He further informed the DCI that OSI was establishing a group of consultants to review the matter and convince authorities that research and development must be undertaken.
Significance
This memo is one of the most significant CIA UFO documents ever released. The Director of the CIA's scientific intelligence division explicitly stated that UFO reports constituted a real phenomenon requiring immediate government attention. This memo directly led to the formation of the Robertson Panel in January 1953.
Significance
OSI Director's explicit acknowledgment that UFOs require 'immediate attention' — the catalyst for the Robertson Panel.