Ground Saucer Watch Founded: FOIA-Focused UFO Research Organization

EVENT TITLE: Ground Saucer Watch Founded: FOIA-Focused UFO Research Organization
EVENT DATE: 1975-06-01
EVENT TYPE: program
EXISTING SUMMARY: Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) of Phoenix, led by William Spaulding and W. Todd Zechel (former government employee with NSA connections), files for UFO-related documents from the CIA using the strengthened FOIA. The CIA replies that its UFO connection began and ended with the 1953 Robertson Panel. GSW be

SOURCE TEXT FROM RICHARD DOLAN "UFOs and the National Security State Vol.2":
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history of important organizations such as NICAP, and the history of the
UFO phenomenon from the 1940s to the early 1970s. Not having access to
the many documents that later become declassified, his history reflected
public sources such as newspapers and UFO journals. Still, the book
remains valuable to this day, with a fine organization of the subject matter,
clear writing, and an excellent bibliography.

Although writing on the conspiracy was somewhat out of favor, research
efforts in this direction increased after the amended Freedom of Information
Act became effective on February 19, 1975. The declassification trend had
already born fruit a month earlier, when the CIA released the 1953
Robertson Panel document to Ann Druffel. Back in 1966, Dr. James
McDonald had discovered the report during a trip to Wright-Patterson AFB
– it had been declassified by Blue Book manager Hector Quintanilla.
McDonald shared his information with others, but the CIA re-classified the
report before anyone could get an official copy. The Air Force later released
a sanitized version of the report which expunged all references to the CIA.
In late 1974 (“on a whim”) Druffel requested a declassified copy from the
CIA. To her surprise, the Agency told her that she could get a 28- page
declassified copy for ten cents per page. xciii It proved that the CIA had
indeed organized a classified scientific panel that had set government UFO
policy for decades. Seen from the perspective of the 21st century, it might
seem utterly entry-level to ask whether the CIA had an interest in UFOs,
but until 1975 there had been no proof that this had been the case.
FOIA thus added a new dimension to UFO research, and a new group of
researchers dedicated themselves to filing Freedom of Information requests
with all publicly known government agencies and departments. A new
organization, Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) of Phoenix, sprang into being
led by William Spaulding and W. Todd Zechel (the latter of whom was a
for
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Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) was founded in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1975. The organization dedicated itself to utilizing the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) to acquire UFO-related documents from government agencies.

The Incident

Following the strengthening of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA), which became effective on February 19, 1975, a new wave of UFO research emerged. This new approach involved researchers actively filing FOIA requests with various government agencies and departments. Ground Saucer Watch (GSW) of Phoenix was established during this period. It was led by William Spaulding and W. Todd Zechel.

Investigation

GSW filed requests for UFO-related documents from the CIA. The CIA responded by stating that its involvement with UFOs began and ended with the 1953 Robertson Panel.

Significance

The founding of Ground Saucer Watch represents a significant shift in UFO research methodology. The amended FOIA provided a new avenue for researchers to access previously unavailable government information. GSW's efforts, along with those of other researchers, contributed to a growing body of evidence suggesting government interest and involvement in the UFO phenomenon, even if agencies downplayed or denied it. The organization's focus on FOIA requests helped to uncover previously classified information, such as the CIA's involvement with the Robertson Panel, which had been obscured from public knowledge.