James R. Schlesinger

James R. Schlesinger (1929-2018) was an American economist, intelligence official, and government leader who served as Director of Central Intelligence (1973), Secretary of Defense (1973-1975), and the first Secretary of Energy (1977-1979). A key figure in U.S. national security, he oversaw critical Cold War-era intelligence and military programs. In the context of UAP/UFO research, Schlesinger commissioned the 1977 Condign-like review of the CIA's UFO files, known as the Schlesinger Memo, which examined historical sightings and classified reports from the 1940s-1960s. This internal assessment aimed to determine if UFOs posed national security threats or involved advanced foreign technology, concluding most were misidentifications but acknowledging unexplained cases. No public testimony or publications by Schlesinger on UAP exist; his involvement reflects standard government archiving rather than dedicated UFO investigation. He held no primary role in military UFO programs like Project Blue Book.