Major Friend

Major Robert J. Friend (1920-2004) was an American Air Force officer who served as the fourth director of Project Blue Book, the U.S. Air Force's official UFO investigation program, from 1958 to 1962. A decorated WWII bomber pilot and chemist by training, Friend oversaw the analysis of thousands of UFO reports, emphasizing scientific rigor amid public scrutiny. Key achievements include commissioning statistical studies and fostering collaboration with astronomer J. Allen Hynek, who credited Friend's efforts for enabling reevaluation meetings between Blue Book and Air Technical Intelligence Center staff in 1959. Friend advocated treating UFOs seriously as potential national security matters while concluding most were explainable. Post-retirement, he reflected on the program's legacy in interviews and writings, maintaining a skeptical yet open stance. No notable publications solely by him are documented, but his tenure marked a period of structured inquiry before Hector Quintanilla's directorship.