McDonald

James Edward McDonald (May 7, 1920 – June 13, 1971) was an American atmospheric physicist and meteorologist, professor at the University of Arizona, and associate director of the Institute for Atmospheric Physics. A specialist in cloud physics and weather modification, he became a leading UFO researcher after a 1954 personal sighting in Arizona, joining NICAP and investigating reports from the late 1950s. In 1966, he publicly urged scientific study of UFOs, critiquing Project Blue Book's mishandling of evidence after reviewing its files. Funded by the Office of Naval Research in 1967, he advocated the extraterrestrial hypothesis, testifying before Congress in 1968 and criticizing the Condon Report as superficial. McDonald spoke at the UN, lectured widely, and conducted international investigations, including in Australia, amassing case files, interviews, and papers archived at the University of Arizona.