House Science and Astronautics UFO symposium
On 29 July 1968 the House Committee on Science and Astronautics held a one-day symposium at which scientists testified about UFOs.
1968 CE · 38.89, -77.01 · status: official
The account
Chaired by Rep. J. Edward Roush, the session in the Rayburn Building heard six scientists in person: J. Allen Hynek, James E. McDonald, Carl Sagan, the sociologist Robert L. Hall, James A. Harder and Robert M. L. Baker Jr. Roger Shepard, Frank Salisbury and Donald Menzel sent written papers for the record; Menzel's argued that all sightings had natural explanations. McDonald told the committee that UFOs were entirely real and unexplained. No open congressional hearing on UFOs followed until 2022. The printed record (GPO 97-818) shows the session ran from 10:05 a.m. to 4:39 p.m. in room 2318 of the Rayburn Building. Full-committee chairman George P. Miller told the panel it was not there to criticise the Air Force, and Donald Rumsfeld introduced Hynek. Six more scientists sent written papers: Menzel, Sprinkle, Henderson, Friedman, Shepard and Salisbury.
The sceptical view
The symposium was advisory and took no evidence under oath; sceptics such as Menzel and Sagan argued that the reports did not justify belief in visitors.
Connections in the atlas
- James McDonald briefs the United Nations
- Gerald Ford calls for UFO hearings
- Donald Menzel
- James E. McDonald
- Carl Sagan
- J. Allen Hynek
- Condon Report
- Project Blue Book closes