Dr. Hynek - from Skeptic to "Qualified Believer":
Mimi, you don't know me, but this is for both of you. I felt I owed him this. -------------------- Mr. Oberg has stated that Dr. Hynek wasn't careful in the data he selected to be used in several of his books. To the best of my awareness and research, no one that worked with Hynek on an ongoing basis ever accused him of anything of this sort. If anything, he was considered an extremely competent, cautious scientist. To discover Dr. Hynek's competence and importance to the field of UFOlogy, one must take a brief look at his life. I had noticed several discussions on "alt.paranet.ufo" in which Dr. Hynek had been referred to as a "failed scientist." I responded with the information in the essay below. As will be obvious to the reader, I had an emotional involvement with this particular essay when I wrote it. I apologize for this. It was due to two of my own UFO "experience(s)" back in 1967 which left me trying to reconcile what my eyes saw but the main scientific establishment and the Air Force were saying was impossible. This is the reason for the in-depth research I have performed all these years. Dr. Hynek's stand concerning the subject was the only thing that allowed me to have some modicum of peace throughout that search and not give up and begin to doubt what my own eyes told me back then I would eventually find if I looked long and hard enough. The reason I am not going straight to the cases I originally mentioned to present my argument concerning Gordon Cooper is because even with the evidence staring one straight in the face, almost any human being will still attempt to mentally discard it, for to accept it is the opening of a very scary Pandora's box indeed; a box that, once opened, can never be closed. However, Dr. Hynek's revelations concerning the Air Force are extremely important and allow one to more fully realize the incredible strength of what I'm going to present. Many people today have forgotten these revelations or are simply ignorant of their existence. Therefore, a brief look at Hynek's life and accomplishments MUST preface the evidence I've compiled. First, let's see what this man set out to do with his life, whether or not he accomplished it and also see how a combination of fate and events caused him to eventually arrive at some startling conclusions which the world has not yet fully absorbed and understood. J.C. --------------------
J. Allen Hynek majored in astronomy and became a Professor of Astronomy at Ohio State University. 1 No failure there...x years of college and then got the job at Ohio State. He must have done it well because he was invited by Fred Whipple at the Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory (SAO) to join him so that Hynek could be "in charge of the Optical Satellite Tracking Program (STP)", a new program which was to be part of the 67 nation scientific effort known as the International Geophysical Year (IGY) to occur in 1957/58. As part of his responsibilities, SAO was going to design & build 12 special tracking cameras to be installed at optical tracking stations around the world to specifically follow the U.S.' first artificial satellites. 2 The observatory also set up Operation Moonwatch, a global network of volunteer observing teams. Moonwatch was to make the first visual observations of the new satellites. "From this preliminary information, STP in Cambridge would prepare orbit predictions for the Baker-Nunn tracking stations so that the camera-telescopes could be properly aimed to take precision photographs of the artificial "moons." The photos were then returned to STP headquarters at Cambridge, for reduction and analysis. 3 Hmmmn, very interesting. Of course, just about anyone could have headed this project, but I guess they just had to be satisfied with Dr. Hynek. P.S. We never heard any complaints from Fred Whipple or the sponsors of the project. (NASA?) Let's see....what else did he set out to accomplish? The Air Force came to him and asked him to be their scientific consultant on UFOs. He readily accepted this challenge and sought to perform it to the best of his ability. His involvement with the Air Force. dates back to 1948 when Project Bluebook was then called Project Sign. 4 Again, THEY could have picked a lot of other people, but, they didn't...they picked him. Did the Air Force want to have everyone believing in UFOs? We all know the answer to that one. I'm certain they stayed with him for the life of Bluebook, at least partly, because he was a skeptic and incidentally, an excellent scientist with an excellent "track record." He set out to prove that UFOs were basically figments of people's imagination. 5 Ooops! Guess what? I think we've finally found something at which he did FAIL. He COULDN'T do it. He couldn't prove that UFOs were figments of people's imagination. Dr. Hynek discovered for himself that, no matter how hard he tried, and for how long, there seemed to be a certain residual number of UFO cases he could not totally dismiss. 6 Incidentally, how long WAS he connected with this incoming data to the military? ... from 1949-1969, a total of 20 years! As far as I am aware, the only civilian scientist to be in this unique position. 7 Hynek made the following comments in his 1972 book "The UFO Experience." He found the following things to be true after interviewing hundreds of people and/or reading and analyzing God knows how many reports: The first... "the most coherent and articulate UFO reports come
from people who have not given much thought to the
subject and generally who are surprised and shocked by their experience." Secondly, and as stated in a previous post, "some of the very best reports have come from
scientifically trained people..... These reports are
usually rarely published however, because the person
usually requests anonymity." 8 So then, how did Dr. Hynek handle this "failure" of his to prove UFOs were figments of people's imagination? Did he try to hide it by pretending that he had explained all the cases? That certainly would have been easily accepted by the scientific establishment. They could have all had a big chuckle together. He would have been a hero to both the scientific establishment and to the Air Force. He could have even easily taken the same approach that Drs. Condon & Low took when handling the Colorado Study. The road was already paved for a nice, safe exit from his dilemma. The NAS (National Academy of Sciences) acceptance of the Condon Study could have easily been Hynek's road map to safety. But his own honesty and conscience prevented this. First of all, he had a large number of cases he just couldn't explain; Secondly, I'm sure history buffs will remember the cryptic memo that Robert Low had written before the University of Colorado took the project. Do we ALL remember what was in that memo that got two scientists fired from the project for leaking it publicly? As Walter Sullivan, New York Times Science Editor wrote in his preface to the paperback version of "The Condon Report:" 9 "His (Low's) memo, to University officials, sought to analyze the pros and cons of the Air Force proposal" (J.C. Do we also remember, the Air Force was paying for the "Study"?) "Could the University (of Colorado) undertake the project in a manner that would satisfy public concern, yet not subject the University to ridicule by the academic community? He argued that the study would perforce be done almost entirely by non-believers and, and while the project could never "prove" that no UFOs have ever come from another world, it could contribute impressive evidence for such a conclusion." 'The trick,' he wrote, 'would be, I think, to describe the project so that, to the public, it would appear a totally objective study but, to the scientific community, would present the image of a group of non believers trying their best to be objective, but having an almost zero expectation of finding a saucer." Afraid of what the scientific community would think? Hand picking the committee to skew the results? Skeptics who are honest with yourselves, after reading this, do you truly think the Colorado Study was given a fair chance to be objective? Hardly.... The ONLY major university study of UFOs was a sham. Hynek knew it. Instead of following the party line, Hynek stood up and said firmly, Gentlemen, this is wrong! It needs studying and no one has yet done a serious study on it.--> 10 For a
scientist to do this, it could have been the "kiss of death." He was trying to "blow the whistle" but it was such a "way out" subject in people's minds, almost no scientist in political power was listening. The ironic part is that Low botched the job and got caught. Scientists, LOW hired, found and leaked the memo he wrote. 11 With all its mismanagement, the "Study" still found approximately 15% unknowns whereas the Air Force had its unknowns listed as low as 6% in 1966. 12 Scientists like Dr. James McDonald, senior physicist and professor of meteorology at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics, University of Arizona disputed the project's findings stating correctly that its conclusions did not fit its data. However, although the Study actually had more unknowns than the Air Force had claimed in the first place and Condon who was named in the Air Force contract as principal investigator did not make a single field investigation of his own (whereas Hynek HAD on many occasions), the National Academy of Sciences still accepted his conclusion, most certainly because of his previously fine reputation. Project Bluebook was closed and the sponsor of the project, the Air Force was happy because it no longer had to deal publicly with the UFO problem. It closed Project Bluebook in 1969. 13
What was Dr. Hynek's goal regarding UFOs at this point? It was to somehow get the data he had accumulated from Project Bluebook into the public spotlight in any way he could. He could have run from the whole thing but he didn't. He was the only civilian person that had the data and any ability to disseminate it. He felt that the responsibility was on his shoulders. Since Condon had said that nothing could be learned from studying UFOs, the major scientific journals would not take Hynek's data seriously. People had their mental "out." They didn't have to think about it any more. But the UFO problem didn't just go away. Good cases kept coming in and Dr. Hynek finally turned to publishing his own books, risking scientific, political ostracism in the process. One of those books was "The UFO Experience," from which a small portion of the material for this article was gleaned. It is must reading for those interested in the facts concerning the history of this controversial topic, 14 especially his 1968 letter to Colonel Raymond Sleeper in appendix 4, which exposes the total lack of applied scientific methodology in Project Bluebook, ignoring of Hynek's scientific recommendations and Bluebook's low place on the military totem pole. 15 Not too long after an incident known as the Pascogoula "Hickson & Parker" case, Sherman Larsen came to him in 1973 and suggested that he form, what turned out to be, a "Center for UFO Studies" (CUFOS) which would be the first "serious" UFO study group "led by a scientist" and "dedicated to research and analysis." 16 To quote Dr. David Jacobs, the Center
"quickly became a dominant force in UFO research, drawing upon the
investigative capabilities of the other UFO organizations. With
the editorial direction of Mimi Hynek, CUFOS published monographs
& research materials that could not be published elsewhere because
commercial and academic presses were fearful that the subject would
not sell or was too 'fringy'." 17 So, if skeptics wish to think Dr. Hynek was a "failed" scientist, so be it. The facts speak otherwise. Nothing that he did in the UFO field took away from his credibility as a fine scientist and, he was brave enough to tread where others had mortal fear. He still accumulated more prestigious accomplishments than 99% of the critics that disagreed with what he was saying. After reading the obituaries written in CUFOS International UFO Reporter (May/June 1986), I realized that the majority of people he worked with in virtually every facet of his life respected him as an honest, intelligent, kind person, fine teacher and conscientious scientist, including his wife Mimi, who was his partner in life and knew him best. He had followed his intellect and heart on this matter and in his death, certainly deserves not to be maligned by ignorant comments. Thanks to him, people who have had a legitimate UFO experience can hold their heads up and say:
1 Hynek, J. Allen "The UFO Experience" (hard cover - jacket) Henry Regnery Company 1972 2 Webb, Walter N . (Charles Hayden Planetarium, Boston) . Center for UFO Studies "International Reporter" 1/93 . "Allen Hynek as I Knew Him". p4 "Tracking Satellites" 3 Ibid : p4 . ¶4 4 Hynek, J. Allen "The UFO Experience" (hard cover) Henry Regnery Company 1972 . p1 . ¶1 . "The UFO Phenomenon ... Introduction: An Innocent in UFO Land" 5 Webb, Walter N . (Charles Hayden Planetarium, Boston) . Center for UFO Studies "International Reporter" 1/93 . "Allen Hynek as I Knew Him". p4 . ¶6 6 Newsweek 10/10/66 . p70 . "UFOs for Real?" : Saturday Evening Post 12/17/66 . Hynek, J. Allen . "Are Flying Saucers Real?" pp. 17-21 7 Fox, Jack V. UPI New York . "Flying Saucers" . Look Magazine . Cowles Communications, Inc. 1967 . p3 (picture & information top-right corner) : Washington Post . 3/25/66 Fri . UPI "New Flying Object Seen in Michigan" : Ibid 3/26/66 . Simmons, Howard . "Flying Objects Identified as College Pranks and Swamp Gas" : Ibid 4/6/66 Drummond, Roscoe . "UFOs--Real or Myth" 8 Hynek, J. Allen "The UFO Experience" (hard cover) Henry Regnery Company 1972 . pp. 9&10 9 Sullivan, Walter (Preface to) Condon, Dr. Edward U. : Scientific Study of UFOs, New York: Bantam Books 1969 (A New York Times Book) also... Hynek, J. Allen: "The UFO Experience", Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1972 . p 210 bottom and 211 . hard cover . "Science is not Always what Scientists Do" 10 Newsweek 10/10/66 . p70 . "UFOs for Real?" : Saturday Even Post 12/17/66 . Hynek, J. Allen . "Are Flying Saucers Real?" pp. 17-21 : (4/29/05)
Hynek reversed his stance, please see "Was Dr. Hynek a Mole for
the CIA?" (he wasn't); please click here. 11 Hynek, J. Allen: "The UFO Experience", Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1972 . p 210 bottom and 211 . hard cover . "Science is not Always what Scientists Do" 12 "The U.F.O. Investigator", National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) publication, May/June 1968, pp. 1/4-5 : Evening Star 3/23/66 . "UFO Manifestation on Rise Since July" . col 3 . ¶6 "Quintanilla reported much more precise data in the Air Force's files.....Project Blue Book had received 10,147 reports since its inception in 1947. Of these 646 remain resolved." : McDonald, Dr. James E., NICAP UFO Investigator, Feb/Mar 1969, "A Scientist's Critique" (Excerpts from 2/12/69 talk to the DuPont Chapter of the Scientific Research Society of America.) 13 Newsweek Magazine 12/29/69 "Closing the Blue Book" 14 Hynek, J. Allen: The UFO Experience, Chicago: Henry Regnery Co., 1972 15 Ibid: appendix 4 (Excerpt of a Letter from J. Allen Hynek to Colonel Raymond S. Sleeper) 16 Larsen, Sherman . CUFOS International UFO Reporter . May/June 1986 . pp 13/14 . "The Founding of CUFOS" 17 Jacobs, David M., CUFOS International Reporter . May/June 1986, "J. Allen Hynek and the UFO phenomenon"
Respectfully submitted, Jerry Cohen