Description

Edward Uhler Condon (1902-1974) was a physicist who served as director of the National Bureau of Standards (1945-1951). In 1966, the Air Force urged and sponsored his research on unidentified flying objects and in 1968 he presented his Condon Report.

The files of the Colorado Project consist of about 1/3 of the papers of Edward Condon deposited at the APL (22 linear feet). The library views this segment of the Condon papers as the "UFO Section", and, although it remains "unprocessed", these are open to researchers. There are 10 "boxes" of UFO files consisting of all manner of topical files, memos, letters, books, and a few reel-to-reel tapes. There are a further 30+ boxes labeled "office boxes" of UFO files containing similar materials including Project case files and a few "artifacts" from cases. Box O16 was missing at the time of M. D. Sword's visit in 1994. The subjects and correspondents covered here are huge and defy simple description. Although certainly in no way complete, these files will give scholars ample depth for covering the Project. No finder's list exists except for the amateurish one prepared by Swords in 1994, a copy of which was left with the library. Some UFO information also exists within other areas of the Condon papers.

Accessibility:

The holdings of the APL are open to serious scholars. Notice should be given in advance of planned visits. Swords (in 1994) found Manuscripts Librarian Beth Carrol-Horracks and Rita Dockery to be particularly helpful. This is the primary source for UFO files of the Colorado Project by far. Some minor amounts of Project materials are held at the University of Colorado, CUFOS, and possibly with project members such as Saunders and Craig.

(Source: Michael Swords)