FUFOR - 1995 Q3 - Quarterly Report July-September

Magazine Overview

This document is a Quarterly Report from the Fund for UFO Research Inc., covering the period of July-September 1995. The report details the organization's activities, financial status, and its engagement with significant UFO-related events and research during that quarter.

Overview

The third quarter of 1995 is described as "explosive, dynamic, and busy" for the Fund, despite a general lack of UFO waves. A major development was the U.S. government's increased involvement with two significant releases concerning the Roswell Incident: the GAO's report in July and the Air Force's extensive documentation in September. The quarter also saw the breakup of the association between the three major UFO groups (Fund, CUFOS, MUFON) and their financial sponsor, the Bigelow Foundation. Additionally, the Fund's executive committee members were occupied with the controversy surrounding the Santilli "alien autopsy" film.

C-F-M Activity

At the beginning of the quarter, representatives from the Fund, CUFOS, and MUFON met in Las Vegas for the fifth C-F-M (Coalition) meeting. The primary agenda item was negotiating an operating agreement with the Bigelow Foundation for the upcoming fiscal year. However, the meeting ended without a satisfactory resolution, as it became clear that the Bigelow Foundation and the coalition had competing visions for scientific UFO research. Robert Bigelow announced that only existing contracts would be honored, and new financial support would cease. This decision impacted ongoing Fund projects: 'The UFO Evidence, Volume II' would be funded to completion, but Jan Aldrich's 'Project 1947' would only receive funding through January 1996, though its completion was not in doubt.

The report notes three benefits from the Bigelow Foundation's one-year funding: several proposals were approved and completed, others were partially funded, a better working relationship was fostered among the three major UFO organizations, and general funds were used to further collective investigation into the UFO phenomenon. The Coalition will continue despite the reduced funding.

The GAO Report

The General Accounting Office (GAO) released a 20-page report detailing its search for records related to the 1947 Roswell crash. The search was largely fruitless, yielding only two known documents. The GAO discovered that administrative records and outgoing messages from Roswell Army Air Field during that period had been destroyed, with the responsible party and authority unclear. The report concluded that regarding what crashed at Roswell, "[t]he debate continues." The Fund issued a press release about the report, but the news media showed little interest, and the report generated few calls to the Fund.

The Alien Autopsy Film

In response to escalating hysteria, the FOX TV network aired the "alien autopsy" movie footage on August 28th. The film depicted a being with features more akin to a deformed human than a small creature. The Fund expressed extreme skepticism, viewing the film as likely a hoax due to numerous inconsistencies. They considered further discussion of the film a waste of time until the promoter provided answers to many questions.

The Air Force Roswell Report

In September, the Air Force released a massive volume, 'The Roswell Report: Fact Versus Fiction in the New Mexico Desert.' This 800-plus page book included the Air Force's 1994 report and 33 attachments. The Fund's opinion was that the original 24-page report did little to explain the crash, and its conclusions were selective and at odds with eyewitness testimony. The extensive attachments were seen as burying the reader in irrelevant technical details of Mogul balloons, which did little to address the core issue of what was recovered. The Fund again issued a press release, and Don Berliner wrote a white paper exploring the inadequacies of the Project Mogul explanation.

Office Activity and Announcements

Fund office activity remained moderate, with a high volume of information requests from individuals and media, including TV companies. Calls related to the GAO and Air Force reports were few. The Fund also received a small number of sighting reports and potential new abductee cases. On August 26, 1995, the Fund held its second 'Mysteries of the Sky' seminar at Prince George's Community College in Largo, Maryland, attended by approximately 50 people. Topics ranged from UFOs and SETI to physical evidence of abductions. In late September, the Fund sponsored a one-day abductee resource workshop, coordinated by Melanie Green, featuring Budd Hopkins and psychologist Peter Resta. Attendance was limited to abductees, their families, and selected investigators, with 80-100 people present.

An investigation into a UFO sighting over New Mexico in May 1995, involving a cylindrical object observed from an Air West airliner, is being underwritten by the Fund. The investigation is led by Walter N. Webb.

Fund-Raising

Third quarter income saw a boost from donations, including those from the Bigelow Foundation and a private individual. While the net bank balance was impressive, much of it was committed to pending proposals, such as one for instrumented abduction research. The Fund expressed gratitude to all contributors for enabling the scientific investigation of UFOs. A dedicated checking account was established for awards monies, specifically for the Donald Keyhoe and Isabel Davis awards.

Roswell Premium

The International UFO Museum and Research Center in Roswell, NM, offered a bronze medallion commemorating the Roswell Incident to contributors of at least $25.00 to the Fund.

New Publications

Two new publications were offered for sale: 'A Rebuttal of the Air Force Project Mogul Explanation For the 1947 Roswell, New Mexico, UFO Crash' by Don Berliner, analyzing the Air Force's explanation and its deficiencies. The second was 'The U.S. Air Force's Project Blue Book UFO Investigation' by Don Berliner, examining the history of the government's UFO investigatory project.

Financial Summary (July-September 1995)

Income: Total income for the quarter was $38,720.31, derived from donations ($23,241.05), sales ($5,607.45), PGCC Conference ($920.00), Coalition payments ($8,168.72), long-term capital gain ($377.51), postage & handling ($261.25), and dividend/interest ($144.33).

Expenses: Total expenses were $24,457.50. Major expense categories included Grant Programs ($14,447.88, with $12,271.90 to the Coalition and $1,175.98 to FUFOR), Administrative Expenses ($4,913.77, including books, publishing, and postage), Other Business Services ($1,481.18, including management fees and telephone), and Travel/Meetings ($3,214.67).

Net Gain/(Loss): The net gain for the quarter was $14,262.81.

Financial Summary (October-December 1995)

Income: Total income for this quarter was $13,505.23, from donations ($5,480.00), sales ($3,407.44), special funds ($2,210.58), Coalition payments ($1,305.00), dividend/interest ($402.91), long-term capital gain ($263.20), grant cancellation refund ($250.00), and postage & handling ($186.10).

Expenses: Total expenses were $10,680.73. Key expenses included Grant Programs ($1,848.47, with $1,140.03 to the Coalition and $708.44 to FUFOR), Administrative Expenses ($5,543.46, including books, publishing, and postage), Business Services ($1,580.43, including management fees and telephone), and Travel/Meetings ($1,556.97).

Net Gain/(Loss): The net gain for the quarter was $2,822.50.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this report are the ongoing investigation into the Roswell Incident, the challenges of funding UFO research, the importance of scientific methodology, and the dissemination of information through publications and public events. The Fund maintains a skeptical but open stance towards UFO phenomena, emphasizing rigorous research and critical analysis, particularly regarding government reports and controversial claims like the alien autopsy film. The organization actively engages with the public and the scientific community to further the study of UFOs.