The Hawk Researcher - 1962 11 - November

Magazine Overview

Title: THE HAWK RESEARCHER
Issue: Vol. 1, No. 1
Date: November 1962
Publisher: Hawk Research Society
Country: USA
Language: English

This inaugural issue of The Hawk Researcher, a monthly publication by the Hawk Research Society, delves into the often contentious landscape of UFOlogy. The editorial section, prominently displayed on the cover, addresses the internal politics and disorganization within the UFO research community. The editor expresses dismay at the tendency for researchers to accuse and counter-accuse each other, hindering the collective pursuit of understanding. The issue also includes reader contributions, book reviews, and an article analyzing the nature of UFO maneuvers.

Editorial: The Politics of Saucerdom

The editorial, titled "EDITORIAL," highlights a disturbing trend of "dirty under-handed things" and petty criticisms within the UFO community. The editor notes a conversation with Ronnie Nagel, a young researcher from Fomona, who questioned the lack of unified purpose and organization. This prompts the editor to reflect on the unorganized nature of the group, despite efforts towards it. A specific incident involving a New York saucer researcher who failed to return a book manuscript and subsequently accused the editor of various wrongdoings is mentioned. This researcher's actions, and the subsequent actions of another research group that sided with him, are seen as contributing to the division and pursuit of personal glory over genuine research. The editor admits to being confused and unable to make an honest evaluation due to the prevailing atmosphere.

Tim Beckley, editor of the Interplanetary News Service Bulletin, is noted for preparing an "expose" issue on Allan Katz, a researcher who has faced accusations from many others. This situation led the editor of The Hawk Researcher to withdraw from the editorship of the NARL BULLETIN, a group-effort publication. Despite the maddening nature of these conflicts, the editor emphasizes that Katz was in the minority and prioritizes the welfare of the members. The editorial concludes with a forward-looking statement about financing copies of the magazine for members, suggesting that "Thiem y friends, is immortality."

Letters to the Editor

The "LETTERS TO THE EDITOR" section features two contributions.

The first, from an anonymous sender in Cincinnati signed "S.J.," expresses respect for the efforts to organize UFOlogy but states that it will "never manage to organize UFOlogy" and that the attempts are a "wasting your time," though acknowledging the bravery in trying. The editor notes that he has only one member in Cincinnati, implying this letter is from that individual.

The second letter is from Jim Moseley, editor of SAUCER NEWS. He informs the editor, Harry, that he is getting married and that his honeymoon will take him to the Los Angeles area, where he plans to visit the Giant Rock Convention and hopes to see Harry. Moseley provides his phone number and address and says he will call.

The editor adds a personal note to Moseley's letter, humorously stating that despite reading his magazine and writing to him many times, he still doesn't know what Moseley looks like.

Book Reviews: Recommended Books

This section recommends several books related to UFOs and paranormal phenomena:

• FLYING SAUCERS--TOP SECRET by Major Donald E. Keyhoe: Described as one of the most magnificent UFO books ever written, it "completely exposes Air Force Secrecy Policys." This review is attributed to Steven Warner.
• FLYING SAUCERS AND THE THREE MEN by Albert K. Render: This book is noted as not just another "contactee story," but is "deep, and meaningful but not necessarily the truth."
• THE UNIDENTIFIED by Gray Barker: An English paperback edition from Badger Books, it is called "Gray Barker's tremendous UFO book of 1952."
• THE SKY PEOPLE by Brinsley Le Pcer Trench: This is described as a "very deep book with tremendous religious as well as UFOlogical significance."

Article: Why Don't They Believe Us?

Authored by John Weaver and Thomas Roark, this article critiques the general public's and media's dismissive attitude towards UFO sightings. It begins by referencing a humorous news clipping about a man reporting flying saucers and "little blue men," highlighting the sarcastic and dismissive tone often adopted. The authors argue that this attitude, perpetuated by newspapers, influences public opinion, leading to the dismissal of UFO reports as mere "corn."

The article posits that the sheer volume of reported sightings, despite official skepticism, proves that "strange vehicles" are indeed entering Earth's skies. These vehicles, it is argued, do not fit within current scientific understanding and contradict established knowledge. The authors question whether these sightings should be explained away, laughed at, or ignored, noting that this is the typical response.

They suggest that science, despite claiming objectivity, often excludes UFO phenomena from its purview, dismissing them with "habitual contempt" as mass hysteria, illusions, or fakes. The authors contend that humanity struggles to accept new facts or evidence because it might require revising deeply held conceptions of what is possible and impossible, admitting past errors. They draw parallels to historical scientific shifts, such as the acceptance of a round Earth or the Earth orbiting the sun, which took centuries.

While acknowledging that many UFO reports may be lies, hoaxes, distortions, or errors, the authors firmly state that "not all of them---past, present, and future---Nobody can explain them ALL away, perpetually, forever!" They reference the Air Force's explanations, which are often satisfactory for most cases, but raise the question of the "one percent of doubt that nags, nags, nags at us." This persistent doubt, they imply, represents the unexplained phenomena that challenge conventional understanding.

Article: Are UFO Maneuvers Intelligent?

This article, by Allen Greenfield, Director of R.O.A.P. and the UFO Information Exchange Alliance, reprinted from the ROAP Bulletin, challenges the theory that UFOs are merely natural phenomena like balloons. The core argument is that the reported and filmed maneuvers of UFOs appear "too intelligent-appearing" to be attributed to such "blind" phenomena.

The article states that there are seventeen basic maneuvers attributed to UFOs, with six depicted on the cover. It questions whether these maneuvers appear intelligent, noting that while the intelligence of any single maneuver might be debatable, the observed ability of UFOs to vary speed and direction suggests intelligent control. The authors highlight instances where UFOs have executed "fantastic" feats, such as making a ninety-degree turn at high speed, indicating a maneuver initiated by a "very high order" of intelligence, possibly one with technological superiority to anything on Earth.

The article also addresses the meteor explanation, acknowledging that objects moving at high speed in a straight line are often meteors. However, it cautions against automatically dismissing all such reports as meteors without checking the trajectory. It suggests that if an object's flight path was extremely flat, it might be a UFO, though it concedes that meteors can also appear to travel on a flat plane.

The authors conclude that the study of UFO maneuvers will likely be crucial in proving that UFOs are intelligently controlled, emphasizing the need for careful study to "capitalize on this point in our fight for recognition of UFO reality."

Local Sightings: Vice President Reports UFO in Pomona

This brief report details a sighting in Pomona, California. Steven Warner, Vice President of the Hawk Research Society (H.R.S.), and Robert Wilson reportedly sighted a "large white UFO that V-ed over Puddingstone Dam" and then shot away. Witnesses from Westmont, Puddingstone, and Elephant Hill have corroborated the strangeness of the object and its "wierd maneuvers."

A map caption indicates that the center area of the map is the headquarters of Hawk Research, and the object hovered above it before moving over the dam.

Calls for Submissions and Publications

The magazine includes a notice soliciting "Articles and Art Work for the Hawk Researcher," stating a preference for original work and reprinting only highly controversial or well-written pieces.

Additionally, it announces that Harry Siebert's book on UFOLOGY, titled "They're Out There," is being submitted to a publisher. Two science fiction novels have also reportedly been submitted.

A "HAWK RESEARCH Society" membership card or identification is shown, bearing the name "Ted Macklin, Editor HRSPO."

International Paranormal Bulletin Advertisement

An advertisement for the "INTERNATIONAL PARANORMAL BULLETIN," published quarterly by the Netherland Study Group for Ufology, is included. It is recommended for serious researchers and covers UFO and Fortean phenomena. The subscription is $1.00 per year, with an address provided in Amsterdam, Holland. The advertiser, A.F. Van Weiringen, also offers discounts on occult and UFO books.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The recurring themes in this issue are the internal conflicts and lack of organization within the UFO research community, the skepticism faced by witnesses and researchers, and the analysis of UFO phenomena through evidence and observation. The editorial stance is one of frustration with infighting but a persistent desire to advance the study of UFOs and achieve recognition for the field. The publication aims to feature original work and controversial or well-written articles, positioning itself as a platform for serious UFO research.