John Moss and Special Report 14 (1956)
From the UAP Encyclopedia, the open encyclopedia of UFO and UAP history · 🗓️ Event
Contents 8
| Date | 5 July 1956 |
|---|---|
| Topics | Beings & bodies (topic), Secrecy & cover-up (topic), Government programs (topic) |
| People | John Moss |
| Testimony | Shellenberger testimony, p. 58 |
| Year | 1956 in UFO history |
| Timeline | 1956 on the UAP Timeline |
| Sources | 8 |
In 1956 Representative John E. Moss of California, chairman of the House Subcommittee on Government Information, asked the Air Force why the public could not easily obtain Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14, the Air Force's largest statistical study of UFO reports, even though it was unclassified.[1][2]
Special Report 14
The report, a statistical analysis by the Battelle Memorial Institute of some 3,200 Blue Book cases, judged about 22 per cent of them "unknown" after review by four analysts. When the Air Force released a summary and press release in October 1955, it claimed the study showed UFOs did not exist and said that only 3 per cent of cases were unknown, a figure critics noted was well below the report's own result.[2][3]
The inquiry
Moss's subcommittee had received complaints that the full report, though unclassified, could be seen only by visiting the Pentagon. He wrote to Air Force Secretary Donald A. Quarles asking how many copies had been printed, how many requests had been received and what justified the limits on access. The Air Force's reply, drafted by its legislative liaison office and the Air Technical Intelligence Center, said that only 100 copies of the full report had been printed, at an estimated $10 to $15 each; that the Intelligence Center had received eight inquiries and the Defense Department's public information office 300 to 350, mostly from students; and that the public could use the summary or borrow a copy for reproduction where there was obvious need. It insisted that it had no intention of withholding the information.[1]
Moss and secrecy
Moss had been leading a broader campaign against excessive government secrecy since 1955. His subcommittee collected complaints about agencies withholding information and laid the groundwork for the Freedom of Information Act, which he championed and which became law in 1966. The UFO correspondence was a small part of that effort, but it shows the subject being raised in Congress in the 1950s.[4]
Aftermath
The full report became available on request and is now freely available online. The testimony suggests that the Air Force's reluctance to circulate its largest study fitted a wider strategy, recommended by the Robertson Panel, of reducing public interest in UFOs.[2][3]
People and topics
- John Moss — California congressman who led the push for the Freedom of Information Act.
- Project Blue Book — The Air Force's public UFO investigation from 1952 until its closure in December 1969.
- Blue Book Special Report No. 14 — Blue Book Special Report No. 14
- U.S. Air Force — The U.S. military service that ran the official UFO projects from 1947 to 1969.
- Freedom of Information Act — The 1966 U.S. law that lets the public request government records.
- Unidentified flying object — An object in the sky that can't be identified; the older term for UAP.
- Robertson Panel — Robertson Panel
On the Timeline
- Air Force Manual 190-4 (1 May 1956) — A former Air Force spokesman says a manual governed all official statements about UFOs.
- Navy pilots' shoot-down orders claim (1956) (5 July 1956) — Unnamed Navy pilots claim standing orders to shoot down hostile UAP over the Pacific.
See every 1956 event on the UAP Timeline →
References
- "1956 Congressional Sub-Committee on Government Information", UFO Scans · ufoscans.com · archived copy
- Project Blue Book — Wikipedia (section on Special Report No. 14) · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- "Flying saucers: an analysis of the Air Force Project Blue Book Special Report No. 14", University of Ottawa archives · arcs-atom.uottawa.ca · archived copy
- John E. Moss — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Project Blue Book Special Report 14 — The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
- Whereas: John Moss and government information — House History · history.house.gov · archived copy
- John Moss and the roots of FOIA — National Security Archive (Unredacted) · unredacted.com · archived copy
- files.afu.se · files.afu.se · archived copy
Further reading
- Project Blue Book — Wikipedia · en.wikipedia.org · archived copy
- Project Blue Book records — National Archives · archives.gov · archived copy
- Project Blue Book files — The Black Vault · theblackvault.com · archived copy
This page was last edited on 29 October 2026. Articles are written in our own words from the sources listed under References; disputed claims are attributed to the people who made them.
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