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From: jan@cyberzone.net (Jan Aldrich)
Date: Tue, 09 Sep 1997 13:03:58 -0700
Fwd Date: Tue, 09 Sep 1997 16:52:09 -0400
Subject: Historical Organizations:  CSI (LA)

CIVILIAN SAUCER INVESTIGATIONS (LOS ANGELES)

Civilian Saucer Investigations (Los Angeles),
Civilian Saucer Investigations (New Zealand),
and Civilian Saucer Intelligence (New York), were three
unrelated UFO organizations, established in the 1950s
by serious individuals.    The science editor of the
New York Herald-Tribune had advised that such
organizations should be formed to collect and study
UFO.  In light of the government's apathy in
1950 and 1951 a number of such groups with grandiose
goals were formed.

CSI (LA): In late 1951 several scientists, aviation
engineers, and others in California formed a UFO
study group.  Edward J. Sullivan, a North American
Aviation employee, was the sparkplug of the
organization.  Walther Riedel, a German rocket
scientist was prominent member.

A sensational--for its time--article in LIFE magazine
"Have We Visitors from Space?" in 1952 briefly mentioned
the CSI (LA) group.  They received huge amounts of
mail and hundreds of UFO reports from all over the
world.  CSI shared a number of these reports with Captain
Ruppelt at ATIC.  While I have not looked at all the 1952
documents, I have not found if the Air Force took any
copies.  The Air Force also received an avalanche of mail as a
result of the LIFE magazine article which is preserved on two
 microfilm rolls.  LIFE magazine also acknowledged that they
received a huge response.  Again, the Air Force looked at some
of the reports received by LIFE magazine.  Again, it does not
look like copies were made.   The LIFE magazine material has
remained unavailable to researchers

With this large database handed to them on a silver platter,
CSI had an instant archives of UFO reports going back the
late 19th Century.  However, as every serious part time UFO
organization would find out correspondence, newsletter
publication, and administrative duties eat up the majority of
time.  Soon the goals of the organization were buried under a
mountainous pile of paperwork having nothing to do with research.
CSI (LA) was one of the first to encounter this problem.  By 1954
after producing only 4 newsletters CSI (LA) ceased operations.
The CSI (NY) publication would later call CSI (LA), the best UFO
organization.  Any praise form Alexander Mebane, Isabel Davis,
and Ted Bloecher of CSI (NY) is great praise indeed.

The CSI (LA) files containing almost 1000 first hand sightings
reports were transferred through several hands and ended up at
NICAP.  When CUFOS received the NICAP files, the majority of
the CSI (LA) sighting files were intact.  Some items were
missing, probably taken out and not refiled later.  Copies of
some of this missing material has been found in others' files.
So actual missing material is probably small.

CSI(LA) had a panel that met to evaluate cases.  This was an
interesting, but time consuming task.  By 1954, they were looking
for some other organization or individual to take on this task.
Pioneers do not often receive their due.  Many CSI (LA) reports
were used in the UFO EVIDENCE, Volume 1, and thereby contributed
to serious consideration of the UFO problem.

To think that conspiracy freaks and UFO jerks who make
unsupported outrageous charges exist only in today's ufology
would be incorrect.  Sullivan was subjected to a scurrilous
attack in the American Mercury magazine by an early CSI (LA)
member who accused Sullivan of starting a "religio-scientific
cult" as a "get rich quick scheme."  Everything but the kitchen
sink was thrown at Sullivan who had reached into his own pocket
to support the organization. (The more things change the more
they remain the same.)

(See: Jerome Clark's THE UFO ENCYCLOPEDIA Vol 2,
page 84.)


Jan Aldrich
Project 1947

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Index: Early UFO History (1940-64)