John Samford
Air Force Director of Intelligence; later NSA Director
- Born
- 1905, Hagerman, New Mexico
- Died
- November 20, 1968, Washington, D.C.
- Posts
- Director of Air Force Intelligence (from 1951); Director, NSA (1956–1960)
- Known for
- Pentagon UFO press conference, July 29, 1952
- Education
- West Point, 1928
Air Force intelligence chief who held the huge July 1952 Pentagon press conference on the Washington, D.C., UFO sightings.
What is John Samford known for?
John Alexander Samford was a West Point graduate and Army Air Forces officer who served as a senior staff officer of the Eighth Air Force in World War II. He became Director of Air Force Intelligence in 1951, and later served as Director of the National Security Agency from 1956 to 1960.
In July 1952, after radar returns and lights over Washington, D.C., drew national headlines, Samford led a press conference at the Pentagon on July 29 with Major General Roger Ramey. It has been described as the largest Pentagon press conference since World War II. Samford said credible observers had reported relatively incredible things but that none showed a threat to national security, and he suggested stars, meteors and temperature inversions as likely causes.
His office also cooperated with the CIA's Robertson Panel in January 1953, according to the CIA's own history of its UFO work.
Led the July 1952 Pentagon press conference on the Washington sightings.
Mentioned on these pages
- Rabbit holeThe 1952 Washington, D.C. UFO Sightings
- PersonRoger Ramey
Sources
- National Security Agency, 'Lieutenant General John A. Samford, USAF, 1956–1960'Primary text
- Gerald K. Haines, 'CIA's Role in the Study of UFOs, 1947-90', Studies in Intelligence (CIA)Primary text
- Wikipedia, '1952 Washington, D.C., UFO incident'Reference
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