James E. McDonald (atmospheric physicist).
official-recordsource_actorLandmark High-Strangeness Cases
[DOCUMENTED] (1920-1971) American atmospheric physicist/meteorologist, senior physicist at the Institute of Atmospheric Physics and professor at the University of Arizona; National Academy of Sciences member. The most scientifically credentialed mid-century UFO investigator: interviewed >500 witnesses, testified to Congress (1968), and produced detailed radar-visual analyses including the RB-47 (1957) and Lakenheath-Bentwaters (1956) cases.
Caltech B.S.; specialty cloud physics / weather modification. A 1954 personal sighting sparked his UFO interest. Presented 'Twenty-Two Years of Inadequate UFO Investigations' at the AAAS 134th meeting (Dec 1968). Became the sharpest scientific critic of the Condon Committee: noted the report marked >30% of its cases unexplained yet Condon's foreword dismissed the topic; called it 'the largest piece of bad advice on UFOs the Air Force has received to date' and accused Condon of attacking straw-man cases. Entangled in the 'Trick Memo' scandal (Condon then sought his firing). Died 13 Jun 1971 (suicide). Papers held at the University of Arizona Libraries Special Collections.