CIA Cable on Leon Davidson and the 'Space Message' Hoax Inquiry
This declassified CIA cable, released via the CIA Reading Room, reports on a face-to-face contact with Leon Davidson while he was in Chicago for a scientific meeting. According to the cable, Davidson was writing an article for a space magazine and wanted either the translation of a 'space message' and identification of the emitting station to prove the message a hoax, or permission to reproduce government letterheads (the CIA's and ATIC's) in his article to illustrate government avoidance of his inquiries. Davidson reportedly stated he had received no satisfactory answer to his requests to the agencies in nearly a year. The officer told Davidson he would communicate with him shortly, either supplying the requested information if possible or explaining that nothing further could be done, and advised Davidson that using government letterhead without express agency permission would be imprudent — advice Davidson agreed with. Described as 'calm and pleasant but very determined,' Davidson prompted the sending station to 'bow out of this thing' while urging that headquarters and ATIC concern themselves with the man and try to satisfy him, stressing a commitment to communicate with him. The text is heavily garbled from OCR of a degraded original.
Description
A partially degraded CIA communications cable (WA-26258 series) documenting a person-to-person contact with UFO researcher Leon Davidson in Chicago, concerning his requests to the CIA and the Air Technical Intelligence Center (ATIC) regarding a purported 'space message' he sought to expose as a hoax.
Claims
Leon Davidson sought a translation of a purported extraterrestrial 'space message' and identification of its emitting station in order to prove the message was a hoax.
85%A CIA officer advised Davidson that using government letterhead in his article without express agency permission would be imprudent, and Davidson agreed.
85%Leon Davidson sought a translation of a 'space message' and identification of its emitting station to prove the message was a hoax.
80%Davidson wanted permission to reproduce CIA and ATIC letterheads in a space-magazine article to show government avoidance of his inquiries.
80%The CIA officer advised Davidson that using government letterhead without express agency permission would be imprudent, and Davidson agreed.
80%The originating station wished to 'bow out' of the matter but urged Headquarters and ATIC to engage with Davidson and satisfy his inquiries.
80%Davidson claimed he had received no satisfactory answer from the CIA and ATIC in nearly a year.
75%Davidson had received no satisfactory answer from the CIA and ATIC to his requests over nearly a year.
75%
Events
Person-to-person contact with Leon Davidson in Chicago
CIA officer met Davidson while he attended a scientific meeting; Davidson requested translation of the 'space message' or permission to use government letterheads in a magazine article.
Dates mentioned
Keywords
Entities
Extracted text (OCR)
can ot DG ye e2ITI32 SUPPORT = ar ar) bet ax! ts 2 3 ? . to iN rn x vy Ln Z g2° 4 ‘RE WA~26258 X 26258 AND CASE § 7) (CLOSED), UE NEGLECTED TO NENTION IN CHCO-9223 X 922¥ THAT OUR CONTACT WITH LEON DAVIDSON X LEON DA 1AS PERSON-TO~PERSONs HE WAS IN = 0 PU ee _— CHICAGO FOR A SCIENTIFIC MEZTING, DAVIDSON EXPLAINED THAT HE 18 DOING. : OSDR AN ARTICLE-FOS_A SPACE MAGAZINE. HE WANTS THE TRANSLATION OF THE) > ae —~ ae eS ee SBESSAGE AND THE EMITTING STATION PROVING THE SPACE MESSAGE TO BE A = HOAX, OR HE WANTS PERMISSION TO PICTURE COVERNNENT- LETTERHEADS, ~~ OURS AND ATIC'S X ATIC’S, IN HIS ARTICLE SHOWING GOVERNKENT AVOIDANCE ~~ OF MIS INQUIRIES, “HE EXPLAINED THAT HE RAD RECEIVED NOX NO] SATISFACTORY ANSYER-TO HIS REQUEST OF US_AND ATIC X ATIC IN NEARLY A YEAR, ERE a S PTOLD DAVIDSON HE-WOULD CONMUNICATE WITH HIM SHORTLY 7” SUPPLYING THE INFORMATICN-HE REQUESTED IF POSSISLE, OR EXPLAINING - : THAT NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE. RE DAVIDSON'S WISH TO USE — GOVERNMENT LETTERHEAD IN_EVENT_HE CANNOT GET WESSAGE TRANSLATION, 7 ADVISED THIS WOULD BE IMPRUDENT AND SUGCESTED HE NOT X NOT” | DO IT WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AGENCIES CONCERNED, , Fe ee ’ | DAVIDSON AGREED THIS WAS” BESTs DAVIDSON WAS CALM AND PLEASANT BUT ~ “VERY DETERNINED, — IN VIEW OF YOUR WA=26288 X 26258 WE WISH TO BOW” OUT OF THIS THING, DUT URCE THAT HEADQUARTERS, AND ATIC X ATIC. CONCERN THEMSELVES WITH THIS HAN AND TRY TO .- cCarTrrery wWiYyM. OITArCe “AN NAT © WAT PET Ue ANLN AY ATID ACOCE MCU FA HE VAS IN DAVIDSON EXPLAINED THAT HE 18 DOING 8 ARTICLE -ROR A SPACE VAGAzINE. ME WANTS: THE TRANSLATION OF tHe PRESSAGE AND THE EMITTING STATION PROVING THE SPACE MESSAGE TO BE A HOAX, OR HZ VANTS PERMISSION TO PICTURE GOVERNNENT LETTERHEADS, = OURS AND ATIC'S X ATIC!S, IN HIS ARTICLE SHOWING! GOVERNMENT AVOIDANCE OF HIS INQUIRIES, ‘HE EXPLAINED -THAT-HE-HAD-RECEIVED NO X NO |} SATISFACTORY ANSYER-TO HIS REQUEST OF _US AND ATIC _X ATIC IN-NEARLY. AW YEAR. | : ATOLD DAVIDSON HE WOULD COMMUNICATE WITH HIM SHORTLY — _7_ | SUPPLYING THE INFORMATION HE REQUESTED IF POSSISLE, OR EXPLAINING | THAT NOTHING FURTHER COULD BE DONE. RE DAVIDSON'S WISH TO USE ~ GOVERNMENT LETTERHEAD IN. EVENT HE CANNOT GET NESSAGE TRANSLATION, Hn MY ADVISED THIS WOULD BE JMPRUDENT AND SUGCESTED HE NOT ¥ NOT DO IT WITHOUT THE EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE AGENCIES CONCERNED, DAVIDSON AGREED THIS WAS BEST» DAVIDSON WAS CALN AND PLEASANT BUE “VERY DETERNINEDs : IN VIEV OF YOUR WA+26258 X 26258 WE 'VISH TO BOW: our OF THIS THING, DUT URGE THAT KEADQUARTERS, QRRA@eeieRRErseee’ | isscas AND ATIC X ATIC.CONCERN THENSELVES WITH THIS HAN AND TRY TO ~~ ‘SATISFY IMs PLEASE: D0 NOT X NOT_LET US DOWN” ON OUR ACREEHENT TO , COMMUNICATE WITH Hite ‘VE ARE COMMITTED, . 3 , acl es a . wake » “ a Ot, 70 129/ 3 az: Lh eo Mi ¥ nn ee WE ST “ES TOT129/19432 * ~ ta RE are tue. ah has fe wee PT ye
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SF-2026-000808