Center for UFO Studies

The Center for UFO Studies (CUFOS) is a privately funded research organization devoted to the investigation and documentation of unidentified flying objects, now often discussed within the broader field of unidentified aerial phenomena. It was established in 1973 by astronomer J. Allen Hynek, shortly after the United States Air Force ended Project Blue Book, the government’s formal investigation of UFO reports. Hynek had served as a scientific consultant to Project Blue Book from 1952 until its closure in 1969. His views changed over time: although initially skeptical and involved in evaluating explanations for reported sightings, he came to believe that a small residual group of cases could not be adequately explained by hoaxes, misidentifications, or known natural phenomena. CUFOS was created to continue systematic civilian study of those reports. The organization began in Evanston, Illinois, in association with Hynek’s academic work at Northwestern University, and is now based in Chicago. Its operating model has emphasized research rather than entertainment, advocacy, or a conventional membership-based “saucer club.” In its early period, Hynek sought contributions from scientists and other professionals who could assist with the technical, historical, and investigative assessment of cases. The organization’s work has included collecting witness reports, preserving documentary records, comparing cases, and encouraging analysis by researchers from relevant disciplines. CUFOS maintains a library and archival collection containing books, articles, documents, correspondence, and reports concerning UFO incidents and related investigations. Its holdings include historically significant material from earlier civilian organizations, including the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena, or NICAP, which was one of the largest American UFO research groups during the 1950s and 1960s. The archives provide source material for independent researchers, authors, and investigators studying the history and evidentiary record of UFO reports. A second central activity is the continuing compilation and analysis of reports from the United States and other countries. CUFOS presents itself as a research body that applies scientific and analytical methods to reported incidents, while acknowledging that the subject matter often involves incomplete evidence, uncertain identification, and contested interpretations. Its work therefore sits at the intersection of astronomy, atmospheric science, aviation reporting, history, folklore, and anomalistics rather than within a conventional commercial product category. Following Hynek’s death in 1986, the organization adopted the name J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies in his honor, although it is commonly known as CUFOS. Mark Rodeghier has served as its director since 1986 and is also associated with the Journal of Scientific Exploration. Other researchers identified with the organization’s board or activities have included UFO historian Jerome Clark, retired natural-science professor Michael D. Swords, and folklorist Thomas E. Bullard. In November 2020, CUFOS’s case files were moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where they were being curated on the organization’s behalf by the National UFO Historical Records Center. The relocation concerned the preservation and management of records rather than a change in the organization’s Chicago base.

J. Allen Hynek founded the Center for UFO Studies in 1973 after a career that included scientific consultancy for Project Blue Book, the United States Air Force program that investigated UFO reports from 1948 until 1969. Hynek initially approached many reports skeptically and helped evaluate conventional explanations, including misidentification of astronomical or atmospheric phenomena. Over time, however, he concluded that a limited number of incidents remained difficult to explain. The closure of Project Blue Book left no comparable official investigative program, prompting Hynek to establish a civilian organization dedicated to continued research and documentation. CUFOS began in Evanston, Illinois, while Hynek was chair of the Department of Astronomy at Northwestern University. Its early identity was deliberately more research-oriented than that of a popular UFO club. Hynek encouraged scientists and other professionals to contribute their expertise, creating an informal network sometimes described as an “invisible college.” The organization collected reports, encouraged field investigations, and sought to examine cases through scientific, historical, and interdisciplinary methods. The center’s work developed around two durable functions. First, it built and maintained a specialized library and archive containing books, articles, reports, and other records concerning UFO sightings and investigations. Its holdings were expanded by material associated with earlier civilian groups, including NICAP, a major American UFO organization of the 1950s and 1960s. Second, CUFOS continued to gather and assess reports from around the world, seeking patterns and explanations while preserving cases for future study. After Hynek died in 1986, the organization was renamed the J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies. Mark Rodeghier has served as director since that year. Researchers associated with its board have included Jerome Clark, Michael D. Swords, and Thomas E. Bullard, whose backgrounds span UFO history, natural science, and folklore. The organization is based in Chicago and remains a small private research body rather than a government agency or publicly traded company. In November 2020, CUFOS transferred its case files to Albuquerque, New Mexico. The National UFO Historical Records Center was identified as the institution curating those records on CUFOS’s behalf. This arrangement highlighted the continuing importance of preservation and researcher access to the center’s historical materials, while CUFOS continued its broader role in collecting and analyzing UFO reports.

• 2020

  Case files relocated to Albuquerque

  [1]Center for UFO Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  CUFOS’s case files were moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for curation by the National UFO Historical Records Center on behalf of the organization.

• 1986

  Organization renamed in Hynek’s honor

  [1]Center for UFO Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  Following Hynek’s death, the center adopted the name J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies. Mark Rodeghier is identified as having become its director in the same year.

• 1973

  CUFOS founded by J. Allen Hynek

  [1]Center for UFO Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  J. Allen Hynek established the Center for UFO Studies to continue civilian collection and analysis of UFO reports after the closure of Project Blue Book.

A small, privately funded research organization positioned around evidence collection, archival preservation, and scientific analysis of UFO reports rather than commercial entertainment or mass-market membership.

• Research service · 1973

  UFO incident investigations

  CUFOS collects and analyzes reports of UFO incidents from the United States and other countries. The work involves documenting witness accounts and available evidence, reviewing possible conventional explanations, and preserving unresolved cases for further examination. It is a research activity rather than a commercial consumer product.

• Archive and research resource · 1973

  UFO library and archives

  The center maintains a specialized collection of books, articles, documents, and sighting reports for researchers and investigators. The holdings also include historically important material from earlier civilian UFO organizations, including NICAP. The archive is a central institutional asset and supports historical as well as case-oriented research.

• Research communication

  Research publications

  CUFOS communicates research and case-related material through publications and other scholarly or investigative resources associated with UFO study. The organization’s publication activity supports the dissemination of reports, historical documentation, and analytical perspectives, although the available reference material does not establish a complete catalog of titles.

• 2020

  Transfer of case files for external curationStrategy

  Background

  CUFOS’s extensive historical case files required continued preservation and curation while the organization remained a small private research body.

  Action taken

  The case files were moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, for curation by the National UFO Historical Records Center on CUFOS’s behalf.

  Aftermath

  The arrangement preserved the files in a dedicated historical-records setting while CUFOS continued its research and analytical mission from Chicago.

  Source

• 2020

  CUFOS case files moved to Albuquerque for curation[1]Center for UFO Studiesen.wikipedia.org

  Other

  The organization’s case files were moved to Albuquerque, New Mexico, where the National UFO Historical Records Center curated them on behalf of CUFOS.

1. 1Center for UFO Studiesen.wikipedia.org
2. 2Center for UFO Studies official websitecufos.org