James E. McDonald

Dr. James E. McDonald (1920 - 1971) was an American physicist. He is probably best known for his research regarding UFOs. McDonald was senior physicist at the Institute for Atmospheric Physics and professor in the Department of Meteorology, University of Arizona, Tucson.

Related Topics:
American - Physicist - University of Arizona

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Throughout the mid and late 1960's he campaigned vigorously in support of expanding UFO studies, arguing that UFOs represented an intriguing, pressing and unsolved mystery which had not been adequately studied by science. McDonald was one of the more prominent figures of his time who agued in favor of the so-called extraterrestrial hypothesis (or ETH) as a viable explanation for UFOs.

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A dedicated and tireless UFO researcher and scholar, he personally interviewed over 500 UFO witnesses and uncovered many important government UFO documents. He testified before Congress during the UFO hearings of 1968. http://www.ufoevidence.org/documents/doc1981.htm Some Ufologists consider his presentation there the single best summary of the UFO evidence ever given. Another famous McDonald summary of the UFO evidence, called "Science in Default," was a critique of the 1969 Condon Report UFO study prepared for the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). It was published posthumously in 1972 in "UFO's, A Scientific Debate," edited by Carl Sagan and Thornton Page.

Related Topics:
UFO - Ufologists - Condon Report - American Association for the Advancement of Science - Carl Sagan

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Val Germann writes that "McDonald was a scourge of the complacent ufologists of his day. He blasted the Air Force, Hynek, Menzel, Condon and anyone else doing a second-rate job in the UFO arena. He was a first-rate intellect and a world-famous atmospheric scientist, this last very important since UFOs are mainly reported in the atmosphere, not in outer space. This put the astronomers (Hynek & Menzel) on the spot when they tried to challenge McDonald. He was in his field, they were not. This would often cause Menzel acute embarrassment."http://www.cohenufo.org/mcdnld_char.html

Related Topics:
Val Germann - Air Force - Hynek - Menzel - Condon - Astronomer

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