Richard H. Hall
Encyclopedia
Richard H. Hall was a leading Ufologist and proponent of the extraterrestrial hypothesis
to explain UFO sightings; he also wrote books and articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War
.
in philosophy
from Tulane University
in New Orleans. He lived most of his life in the Washington, D.C.
area.
From 1958 to 1969 he worked for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). He began as executive secretary, and eventually became NICAP's assistant director. In this role Hall was both an eyewitness and participant to much of the early history of the UFO phenomenon in the United States
. Working with NICAP director Donald Keyhoe
, he helped lobby the United States Congress
to hold public hearings and investigations into the UFO phenomenon. In 1964 Hall researched, edited, and wrote much of The UFO Evidence, a compendium of the best UFO sightings and incidents of the 1940s, 1950's, and early 1960s. A copy of The UFO Evidence was sent to every member of Congress in 1964, and the book is still regarded by many UFO researchers and historians as one of the best UFO books ever published.
Following Keyhoe's ouster as NICAP director in 1969, Hall left NICAP to work as a technical writer
and editor. He continued to work in the UFO field. He served as the director of the Fund for UFO Research
, which provides grant
money to researchers working in UFO studies. He was also the editor of the MUFON Journal, the official publication of the Mutual UFO Network
(MUFON), the largest civilian UFO group in America today. In 2001 he wrote a sequel to The UFO Evidence; it covered major UFO incidents from the mid-1960s through the 1990s. He was also the chief editor of the Journal of UFO History, which is published six times per year. Hall was a strong proponent of the theory that UFOs are extraterrestrial
spacecraft from an advanced alien civilization, and he was an active member of the "UFO Updates" message board and website.
In 1964, "high level White House
discussions on what to do if an alien intelligence was discovered in space" took place. As a result, CIA director John McCone
initiated a review of the possibility that UFOs might represent a threat to the United States. CIA agents interviewed Richard Hall, who provided them with data about UFA sightings from NICAP's records.
In 1997, the CIA released a report called CIA's role in the study of U.F.O.'s 1947-90 by Gerald K. Haines, which admitted that the agency had routinely lied about the causes of UFO reports for decades, blaming the incidents on weather conditions such as "temperature inversions" or "ice crystals". Instead these sightings were of secret aircraft, such as the SR-71 or U-2
spy planes.
Pulitzer Prize
winning science writer William J. Broad
wrote about the release of the report in the New York Times, quoting Hall:
According to Broad, Pike and other aerospace experts accepted much of the government's explanation of the earlier deceptions, while Hall continued to believe that the government was covering up evidence of the extraterrestrial origins of UFOs.
To supplement his income as a UFO researcher, Hall worked for many years as an abstractor-indexer for the Congressional Information Service in Bethesda, Maryland
. He did similar work for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Columbia Telecommunications and the National Council on Aging. A member of the Authors Guild, Hall also wrote numerous books and magazine articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War
, and he maintained a strong interest in Civil War history through his life.
Extraterrestrial hypothesis
The extraterrestrial hypothesis is the hypothesis that some unidentified flying objects are best explained as being extraterrestrial life or non-human aliens from other planets occupying physical spacecraft visiting Earth.-Etymology:...
to explain UFO sightings; he also wrote books and articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
.
Biography
Hall was born on December 25, 1930 and held a bachelor's degreeBachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
in philosophy
Philosophy
Philosophy is the study of general and fundamental problems, such as those connected with existence, knowledge, values, reason, mind, and language. Philosophy is distinguished from other ways of addressing such problems by its critical, generally systematic approach and its reliance on rational...
from Tulane University
Tulane University
Tulane University is a private, nonsectarian research university located in New Orleans, Louisiana, United States...
in New Orleans. He lived most of his life in the Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
area.
From 1958 to 1969 he worked for the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP). He began as executive secretary, and eventually became NICAP's assistant director. In this role Hall was both an eyewitness and participant to much of the early history of the UFO phenomenon in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. Working with NICAP director Donald Keyhoe
Donald Keyhoe
Donald Edward Keyhoe was an American Marine Corps naval aviator, writer of many aviation articles and stories in a variety of leading publications, and manager of the promotional tours of aviation pioneers, especially of Charles Lindbergh.In the 1950s he became well-known as an UFO researcher,...
, he helped lobby the United States Congress
United States Congress
The United States Congress is the bicameral legislature of the federal government of the United States, consisting of the Senate and the House of Representatives. The Congress meets in the United States Capitol in Washington, D.C....
to hold public hearings and investigations into the UFO phenomenon. In 1964 Hall researched, edited, and wrote much of The UFO Evidence, a compendium of the best UFO sightings and incidents of the 1940s, 1950's, and early 1960s. A copy of The UFO Evidence was sent to every member of Congress in 1964, and the book is still regarded by many UFO researchers and historians as one of the best UFO books ever published.
Following Keyhoe's ouster as NICAP director in 1969, Hall left NICAP to work as a technical writer
Technical writer
A technical writer is a professional writer who designs, creates, and maintains technical documentation...
and editor. He continued to work in the UFO field. He served as the director of the Fund for UFO Research
Fund for UFO Research
The Fund for UFO Research is an UFO research group based in Alexandria, Virginia. Founded in 1979, FUFOR states its aims as being to further the scholarly research of UFOs and the extraterrestrial hypothesis , and to secure the release of classified U.S...
, which provides grant
Grant (money)
Grants are funds disbursed by one party , often a Government Department, Corporation, Foundation or Trust, to a recipient, often a nonprofit entity, educational institution, business or an individual. In order to receive a grant, some form of "Grant Writing" often referred to as either a proposal...
money to researchers working in UFO studies. He was also the editor of the MUFON Journal, the official publication of the Mutual UFO Network
Mutual UFO Network
The Mutual UFO Network is an American non-profit organization that investigates cases of reported UFO sightings. It is one of the oldest and largest UFO-investigative organizations in the United States....
(MUFON), the largest civilian UFO group in America today. In 2001 he wrote a sequel to The UFO Evidence; it covered major UFO incidents from the mid-1960s through the 1990s. He was also the chief editor of the Journal of UFO History, which is published six times per year. Hall was a strong proponent of the theory that UFOs are extraterrestrial
Extraterrestrial life
Extraterrestrial life is defined as life that does not originate from Earth...
spacecraft from an advanced alien civilization, and he was an active member of the "UFO Updates" message board and website.
In 1964, "high level White House
White House
The White House is the official residence and principal workplace of the president of the United States. Located at 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW in Washington, D.C., the house was designed by Irish-born James Hoban, and built between 1792 and 1800 of white-painted Aquia sandstone in the Neoclassical...
discussions on what to do if an alien intelligence was discovered in space" took place. As a result, CIA director John McCone
John McCone
John Alexander McCone was an American businessman and politician who served as Director of Central Intelligence during the height of the Cold War.- Background :...
initiated a review of the possibility that UFOs might represent a threat to the United States. CIA agents interviewed Richard Hall, who provided them with data about UFA sightings from NICAP's records.
In 1997, the CIA released a report called CIA's role in the study of U.F.O.'s 1947-90 by Gerald K. Haines, which admitted that the agency had routinely lied about the causes of UFO reports for decades, blaming the incidents on weather conditions such as "temperature inversions" or "ice crystals". Instead these sightings were of secret aircraft, such as the SR-71 or U-2
Lockheed U-2
The Lockheed U-2, nicknamed "Dragon Lady", is a single-engine, very high-altitude reconnaissance aircraft operated by the United States Air Force and previously flown by the Central Intelligence Agency . It provides day and night, very high-altitude , all-weather intelligence gathering...
spy planes.
Pulitzer Prize
Pulitzer Prize
The Pulitzer Prize is a U.S. award for achievements in newspaper and online journalism, literature and musical composition. It was established by American publisher Joseph Pulitzer and is administered by Columbia University in New York City...
winning science writer William J. Broad
William Broad
William J. Broad is an author and a Senior Writer at The New York Times.-Awards:Broad has won two Pulitzer Prizes with Times colleagues, as well as an Emmy and a DuPont. He won the Pulitzers for coverage of the space shuttle Challenger disaster and the feasibility of antimissile arms...
wrote about the release of the report in the New York Times, quoting Hall:
"It's very significant," said Richard Hall, chairman of the Fund for U.F.O. Research, a group in Washington. "Certainly they've lied about not having any interest in the subject. But I don't know of any other deception like this."
John E. PikeJohn E. PikeJohn E. Pike is a national security analyst and director and founder of GlobalSecurity.org. An easily accessible pundit, he was active in opposing the Strategic Defense Initiative, and International Traffic in Arms Regulations, and consulting on Near-Earth objects that are potential threats to the...
, head of space policy at the Federation of American ScientistsFederation of American ScientistsThe Federation of American Scientists is a nonpartisan, 501 organization intent on using science and scientific analysis to attempt make the world more secure. FAS was founded in 1945 by scientists who worked on the Manhattan Project to develop the first atomic bombs...
, also based in Washington, said the admission raised questions about other Federal cover-ups involving U.F.O.'s. "The flying-saucer community is definitely onto something," in charging that the military is hiding something, Mr. Pike said.
According to Broad, Pike and other aerospace experts accepted much of the government's explanation of the earlier deceptions, while Hall continued to believe that the government was covering up evidence of the extraterrestrial origins of UFOs.
To supplement his income as a UFO researcher, Hall worked for many years as an abstractor-indexer for the Congressional Information Service in Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda, Maryland
Bethesda is a census designated place in southern Montgomery County, Maryland, United States, just northwest of Washington, D.C. It takes its name from a local church, the Bethesda Meeting House , which in turn took its name from Jerusalem's Pool of Bethesda...
. He did similar work for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, Columbia Telecommunications and the National Council on Aging. A member of the Authors Guild, Hall also wrote numerous books and magazine articles dealing with the role of women in the American Civil War
American Civil War
The American Civil War was a civil war fought in the United States of America. In response to the election of Abraham Lincoln as President of the United States, 11 southern slave states declared their secession from the United States and formed the Confederate States of America ; the other 25...
, and he maintained a strong interest in Civil War history through his life.
Further reading
- Story, Ronald D. (Ed.), The Encyclopedia of Extraterrestrial Encounters. Page 239. New American Library, 2001.
- The UFO Evidence, NICAP, 1964. ASIN B000GTPDFW
- The UFO Evidence, Volume 2: A Thirty-Year Report, Scarecrow Press, Inc., 2001. ISBN 0810838818
- Women on the Civil War Battlefront, University Press of Kansas, 2006. ISBN 0700614370
- Patriots in Disguise: Women Warriors of the Civil War, Marlowe & Company, 1994. ISBN 1569248648