Leon Davidson to FBI: Nazi-like Activity 'Cloaking Itself' among UFOs and New Agers

Gray Barker was an entrepreneur, publisher of UFO zines and an author with an unapologetic inclination for embellishment. In 1960 he sent a letter to FBI Dir. J. Edgar Hoover. A copy of Barker's letter to Hoover was obtained from the National Archives while preparing for a recent discussion with Gabriel Mckee, author of The Saucerian: UFOs, Men In Black and the Unbelievable Life of Gray Barker.

In the letter, pictured below, Barker references another letter, this one written from Dr. Leon Davidson to Hoover. Barker informs Hoover he was sent a copy of Davidson's letter and proceeds to address its content. Expanding Frontiers Research obtained the Davidson letter through the Freedom of Information Act. This blogpost will explore the circumstances surrounding Barker and Davidson's January 1960 letters to the FBI.

Barker explained to Hoover how his letter was prompted by correspondence received from Dr. Leon Davidson, who informed Barker he'd alerted Hoover to fascist activity within the "crackpot" fringe. According to Barker, the circumstances described by Davidson involved people known generally to be surrounding those trying to seriously research the subject of flying saucers.

Barker goes on to tell Hoover he does know that some of the writings and literature connected with these fringe groups contain "the 'hate' line" identified with Nazis or fascists, but adds that he is unaware of any flying saucer groups "tainted with anything which could be described as overtly following the Communist line." He also assures the director "his files would be open" to Hoover if the need arises but he doubts he could be of any real help.

Note the handwritten annotation at the bottom of Barker's letter. Probably written by Hoover, it seems to read, "Not acknowledged due to nature of letter - not requiring an answer & due to fact Barker has numerous 65 ref." This might indicate Hoover finds it in the Bureau's better interest to avoid interactions with Barker that could turn problematic for reasons including his repeated reference in Classification 65 files, which involve investigations of such circumstances as espionage and sympathies for foreign adversaries. The files may have been among potentially responsive records destroyed as described by FBI in its response to the EFR FOIA request on Barker. It should be noted that an individual referenced in FBI files does not necessarily indicate wrongdoing and, in probably most instances, does not. A person may be referenced for circumstances such as having been interviewed by FBI agents, having an associate investigated, or any number of other reasons people become mentioned in Bureau files.

Gray Barker (1925-1984)

Before exploring the Davidson letter referenced by Barker, let's consider Leon Davidson and his involvement with the UFO genre. Dr. Davidson was a chemical engineer, scientist and participant in the Manhattan Project. He became involved in what would later be described by the CIA as a bizarre chain of events when he tried to investigate an audio recording created in 1955 by the Mildred and Marie Maier sisters of Chicago. The two seemed to think they inadvertently recorded sounds of a UFO – an alien spacecraft – while recording a radio program.

In the CIA version of the story, USAF Office of Special Investigations took an interest in the clicking sounds the sisters recorded. We might presume OSI interest included suspicions the recording might lead to signals intelligence discoveries. The Maier sisters received a visit from OSI officers who secured a copy of the recording. Davidson picked up interest and reached out to CIA, trying to establish facts around what intelligence agency visited the Maiers and what it learned from the recording obtained. What unfolded was a series of interactions between Davidson and spooks that snowballed into increasingly convoluted plot lines raising more suspicion with every CIA effort to de-escalate the situation.

Dr. Leon Davidson (1922-2007)

According to CIA, the sisters' recording was nothing more than meaningless Morse code but attempts to avoid fueling saucer conspiracies while simultaneously protecting classified information proved problematic. CIA ill-advised actions even included sending undercover officers posing as Air Force personnel to try to discourage Davidson's interest, yet the situation kept getting worse. Due to what the CIA later acknowledged was mishandling of the situation by both the Air Force and CIA, it decided the best option for dealing with Davidson was to stop responding at all.

In 1959, Davidson wrote about electronic countermeasures, known as ECM, in the context of how the technology was likely leading to reports of UFO sightings. In ECM + CIA = UFO – or - How to Cause a Radar Sighting, Davidson argued that what started out as dropping aluminum foil strips from planes in order to clutter enemy radar evolved into a CIA psychological manipulation tool.

He was closer to the truth than he realized, CIA later observed about Davidson's 1950s accusations the Agency had responsibility in the creation of UFO reports. In ECM + CIA = UFO, the doctor was actually discussing aspects of what became known as Project Palladium. The operation is described in a 1998 CIA report, Stealth, Countermeasures and ELINT, 1960-1975. Authored by CIA man Gene Poteat, the report contains numerous items of interest, including descriptions of releasing metallic-colored, sphere-shaped balloons from submarines in coordination with the creation of false returns on enemy radar screens. Fascinatingly, Poteat writes how the “phantom” aircraft could be made to appear to radar operators as any size and traveling at any speed desired, and could be turned off instantly, giving the illusion the craft simply vanished into thin air while pilots were in pursuit.

As shown above, Davidson's Jan. 13, 1960, letter to Hoover warned of a force with hidden agendas, "cloaking itself in the protection of ridicule" via UFOs, so "it can spread without public attention." Davidson expressed concerns involving Nazis and New Age movements, and he advised Hoover of where to look within factions of UFO and self-described religious groups. Among others, Davidson specifically referenced alleged contactee Daniel Fry and Michael X, a controversial trafficker in saucer stories who also sought to influence the Black Muslim community. Michael X, born Michael de Freitas and also known as Michael Barton, was later convicted of murder and subsequently hanged in 1975 at Port of Spain, Trinidad. As CIA later stated about Davidson's suspicions that its operations were creating perceived UFO sightings, maybe Davidson was again closer to the truth than he realized.

Davidson referenced “Secrets of Higher Contact” by Michael X, specifically pages 22 and 23. Further research revealed those pages contain prophecy that large numbers of the population were going to identify as contactees and welcome the Space Brothers.

Davidson indicated the Michael X material was published in 1959 by Futura Press but it was apparently – and ironically – re-released in 1969 by Saucerian Books. That's Gray Barker's publishing operation. The page-turner reportedly came with an afterword by Barker and an epilogue by Valiant Thor, a purported Venusian who, according to Frank Stranges, had a stint of employment in the Pentagon. Stranges had his own run-ins with the Bureau, as covered in this writer's Wayward Sons: NICAP and the IC, but that's another story for another time. It should be noted, however, it all does indeed tie together and keep closing back in on itself.

Davidson began the letter by citing vandalism at the Mamaronek (New York) Jewish Center. He went on to explain how he suspected such actions were the work of an organization attempting to solidify a growing base. Davidson referenced a photo of a "message left on cardboard" and other aspects of the vandalism published in a newspaper, prompting this writer to locate a similar article at newspapers dot com. The full clipping may be viewed in a Leon Davidson folder being compiled and the corresponding front page of the Jan. 7, 1960, edition of The (Mamaronek) Daily Times is shown below.

Hoover opted to cordially respond to Davidson's letter, as shown below. A typed annotation documented Davidson's belief that Nazi-type activity involved crackpot faddists, mystics and other gullible people of the world. It was further noted Davidson offered his services to FBI and that Bureau files reflected no information, circumstances seeming to suggest his lack of reference in FBI records, as compared to the circumstances represented in the annotation added to Barker's letter.

The Barker letter described in this post was obtained after first submitting a FOIA request to the FBI. As is often the case with requests for mid-20^th century material, FBI stated it had no responsive records, and that potentially responsive records were destroyed, but further advised of a potentially responsive file number in the custody of the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA). The procedure is then to submit a FOIA request to NARA for the file number.

After obtaining and viewing the Barker letter, EFR submitted a follow-up request to NARA for the Davidson letter referenced by Barker. NARA responded it searched in multiple locations where it was expected to be found but could not locate the document.

At that point, a FOIA request was submitted to FBI, citing the Barker letter and requesting the Davidson letter referenced. The usual process then unfolded of FBI again providing a file number to be requested from NARA. Interestingly, when supplied with the file number in a new request, NARA was able to locate and provide the requested Davidson letter.

EFR continues to follow up on this and other records obtained by submitting more FOIA requests on the people and circumstances referenced. This is a still-developing, multi-faceted line of research.