Edward J. Ruppelt
| Edward J. Ruppelt | |
| Born | July 17, 1923, Grundy Center, Iowa |
|---|---|
| Died | September 15, 1960 (aged 37), Long Beach, California |
| Nationality | American |
| Category | Military official / author |
| Roles | Head of Project Grudge and Project Blue Book; aeronautical engineer |
| Notable claim | About 20% of reviewed UFO cases (1952) were unexplained |
| Status | Historical |
| HistoricalOfficial | |
Edward James Ruppelt (1923–1960) was a U.S. Air Force captain and aeronautical engineer who directed the Air Force’s official UFO investigation from 1951 to 1953, first as Project Grudge and then under its new name, Project Blue Book. He is generally credited with introducing the term “unidentified flying object” to replace “flying saucer.”[1]
A decorated World War II bombardier (two Distinguished Flying Crosses and three Air Medals), Ruppelt earned an aeronautical engineering degree from Iowa State College and was recalled to active duty during the Korean War, joining the Air Technical Intelligence Center at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. Under his leadership the project took reports more seriously, standardized reporting forms and tried to add instruments such as diffraction-grating cameras. He oversaw the investigation of the Lubbock Lights, the Tremonton film and the July 1952 Washington, D.C. flap.[1]
In September 2026 a recording and transcript of a March 1952 Ruppelt presentation in Boston were released under PURSUE; see Ruppelt UFO Briefing (1952).[2]
Assessment
Ruppelt is widely respected by both believers and skeptics as the most open-minded and methodical of Blue Book’s leaders. After leaving the Air Force he worked for Northrop and in 1956 published The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects, an inside account still considered essential reading. An expanded 1960 edition added chapters taking a much more dismissive tone, calling UFOs a “space age myth”; researchers still debate whether that change reflected his own view or outside pressure. He died of a heart attack in 1960 at age 37.[1]
See also
- Project Blue Book
- Project Grudge
- Robertson Panel
- J. Allen Hynek
- Ruppelt UFO Briefing (1952) – PURSUE Files
Further reading
- Edward J. Ruppelt (1956). The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects (Amazon)
References
- ^ Ruppelt, E. J. (1956; expanded ed. 1960). The Report on Unidentified Flying Objects. Doubleday / Ace.
- ^ U.S. Department of War (2026). PURSUE Release 06, DOW-UAP-D154 and DOW-UAP-PR160. war.gov/ufo.