| Recently declassified FBI documents obtained by Expanding Frontiers Research reveal how UFO researcher Ivan Sanderson assisted federal authorities during Cold War-era investigations involving the UFO research community. |
By
The UFO Chronicles 8-21-2025 |
Sanderson, a former British intelligence officer and prominent UFO researcher, initiated contact with the FBI in 1958 regarding what he described as subversive activities at New York Saucer Information Bureau (NYSIB) meetings. Working with Swedish-born writer and editor Hans Santesson, Sanderson reported that these meetings, ostensibly focused on UFO information, were actually being used to promote Communist Party activities.
According to the 1958 FBI memo, both Sanderson and Santesson were interviewed by the Bureau and expressed willingness to cooperate in furnishing information in the future.
A newly obtained 1963 FBI memo shows the Bureau approached Sanderson again, this time seeking assistance in an investigation of Robert Theodore Stark, who was employed in 1957 by the Bogen-Presto Division of Siegler Corporation in Paramus, New Jersey. The memo does not clarify the reasons for FBI interest in Stark.
During this interaction, FBI agents showed Sanderson a photograph of Stark. Sanderson indicated the man looked familiar but could not place him. He then provided agents with names of people who may have been more currently active with NYSIB and therefore better positioned to help identify Stark and provide related information.
Among the individuals Sanderson referenced was Isabel Davis, a longtime member of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) and UFO community figure. The memo also mentions Lex Mebane and Ted Bloecher. Research indicates Davis had co-founded Civilian Saucer Intelligence of New York (CSINY) in 1954 with Bloecher and Mebane.
Interestingly, previous Freedom of Information Act requests for records on Isabel Davis had not produced responsive documents, possibly because her name appears in files focused on other subjects like Stark.
The FBI also archived materials related to Santesson's work beyond UFO research, including a clipping describing his role as a science fiction editor and his writings on Muslim ideologies and their implications for the United States. Santesson had also reviewed John McCoy's 1957 pamphlet "They Shall Be Gathered Together," which dealt with UFOs and extraterrestrial contact.
Expanding Frontiers Research continues submitting FOIA requests related to these investigations, with additional material expected to be received and posted as the research continues. The organization notes that standard FBI database searches may not locate all relevant documents when individuals are mentioned in files focused on other subjects.
These documents provide insight into how federal authorities interacted with civilian UFO researchers during the Cold War period, showing at least one case where a prominent UFO investigator voluntarily assisted FBI investigations on multiple occasions.
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