J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies

Description of the organization:
The J. Allen Hynek Center for UFO Studies is a privately funded, non-profit organization founded in 1973 by astronomer Dr. J. Allen Hynek (former scientific consultant to U.S. Air Force Projects Sign, Grudge, and Blue Book). It comprises scientists, academics, investigators, and volunteers dedicated to the continuing scientific examination and analysis of the UFO/UAP phenomenon. Its stated purpose is to promote serious scientific interest, conduct original research and investigation, serve as an archive for reports/documents/publications, and act as an educational resource. It has never operated primarily as a general public membership organization (focusing instead on scientific/professional consultants and a community of supporters). After Hynek’s death in 1986, it was renamed in his honor; Mark Rodeghier has served as scientific director since then. It remains a relatively small research group stressing scientific analysis of cases, support for investigators, compilation of reports (notably into UFOCAT), and publication of investigative and scholarly materials.

Description of the archive:
CUFOS has long functioned as a central civilian data archive for the UFO/UAP phenomenon. Its holdings include original sighting reports and field investigations, official government documents and correspondence (including Hynek’s Blue Book–related files), extensive materials inherited from defunct organizations such as NICAP (the largest civilian research group of the 1950s–1960s) and others (e.g., CSI-NY), topic and correspondence files, books, periodicals, microfilms, photographs, and audio recordings.

A cornerstone is the UFOCAT database—a computerized catalog of sighting reports and related information that originated in the late 1960s (begun by David R. Saunders during the Condon Committee/Colorado UFO Project era, with early contributions including a large catalog from Jacques Vallée). Transferred to CUFOS in 1976 and subsequently maintained and expanded (notably by Don Johnson and others), recent versions contain over 300,000 entries, including more than 192,000 primary UFO reports. It serves as a comprehensive reference and bibliographic tool pointing to original sources (often with multiple entries per case from files, articles, or books).

The physical case files now form a major component of the National UFO Historical Records Center’s collections in New Mexico, preserved alongside other historic holdings and subject to ongoing digitization for broader research access. The CUFOS website itself operates as a significant digital archive of its publications, reports, documents, and educational resources. In this capacity, the organization has contributed a durable, scientifically oriented repository of primary and secondary materials spanning the modern history of UFO/UAP investigation, supporting research by providing both raw case data and structured catalogs.