Not Exactly Amalgamated

As we suggested in the previous blog entry, a future visit wasn't looking trouble-free for the Amalgamated Flying Saucer Clubs of America, at least not when they held their convention in Los Angeles in July of 1959.  In an attempt to distance their local subcommittee from the controversial group, officials of the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) communicated through Tom Towers that the "convention" hosting "contactees" and others of questionable repute was bad news for legitimate UFO research.  Having met Maj. Donald Keyhoe in the sixties, I am more than familiar with his outrage over groups which -- loosely or otherwise -- attempted to claim an association with NICAP when it was under his influence. (credit:  Barry Greenwood)

Disney Artist Hosts Scientific UFO Discussion

Decades of UFO literature mention the meeting Towers describes here, hosted by a famous Walt Disney artist and attended by intriguing names, not the least of whom was Disney's advanced science consultant Ward Kimball.  As controversy rages on regarding the Disney corporation's relationship with actual UFO filming long ago, we nevertheless have little doubt that this 1958 meeting was at least in part precipitated by the movie, "U.F.O." released just two years previously.  The other article here touches upon 1959, when an upcoming  meeting of the Amalgamated Flying Saucer Clubs of America is announced -- an entity about as welcome as a skunk in a grocery store, as the next blog entry will demonstrate. (credit:  Barry Greenwood)

APRO and Dr. Carl Jung

Among these columns Towers mentions Dr. Carl Jung's interest in UFOs, revealing also that Jung is a member of the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization (APRO).  Other topics written about involve pure aviation history of the era and are fun to read. (credit:  Barry Greenwood)

 

From the Moon to Hawaii

In this June, 1958 column, Towers quotes a retired Chrysler Corp. board chairman whose take on any yet-unaccomplished voyage to the moon isn't exactly enthusiastic. We wonder how his opinion may have changed just over a decade later, when the United States made the first manned lunar journey.  Also briefly mentioned is a lecture regarding UFO sightings over Hawaii.  (credit: Barry Greenwood)

                

Frank Edwards Visits Los Angeles

Among other stories in his newspaper column, Tom Towers notes the arrival of noted radio broadcaster and UFO writer Frank Edwards to L.A. in 1957.  This is almost overshadowed by the report of some kind of explosion in an airplane lavatory which apparently blew a man into the blue and to his death.  Also, even a year after the movie first appeared on theater screens it still makes tracks, and in this case Towers himself is acknowledged for his role as Al Chop as "U.F.O." briefly returns to his area. (credit: Barry Greenwood)

Chickcharnies and Flying Saucers

Tom Towers' aviation columns could be quite inclusive of subjects other than or borderline to aviation. (Please note that some scans partly repeat scan images shown just prior.)


credit: Barry Greenwood

 

                                                                                       

Tom Towers, Aviation Writer

Invincible UFO researcher Barry Greenwood continues to contribute a significant amount of historical information for this blog, and last week he provided a number of scans highlighting the aviation articles accomplished by "U.F.O." movie "star" Tom Towers.  During the 1950s Towers was aviation editor for the Los Angeles Examiner and, while he did occasionally touch upon the UFO subject, the bulk of his articles indeed focused upon then-current aviation news.  Over the next several blog entries we will put up scans of Towers' articles which mention, even in just a few lines, UFOs.  Keep in mind always that Tom Towers was not necessarily a hard-line "believer" in a phenomenon harboring extraterrestrial or unexplainable implications, but he always remained open-minded, the mark of a true journalist.