James W. Moseley
Encyclopedia
James W. Moseley is an American ufologist.
He has exposed UFO hoaxers and perpetrated fraud in his career and, according to Jerome Clark
, has "entertained just about every view it is possible to hold about UFOs, without ever managing to say anything especially interesting or memorable about any of them."
Moseley attended Princeton University
for two years before dropping out. He became interested in UFOs following the 1947 claims of pilot Kenneth Arnold
, but his interest deepened following the 1948 death of U.S. Air Force pilot Thomas Mantell
in pursuit of a UFO.
In July, 1954, Moseley co-founded Saucer News, a periodical known for its unorthodox, "freewheeling" (Clark, 2002) style. Saucer News only occasionally featured serious UFO research; Moseley was among the first to publicize evidence against the claims of leading "contactee" George Adamski
. In 1953 he investigated the Ralph Horton flying saucer crash
.
Saucer News was sold to Gray Barker
in 1968. Moseley became a regular lecturer on UFOs for several years and organized an annual convention. In 1970, he founded a newsletter that went by several titles until Moseley settled on Saucer Smear in 1981. He produces the newsletter irregularly, and sells pdf issues and subscriptions from his site. Saucer Smear typically has a joking, gossipy tone.
Moseley reports (Story, 1980; Clark, 2002) that he has accepted, then rejected, a number of explanations for UFOs. In roughly chronological order, he considered the extraterrestrial hypothesis
; a secret weapon/aircraft hypothesis, psychic/supernatural/interdimensional hypotheses in the vein of John Keel
or Jacques Vallee
; deep skepticism
; and agnosticism.
In 1984, Moseley established an antiques
store in Key West, Florida
. Moseley co-wrote a memoir With Karl T. Pflock
, entitled Shockingly Close to the Truth! (2002).
In 1957, Barker acquired some blank U.S. Governmental letterhead stationery and envelopes from a friend. During an alcohol-fueled weekend, Moseley and Barker wrote seven letters, each using this official letterhead. Five of the letters were jokes to friends; only two of the letters were outright hoaxes, the Adamski letter and one to Moseley's father.
The letter to Adamski was signed by the fictional "R.E. Straith", a representative of the non-existent "Cultural Exchange Committee" of the U.S. State Department. Straith wrote that the U.S. Government knew that Adamski had actually spoken to extraterrestrials in a California desert in 1952, and that a group of highly-placed government officials planned on public corroboration of Adamski's story.
Adamski took great pride in the Straith letter, and publicized its contents. FBI agents investigated the letter, and, since none of the claims were genuine, asked Adamski to stop publicizing the letter. Adamski refused.
FBI agents also questioned Barker and Moseley about the matter, but no criminal charges were filed.
Moseley has been quoted (Clark, 2002) as stating that he committed multiple UFO "hoaxes", but the incidents are not detailed by Clark.
Moseley investigated the Ralph Horton flying saucer crash
after finding it in the flying saucer file of the Atlanta Constitution
. Moseley called the airport and confirmed that the object was a device used by the Air Force to determine wind velocity and direction. It was sent up attached to a balloon and tracked by radar, since radar beams were reflected by the object. Horton retrieved the object from where he had discarded it, and gave it to Moseley. Moseley lost the object. He laments that if he had held on to the object, then it might have been he instead of Pflock that cracked the Roswell UFO Incident
.
He has exposed UFO hoaxers and perpetrated fraud in his career and, according to Jerome Clark
Jerome Clark
Jerome Clark is an American researcher and writer, specializing in unidentified flying objects and other anomalous phenomena; he is also a songwriter of some note....
, has "entertained just about every view it is possible to hold about UFOs, without ever managing to say anything especially interesting or memorable about any of them."
Biography
Son of U.S. Army Major General George Van Horn MoseleyGeorge Van Horn Moseley
George Van Horn Moseley was a United States Army general. Following his retirement in 1938, he became controversial for his anti-immigrant and anti-Semitic views.-Biography:...
Moseley attended Princeton University
Princeton University
Princeton University is a private research university located in Princeton, New Jersey, United States. The school is one of the eight universities of the Ivy League, and is one of the nine Colonial Colleges founded before the American Revolution....
for two years before dropping out. He became interested in UFOs following the 1947 claims of pilot Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth Arnold
Kenneth A. Arnold was an American aviator and businessman. He is best-known for making what is generally considered the first widely reported unidentified flying object sighting in the United States, after claiming to have seen nine unusual objects flying in a chain near Mount Rainier, Washington...
, but his interest deepened following the 1948 death of U.S. Air Force pilot Thomas Mantell
Thomas Mantell
Captain Thomas Francis Mantell Jr. was a United States Air Force serviceman and a World War II veteran. Mantell was awarded Distinguished Flying Cross for courageous action during Normandy landings and Air Medal for heroism....
in pursuit of a UFO.
In July, 1954, Moseley co-founded Saucer News, a periodical known for its unorthodox, "freewheeling" (Clark, 2002) style. Saucer News only occasionally featured serious UFO research; Moseley was among the first to publicize evidence against the claims of leading "contactee" George Adamski
George Adamski
George Adamski was a Polish-born American citizen who became widely known in ufology circles, and to some degree in popular culture, after he claimed to have photographed ships from other planets, met with friendly Nordic alien "Space Brothers", and to have taken flights with them...
. In 1953 he investigated the Ralph Horton flying saucer crash
Ralph Horton flying saucer crash
The Ralph Horton flying saucer crash refers to a "flying saucer" that crashed on the farm of Ralph Horton in Fulton County, Georgia, United States, in July 1952....
.
Saucer News was sold to Gray Barker
Gray Barker
Gray Barker was an American writer best known for his books about UFOs and other paranormal phenomena. His 1956 book They Knew Too Much About Flying Saucers introduced the notion of the Men in Black to UFO folklore. Recent evidence indicates that he was skeptical of most UFO claims, and mainly...
in 1968. Moseley became a regular lecturer on UFOs for several years and organized an annual convention. In 1970, he founded a newsletter that went by several titles until Moseley settled on Saucer Smear in 1981. He produces the newsletter irregularly, and sells pdf issues and subscriptions from his site. Saucer Smear typically has a joking, gossipy tone.
Moseley reports (Story, 1980; Clark, 2002) that he has accepted, then rejected, a number of explanations for UFOs. In roughly chronological order, he considered the extraterrestrial hypothesis
Extraterrestrial hypothesis
The extraterrestrial hypothesis is the hypothesis that some unidentified flying objects are best explained as being extraterrestrial life or non-human aliens from other planets occupying physical spacecraft visiting Earth.-Etymology:...
; a secret weapon/aircraft hypothesis, psychic/supernatural/interdimensional hypotheses in the vein of John Keel
John Keel
John Alva Keel, born Alva John Kiehle was an American journalist and influential UFOlogist best known as author of The Mothman Prophecies.-Biography:...
or Jacques Vallee
Jacques Vallée
Jacques Fabrice Vallée is a venture capitalist, computer scientist, author, ufologist and former astronomer currently residing in San Francisco, California....
; deep skepticism
Skepticism
Skepticism has many definitions, but generally refers to any questioning attitude towards knowledge, facts, or opinions/beliefs stated as facts, or doubt regarding claims that are taken for granted elsewhere...
; and agnosticism.
In 1984, Moseley established an antiques
Antiques
An antique is an old collectible item. It is collected or desirable because of its age , beauty, rarity, condition, utility, personal emotional connection, and/or other unique features...
store in Key West, Florida
Key West, Florida
Key West is a city in Monroe County, Florida, United States. The city encompasses the island of Key West, the part of Stock Island north of U.S. 1 , Sigsbee Park , Fleming Key , and Sunset Key...
. Moseley co-wrote a memoir With Karl T. Pflock
Karl T. Pflock
Karl Tomlinson Pflock was a UFO researcher and author of both fiction and non-fiction. He was best known for his book Roswell: Inconvenient Facts and the Will to Believe.-Background:...
, entitled Shockingly Close to the Truth! (2002).
The "Straith" hoax letter
Moseley was long suspected of having co-created a phony 1957 letter as a prank against Adamski. After years of denying the charges, evading the subject, and hinting at responsibility, Moseley admitted to the hoax in 1985 (Clark, 2005; Moseley and Pflock, 2002).In 1957, Barker acquired some blank U.S. Governmental letterhead stationery and envelopes from a friend. During an alcohol-fueled weekend, Moseley and Barker wrote seven letters, each using this official letterhead. Five of the letters were jokes to friends; only two of the letters were outright hoaxes, the Adamski letter and one to Moseley's father.
The letter to Adamski was signed by the fictional "R.E. Straith", a representative of the non-existent "Cultural Exchange Committee" of the U.S. State Department. Straith wrote that the U.S. Government knew that Adamski had actually spoken to extraterrestrials in a California desert in 1952, and that a group of highly-placed government officials planned on public corroboration of Adamski's story.
Adamski took great pride in the Straith letter, and publicized its contents. FBI agents investigated the letter, and, since none of the claims were genuine, asked Adamski to stop publicizing the letter. Adamski refused.
FBI agents also questioned Barker and Moseley about the matter, but no criminal charges were filed.
Moseley has been quoted (Clark, 2002) as stating that he committed multiple UFO "hoaxes", but the incidents are not detailed by Clark.
Ralph Horton crash case
Ralph Horton flying saucer crash
The Ralph Horton flying saucer crash refers to a "flying saucer" that crashed on the farm of Ralph Horton in Fulton County, Georgia, United States, in July 1952....
after finding it in the flying saucer file of the Atlanta Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the only major daily newspaper in Atlanta, Georgia, United States, and its suburbs. The AJC, as it is called, is the flagship publication of Cox Enterprises. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is the result of the merger between The Atlanta Journal and The Atlanta...
. Moseley called the airport and confirmed that the object was a device used by the Air Force to determine wind velocity and direction. It was sent up attached to a balloon and tracked by radar, since radar beams were reflected by the object. Horton retrieved the object from where he had discarded it, and gave it to Moseley. Moseley lost the object. He laments that if he had held on to the object, then it might have been he instead of Pflock that cracked the Roswell UFO Incident
Roswell UFO incident
The Roswell UFO Incident was the recovery of an object that crashed in the general vicinity of Roswell, New Mexico, in June or July 1947, allegedly an extra-terrestrial spacecraft and its alien occupants. Since the late 1970s the incident has been the subject of intense controversy and of...
.