MUFON officially began on May 31, 1969. At that time it was known as the Midwest UFO Network. As it outgrew the Midwestern state boundaries to become a world class UFO organization, the name was changed to Mutual UFO Network. That allowed the acronym MUFON to remain as the organization matured. Allen Utke, Associate Professor of Chemistry at Wisconsin State University was selected as the first MUFON Director. A year later Walter H. Andrus, Jr., replaced Dr. Utke as the MUFON Director, a position he held until 2000 when he retired and John F. Schuessler took over as International Director. John retired in November 2006 and James Carrion became the International Director. James Carrion resigned at the end of 2009 and Clifford Clift became the International Director. He resigned in January 2012 and David MacDonald took over. At the 2013 MUFON Symposium in Las Vegas, the leadership of MUFON changed again. Seven years later in July 2020, David MacDonald was chosen for a second time to lead MUFON as its Executive Director.
In the 1960s, Walt Andrus worked with APRO to build a network of UFO investigators in the Midwest, founding the Tri-State UFO Study Group in 1967 and recruiting John Schuessler. Despite the U.S. government’s efforts to discredit UFO studies and APRO’s push for centralized control, Andrus continued field investigations, advocating for a decentralized approach to better respond to Midwest UFO reports.
READ MOREWhen APRO dismissed the Midwest contingent as a hindrance, Walt Andrus and regional investigators recognized the need for a grassroots structure to respond quickly to local UFO sightings. On May 31, 1969, Walt and Dr. Allen Utke founded the Midwest UFO Network (MUFON), establishing an observer network and leadership hierarchy while maintaining affiliation with APRO. SKYLOOK, a Missouri-based UFO newsletter, became MUFON’s official publication, later renamed the MUFON UFO Journal, which continues to be published monthly.
READ MOREFor some time Walt, John and several others had been active contributors to SKYLOOK, a Missouri-based UFO newsletter edited and published by Mrs. Norma Short. As a result, SKYLOOK quickly became the official organ of the Midwest UFO Network. Although...
READ MOREMUFON began hosting annual conferences in 1970 to provide a platform for investigators and researchers to share their findings. The tradition continues today, with presenters submitting papers in advance, resulting in a professionally bound record of UFO research at each symposium.
READ MORESoon after the 1970 Peoria conference, Dr. Utke resigned as the Midwest UFO Network Director and the Board of Directors unanimously selected Walt Andrus as his successor. The selection of Walt as director was a wise choice. The Motorola Company...
READ MOREWhen it became obvious there was a need for training MUFON UFO investigators and assuring consistency in the way they conducted investigations and made reports, MUFON developed the MUFON Field Investigator’s Manual, with the first edition being published in December 1971. The manual is revised periodically to assure it is up-to-date.
Under Walt’s leadership, MUFON expanded globally, attracting members beyond the Midwest. In 1973, it was renamed the Mutual UFO Network to reflect its commitment to sharing UFO research while retaining its grassroots investigative approach.
READ MOREWhile some UFO organizations discouraged cooperation, MUFON actively sought collaboration to advance UFO research. By 1974, MUFON had representatives in 38 states and partnered with Dr. J. Allen Hynek’s Center for UFO Studies, providing a field investigative network to support its research efforts.
READ MOREIn 1982, MUFON’s UFO Symposium in Toronto served as a platform for leaders of various UFO organizations to discuss greater cooperation. A post-symposium meeting led to the formation of a steering committee, chaired by John Schuessler, to develop a structured federation for North American UFO groups focused on professionalism and scientific research.
READ MOREOne year later, at the 1983 MUFON UFO Symposium in Pasadena, California, the steering committee’s work resulted in the formation of the North American UFO Federation (NAUFOF). Dr. Richard Haines was selected as the first director of the new organization. Although the federation lasted less than two years, due to lack of financial support from other organizations, it was a very important test case for bringing people with an interest in UFOs together.
After NAUFOF ended, Dr. Richard Haines formed the Joint USA-CIS Aerial Anomaly Federation to unite Russian and U.S. ufologists, with MUFON’s support. In 1995, MUFON joined CUFOS and FUFOR to create the UFO Research Coalition (URC), while also adding a “Director’s Message” to the MUFON UFO Journal to improve member communication.
READ MOREIn 2000, John Schuessler, a founding MUFON member and aerospace engineer, succeeded Walt Andrus as International Director, relocating headquarters to Littleton, Colorado. With a distinguished career at McDonnell Douglas and Boeing, he contributed to major space programs and earned the NASA Public Service Medal for his leadership in space operations.
READ MOREIn 2001, the MUFON Board of Directors was restructured to take on a business management role and guide the way MUFON operated. From that point on, board members have had a strong business background as well as significant experience in UFO investigations and research.
By 2005 all past issues of the MUFON UFO Journal and the annual symposium proceedings had been scanned and were available in word-searchable CD-ROMs. This was an instant benefit to researchers.
In 2006, James Carrion launched MUFON’s Pandora Project to digitize all UFO reports and data dating back to 1969, creating a comprehensive database. He defined the project’s scope to ensure its long-term usefulness, and the work remains ongoing.
READ MOREOne of the best improvements in MUFON’s handling of UFO reports during this era was the development of the computerized Case Management System (CMS). This system was developed by a team headed by Jan Harzan and revolutionized the way UFO...
READ MOREIn November 2006, John Schuessler retired as MUFON’s International Director and James Carrion was selected as his replacement. The headquarters was relocated to Fort Collins, Colorado. In 2008, James Carrion, Chuck Modlin and John Schuessler met with Robert Bigelow and...
READ MOREAfter James Carrion’s departure, MUFON board member Clifford Clift took over as International Director, relocating headquarters to Greeley, Colorado, hiring an accounting firm, and securing board funding to stabilize finances. Despite online criticism, he reduced costs, improved operations, and strengthened MUFON until stepping down in January 2012 for personal reasons.
READ MOREDavid MacDonald, a businessman and lifelong UFO enthusiast, replaced Clifford Clift as MUFON’s Director in 2012 and relocated its headquarters to Cincinnati, Ohio. A professional pilot and former peace officer, he owns Flamingo Air, operates the nation’s largest FAA-approved Aircraft Dispatcher Certification School, and has held various leadership roles within MUFON.
READ MOREThe concept of MUFON having its own production studio and online television network with hundreds of original shows and content was put into action by MUFON’s Director of Media Relations Ron James!
Organized by Missouri State Director Debbie Ziegelmeyer and run by Colorado State Director Katie Paige the long task of looking at all Pandora documents and redacting personal information begins with their team. The project would take 3 years.
READ MOREAfter MUFON’s Executive Director departed in 2020, the Board reinstated David MacDonald, a businessman, pilot, and lifelong UFO enthusiast. He owns Flamingo Air, previously founded a major security firm, and has held multiple leadership roles within MUFON, including Executive Director Emeritus and STAR Team Director.
READ MOREFor years MUFON has wished to create a social network for members that served as a safe platform for people sharing their ideas concerning the UFO/UAP phenomenon. It also became a place where members could make new and lasting friendships with like minded individuals.
Pandora became M.A.R.R.S. and they both were absorbed into the much larger Project Aquarius Digital Library that debuted on January 1, 2023. In all, Aquarius consists of almost 2 terabytes of historical reports, witness drawings, all MUFON Journals and most Symposium Proceedings, hundreds of thousands of newspaper clippings, private collections of past UFO luminaries like Leonard Stringfield and Captain Edward Ruppelt. MUFON wishes to thank all past and present volunteers and also persons and organizations that assisted us and donated digital collections. Those people include Isaac Koi, Clas Svahn, Rod Dyke and organizations like Sweden’s Archives for the Unexplained (AFU).
READ MOREThe MUFON Case Management System (CMS) now holds over 140,000 witness submitted cases!
The MUFON Symposium returns to Cincinnati, Ohio, current home of MUFON Headquarters.
