Los Angeles, California: First UFO convention draws 1,500, petition to Eisenhower
Beginning August 16, 1953, Flying Saucers International under Max Miller held the first UFO conference at the Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California, with contactee speakers including George Adamski; some 1,500 people attended, and on the final day the audience voted to petition the US government to release UFO data.
Background
Beginning August 16, 1953, Flying Saucers International, directed by Max Miller, held the first UFO conference at the Hollywood Hotel in Los Angeles, California. Speakers included the contactees Orfeo Angelucci, Truman Bethurum, George Van Tassel, and George Adamski, as well as Frank Scully, science-fiction illustrator Mel Hunter, and the Amazing Criswell. Some 1,500 people attended and 2,000 were turned away at the door. On the final day the attendees voted to petition the US government to release all UFO data that did not jeopardize national security, and a letter was drafted and sent to President Eisenhower. The account follows the entry in George M. Eberhart's chronology UFOs and Intelligence (CUFOS) and the sources cited there; it is not an independent determination by From Beyond Space.