Edward J Ruppelt

United States Air Force officer Edward James Ruppelt (July 17, 1923 - September 15, 1960) is perhaps most remembered for his involvement in Project Blue Book, an official government investigation of mysterious flying objects (UFOs). The phrase "unidentified flying object" is commonly credited to him because the military believed the words "flying saucer" and "flying disc," which had gained widespread use, were deceptive when applied to UFOs of every imaginable shape and capability. Because of...See more

United States Air Force officer Edward James Ruppelt (July 17, 1923 - September 15, 1960) is perhaps most remembered for his involvement in Project Blue Book, an official government investigation of mysterious flying objects (UFOs). The phrase "unidentified flying object" is commonly credited to him because the military believed the words "flying saucer" and "flying disc," which had gained widespread use, were deceptive when applied to UFOs of every imaginable shape and capability. Because of this, the military favors the less colorful but more broad term "unidentified flying objects." From late 1951 until it changed to Project Blue Book in March 1952, Ruppelt oversaw Project Grudge. He stayed with Blue Book until the end of 1953. Jerome Clark, a UFO researcher, writes: "The majority of experts who have studied Blue Book concur that the Ruppelt era was the project's "golden age," during which the investigations were most skillfully planned and carried out. In contrast to Grudge, who was infamous for forcing explanations on cases, Ruppelt was open-minded concerning UFOs and did not train his investigators to do so." Ruppelt grew up in Iowa where he was born. See less