|
DEPARTMENT OF THE AIR FORCE HEADQUARTERS UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WASHINGTON
THE INSPECTOR GENERAL 18th DISTRICT OFFICE OF SPECIAL INVESTIGATIONS AF SPECIALIZED DEPOT, BOX 310, MAYWOOD CALIF.
29 September 1950
SPOT INTELLIGENCE REPORT
SUBJECT: JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS [Jack Parsons]
TO: Director of Special Iinvestigations Headquarters United States Air Force Washington 25, D.C.
1. SYNOPSIS: A letter received from the Los Angeles Office of the FBI, dated 22 September 1950, states the FBI was advised by the Los Angeles Procurement Field Office, Air Materiel Command, that JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS was believed to be a security risk, having been issued a Letter of Denial by the Munitions Board. Inquiry by the FBI revealed Subject was employed by Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, California. Hughes Aircraft had been informed by the Air Materiel Command that PARSONS had been cleared for access to Secret and Top Secret contracts. The FBI letter also states that [Redacted]. On 26 September 1950, 19th ODI District was informed by the Plant Protection Office, Hughes Aircraft, that PARSONS had been discharged that date for removing classified material from Hughes Aircraft without authority, and that the FBI and Security Inspector in Charge, Los Angeles Plants Unit, Air Materiel Command, had been notified. Additional information from the FBI indicates PARSONS was interviewed and willingly admitted taking classified material. No charge was placed against Subject at this time.
2. DETAILS:
a. 18th District OSI was informed in a letter from the Los Angeles Office of the FBI, dated 22 September 1950, that the FBI had been contacted by [Redacted], Los Angeles Procurement Field Office, Air Materiel Command, regarding JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS. [Redacted] advised the FBI that PARSONS was believed to be employed by the North American Aviation Corporation, and was a security risk, having been issued a Letter of Denial by the Munitions Board. Inquiry by the FBI rebealed that PARSONS was presently employed as a Research Physicist at Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, California, and that Hughes Aircraft had been advised in a letter from the Air Materiel Command, dated 15 March 1949, that PARSONS had been cleared for access to Secret and Top Secret contracts. [Redacted]. Files of the FBI contained no derogatory information identifiable with PARSONS and confidentail informants of the Bureau familiar with Communist Party activities in the Los Angeles area in the 1940's have no information regarding Subject.
b. On 26 September 1950, information was received from [Redacted] of the Plant Protection Office, Hughes Aircraft, Culver City, California, that PARSONS had been dismissed that date for removing Secret information from the plant. [Redacted] stated that he had received information from a representative of North American Aviation, Inc., Los Angeles, who informed [Redacted] that he had been contacted by a [Redacted], address unknown at this time. [Redacted] is reported to have told the North American representative that [Redacted] PARSONS and that he had asked her to type some copies of documents for him. PARSONS was interviewed by [Redacted] and admitted taking the documents for copying, which were of a highly classified nature. According to [Redacted], PARSONS was going to transmit the copies to [Redacted] who is believed to reside in North Hollywood, California, and to be a business consultant. [Redacted] stated that [Redacted] of a publication known as "Technion" sponsored by a group of "Scientific Theorists". According to [Redacted] is also a representative of the Israeli Government. The Los Angeles Office of the FBI and the Security Inspector in Charge, Los Angeles Plants Unit, Air Materiel Command, were immediately notified.
c. 18th District OSI was advised by the Los Angeles Office of the FBI, on 27 September 1950, that PARSONS was interviewed on that date and had admitted taking the classified material from Hughes Aircraft, from which he had been discharged. The FBI further advised that Subject was co-operative and that no charge had been placed against him at that time. The Bureau will inform this office of further developments and will furnish a copy of their report, when available.
3. ACTION: The Security Inspector iin Charge, Los Angeles Plants Unit, Air Materiel Command, was notified on 27 September 1950.
[illegible] Colonel, USAF District Commander
|