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FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION
Form No. 1
File No.: 65-5131
This Case Originated At: Los Angeles.
Report Made At: Los Angeles.
Date When Made: 1/3/51.
Period For Which Made: 12/15, 16, 18, 19/1950.
Report Made By: [Redacted].
Title: JOHN WHITESIDE PARSONS aka Jack Parsons.
Character of Case: ESPIONAGE — IS.
SYNOPSIS OF FACTS:
On December 15, 1950, Hughes Aircraft revealed subject in possession of seven "confidential" reports of Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory, California Institute of Technology at time of termination of employment from Hughes. Present existing classification of reports as follows: 2 Confidential, 2 Restricted, 2 Unclassified, and 1 classification not known. Subject executed signed statement December 19, 1950, admitting possession of reports. Indications security regulations lax at California Institute of Technology during PARSONS employment.
DETAILS:
On December 15, 1950, the writer was advised by [Redacted], Security Officer, Hughes Aircraft, that at the time of PARSONS' termination of employment at Hughes Aircraft, he had in his possession seven reports of the Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, all of which reports are stamped "Confidential". An itemized list of these seven reports is as follows:
1. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 13 for the AAF MATERIEL CENTER AIRCRAFT LABORATORY: IGNITION STUDIES ON RESTRICTED BURNING SOLID PROPELLANT JET MOTORS, W.E. Johnson, Copy No. 21, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, December 28, 1943.
2. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Operating Manual No. 1: OPERATING MANUAL FOR THE SOLID PROPELLANT JET UNIT NO. 208, Copy No. 24, Classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, November 1, 1942.
3. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 15 for the AAF MATERIAL CENTER, AIRCRAFT LABORATORY: SOME PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF VACUUM MIXED ASPHALT-BASED SOLID PROPELLANTS. E.W. Hough, J. Green and B.H. Sage Copy No. 25, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, March 25, 1944.
4. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 15; THE DEVELOPMENT OF AN ASPHALT-BASED SOLID PROPELLANT, J.W. Parsons, M.M. Mills, Copy No. 33, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, October 16, 1942.
5. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 12 for the AAF MATERIEL CENTER, AIRCRAFT LABORATORY: PROGRESS REPORT ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF MANUFACTURING FACILITIES FOR PERCHLORATE CHEMICALS, Joseph C. Schumacher, Chief Engineer, Western Electrochemical Co., Copy No. 22, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, November 15, 1943.
6. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 9: RESULTS OF FLIGHT TESTS OF THE ERCOUPE AIRPLANT WITH AUXILIARY JET PROPULSION SUPPLIED BY SOLID PROPELLANT JET UNITS, F.J. Malina and J.W. Parsons, Copy No. 42, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, September 2, 1941.
7. Air Corps Jet Propulsion Research Project, GALCIT Project No. 1, Progress Report No. 1: REPORT ON THE TESTS OF THE AEROJET XAS-1000 TYPE JET UNITS, M.M. Mills and W.E. Johnson, Copy No. 16, classified CONFIDENTIAL, California Institute of Technology, July 20, 1943.
[Redacted], Head of Report Group, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, advised on December 15, 1950, that of the above listed reports, the present existing classification is as follows:
Item 1 Unclassified Item 2 Classification unknown. Item 3 Unclassified Item 4 Restricted Item 5 Confidential Item 6 Confidential Item 7 Restricted.
[Redacted] further advised that a review of these reports may downgrade the present classification and accordingly a request has been submitted [Redacted] to review these reports to ascertain of the present existing classification is correct.
Regarding PARSONS' possession of these reports, [Redacted] advised that security regulations during the early stage of the Jet Propulsion Laboratory were lax and that is was common practice to remove reports from the Laboratory for private purposes and no charge out system of any consequence was in effect at this time. [Redacted] stated that he will, if possible, ascertain to whom the above listed copies of these reports were signed out.
On December 18, 1950, [Redacted] turned over the above described seven reports to the writer and Special Agent [Redacted] which reports will be retained as evidence. [Redacted] advised that these reports had been turned over to him by [Redacted] of the Propulsion Section, Hughes Aircraft on December 12, 1950 at which time [Redacted] signed a receipt for [Redacted].
[Redacted], Administrative Assistant, Propulsion Section, Hughes Aircraft, advised December 18, 1950, that he had obtained the seven reports described above from PARSONS at the time of PARSONS' termination of employment at Hughes Aircraft on September 26, 1950. According to [Redacted] it is the policy of the Propulsion Section to "check-out" an employee on termination of employment and at the time of PARSONS' termination, the seven reports were in the possession of PARSONS. [Redacted] stated that he pointed out to PARSONS that he could not let him take these documents from Hughes since they were indicated to be classified "Confidential". PARSONS then requested [Redacted] to clarify the present classifications of the reports and return them to him if at all possible. [Redacted] advised that on December 12, 1950, he turned over these seven reports to [Redacted] of the Security Office and that [Redacted] executed a receipt dated December 12, 1950. [Redacted] advised that he has retained this receipt executed by [Redacted].
On December 19, 1950, PARSONS came to the Los Angeles Office and furnished the following signed statement:
Dec. 19, 1950
"I, John Whiteside Parsons, make the following statement to [Redacted] and Homer W. Schweppe who have identified themselves to me as special agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U.S. Dept of Justice. This statement is made freely and voluntarily and I have been advised of my rights to counsel. No threats or promises have been made to induce me to make this statement and I have been advised that this statement may be used in court.
"I have had exhibited to me this date, 7 reports of the Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory, California Institute of Technology identified as follows (1) Galcit Project #1, Progress Report #13, Copy #21, dated 12/18/43 (2) Galcit Project #1, Operating Manual #13, Copy #24, dated 11/1/42 (3) Galcit Project #1, Progress Report #15, Copy #25, dated 3/25/44 (4) Galcit Project #1, Report #15, Copy #33, dated 10/16/42, (5) Galcit Project #1, Progress Report #12, Copy #23, dated 11-15-43 (6) Galcit Project #1, Report #9, Copy #42, dated 9/2/41 (7) Galcit Project #1, Test Report #1, Copy #16, dated 7/20/43. I recognize these 7 documents as the ones I turned over to [Redacted] of Hughes Aircraft at the time of my termination of employment there.
These 7 documents came into my possession at the time of my employment with the Jet Propulsion Laboratory on the Aerojet Engineering Corporation. I cannot more specifically recall the time these documents came into my possession. I considered the reports to be my own personal copies and as such retained them. I used material from these reports at my work while at Aerojet and Hughes Aircraft. I do not recall ever having permitted anyone to see these reports except during the time I was at Hughes Aircraft when it is possible other Hughes employees may have seen them.
"At no time did it occur to me that I illegally had these reports in my possession until the incident arose at Hughes Aircraft involving me with the removal of some Hughes documents. At the time of this incident, it occurred to me these 7 reports may also be in question and accordingly, I turned them over to [Redacted], aware that the material was originally classified as confidential but it was my impression that the reports had been down graded on reclassified.
"I have read this statement consisting of three pages and it is true and correct to the best of my knowledge. I have initialed all corrections and each page.
/s/ "John W. Parsons
"Witnesses [Redacted] Special Agent F.B.I. 12/19/50 Homer W. Schweppe, SA, FBI, Los Angeles 12/19/50."
At the time of furnishing the signed statement, PARSONS identified the seven reports that were turned over to the writer as being identical with the reports he had in his possession at Hughes Aircraft. Accordingly PARSONS signed the back of these reports as "JOHN W. PARSONS", with the Date December 19, 1950. At this time the writer and SA HOMER W. SCHWEPPE, also initialed the back of each report. PARSONS identified the printed notation "J.W. Parsons personal copy" appearing on the front of items 1, 5 and 6 as being in his own handwriting.
P E N D I N G
LEAD PAGE
THE LOS ANGELES OFFICE, At Los Angeles, California:
Will report results of review of seven Guggenheim Aeronautics Laboratory reports obtained from subject by Hughes Aircraft being made by [Redacted], Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, to ascertain if the present existing classification of these reports is correct.
Will take such further prosecutive action as is directed by the Bureau.
REFERENCE: Report of Special Agent [Redacted], dated 12/7/50 at Los Angeles, California. Los Angeles teletype to the Bureau dated December 15, 1950.
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