FRIEDMAN, Stanton

Stanton Terry Friedman was an American-Canadian nuclear physicist who became one of the most influential investigators in ufology, the study of unidentified flying objects. His academic credentials and scientific approach lent credibility to UFO research at a time when the subject was widely dismissed by mainstream science.

Friedman earned a Master of Science degree in nuclear physics from the University of Chicago in 1956 and worked for fourteen years in the aerospace industry for companies including General Electric, General Motors, Westinghouse, and McDonald Douglas. His work involved classified projects related to nuclear aircraft propulsion and nuclear rockets for space exploration.

In 1967, Friedman became interested in UFOs and began collecting reports and government documents. He left his aerospace career in 1970 to pursue UFO research full-time, supporting himself through lectures at universities and conferences across North America.

Friedman's most significant contribution came in 1978 when he tracked down and interviewed Jesse Marcel, the former Army Air Forces intelligence officer who had been involved in recovering debris near Roswell, New Mexico, in 1947. Marcel's testimony to Friedman about the unusual nature of the debris revived interest in what became known as the Roswell incident, transforming it from a forgotten news story into the most famous UFO case in history.

Throughout his career, Friedman advocated for the reality of extraterrestrial visitation, arguing that some UFO reports represented encounters with alien spacecraft. He co-authored several books on Roswell and lectured extensively, claiming to have spoken at more than 600 colleges and universities. Friedman also pursued government document releases through the Freedom of Information Act, uncovering previously classified UFO-related materials.

Critics argued that Friedman's conclusions exceeded what the evidence could support and that his advocacy compromised his scientific objectivity. However, supporters praised his rigorous documentation and his role in bringing scientific methodology to UFO investigation.