The National UFO Reporting Center is an organization in the United States that investigates UFO sightings and/or alien contacts.
History
NUFORC was founded in 1974 by Robert J. Gribble. It has catalogued almost 90,000 reported UFO sightings over its history, most of which were in the United States. In addition to record keeping, the center has provided statistics and graphs to assist others looking for information. Slate Magazine published an interactive graph published by the current director, Peter Davenport, which showed the density of sightings relative to an area. Davenport has not claimed that any two phenomena are identical, but has catalogued flying saucers, coloured lights, and triangles, throughout the years. Davenport describes himself as a UFO believer, but skeptic, and has been praised by James Oberg as providing a valuable service in the field. The work has been described as 'secretarial' rather than 'fun', as the years have progressed. Since its establishment in 1974, the Center has provided a 24-hour hotlinephone number for people to report UFO activity that is currently going on in their area. It also has an online form to submit written reports. Peter Davenport, a businessman holding degrees from Stanford University and the University of Washington at Seattle, who became involved soon after hearing about the Kelly–Hopkinsville encounter, has served as director of the organization since 1994. The organisation has been used by the Stamfordpolice department in prior years, though events have always had a perfectly reasonable explanation. Police officers from Lebanon, Missouri, as well as various Arizonalaw enforcement officials, frequently refer UFO sightings to the organisation, with no explanations forthcoming for some instances. Arizona relied on the organisation specifically, in response to the Phoenix Lights incident, which was one of the few sightings Davenport has been on record as proclaiming to be genuine. Except for donations, the organisation has been almost entirely funded by Davenport himself, which was estimated to cost $500-$5,000 a month. Until 2006, the Center was based in Seattle, Washington, but that year it relocated to a bunker in a former nuclear missile site about 50 miles west of Spokane, Washington.
