Coral & Jim Lorenzen: Setting the Standard for Today's UFO Researchers.

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Greetings. Coral and Jim Lorenzen, the co-founders and driving force behind the Aerial Phenomena Research Organization. 

The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization, or APRO, was formed in January of 1952 by Leslie James and Coral Lorenzen. At the time of the organization's founding the Lorenzens resided in Sturgeon Bay, Wisconsin. By June of 1952, the A.P.R.O. Bulletin began to be published on a regular basis. By early 1954, the Lorenzens had relocated to Alamogordo, New Mexico, and both took positions at Holloman Air Force Base.


As an organization, APRO took a position which was less certain of a government/military cover-up of the UFO problem as opposed to NICAP (National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena,) that consistently pushed for Congressional hearings on the UFO problem. APRO also put more emphasis on occupant cases and far less on contactee cases, feeling that the contactee cases were hurting the credibility of the UFO research community as a whole. 

In 1956, Coral resigned from her position at Holloman to dedicate herself full-time to the rapidly growing organization, and by 1967 membership had grown to 1500. During the course of APRO's existence, the Lorenzens wrote several landmark books on the UFO problem, books which have held up in their accuracy and focus on science instead of speculation. By 1969, APRO's offices were not at the Lorenzen's home for the first time; APRO also had a full-time employee for the first time.


In that same year, unforeseen by APRO leadership, a faction of APRO members led by Walter H. Andrus Jr. (APRO's regional officer in Quincy, Illinois) split from APRO and formed the Midwest UFO Network which would soon be renamed the Mutual UFO Network (MUFON.) This event would slowly diminish APRO's membership and influence in the UFO community, and bring about the situation which exists today; only one major civilian UFO organization. Jim Lorenzen passed away on August 28th of 1986. Coral Lorenzen passed away on April 12th of 1988. Soon after, APRO leadership decided to dissolve the organization. 

The Lorenzen's contributions to the effort to examine and investigate the UFO phenomenon have mostly gone underappreciated, a situation that has progressed since their untimely passing in the late 1980's. The Lorenzen's dedication to the scientific method and a level-headed approach to the entire UFO subject is something today's UFO subculture would do well to embrace, with their tinfoil hats and amateurish behaviors. Additionally, the APRO organization never fell victim to the disease that has spread through so much of the ufological landscape; the influence of fame, notoriety, celebrity, and the sensationalized aspects of the UFO topic. Need an example? When was the last time you held an APRO baseball cap in your hands, or a APRO t-shirt, or an APRO coffee mug? You will never come across such items, for they are the type of merchandise that the Mutual UFO Network constantly peddles to its members. 




The Aerial Phenomena Research Organization's Coral and Jim Lorenzen. The entire UFO subculture owes them a debt of gratitude. 

Thank you for your time and consideration. 

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