In this in-depth interview, host Martin Willis welcomes veteran UFO researcher Donald Schmitt, protégé of Dr. J. Allen Hynek, the famed astronomer behind Project Blue Book. Schmitt shares rare personal insights into Hynek’s life, his shift from skeptic to believer, and the behind-the-scenes struggles with government secrecy. They explore pivotal UFO cases including Socorro, Roswell, Pascagoula, Travis Walton, and reveal how Hynek quietly investigated Roswell before its public rediscovery. Schmitt reflects on Hynek’s legacy, his influence on modern UFO research, and what Hynek might think of later landmark encounters such as the Ariel School Incident. A moving conversation about mentorship, truth-seeking, and carrying forward Hynek’s mission to legitimize the scientific study of the UFO phenomenon.

SHOW NOTES

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706. Donald Schmitt, on Mentor, J. Allen Hynek