Peter Davenport has been very busy over the past three decades. Image credit: Pixabay/christianplass
Peter Davenport, has run the National UFO Reporting Center in Harrington for over 28 years.
Those who have followed the UFO phenomenon for decades are likely familiar with NUFORC, a non-profit organization that has spent half a century collecting and recording details of UFO sightings across the United States and beyond.
Founded in 1974 by the late Robert J. Gribble, the center is currently run by 74-year-old Peter Davenport, who has held the position for 28 years after taking over from Gribble in 1994.
In a recent article published by the Seattle Times, journalist Erik Lacitis spoke with Mr. Davenport about his ongoing efforts to document as many UFO sightings as possible.
“This is probably the most important scientific question humanity has ever faced,” he said. “Are we alone in this galaxy, or not? In my opinion, we are not alone. »
“We are routinely visited by these things we call UFOs. »
In total, Davenport estimates he recorded an incredible 180,000 UFO reports.
However, filtering out authentic sightings can be a challenge.
“On a normal day, between 10 and 80 percent of calls placed on our helpline are phantom calls,” he said.
Mr. Davenport’s interest in this phenomenon began in 1954, when he personally witnessed a UFO during an outing to a drive-in movie theater with his family.
“It was so bright it looked like the sun, and was shaped like one of those English rugby balls,” he said. “He rose straight up and fell behind the movie screen. Then it disappeared into the northern sky. »
This experience sparked an interest in the phenomenon that has continued throughout his life until today.
As things stand, it doesn’t look like he’s planning on quitting anytime soon.
