Project MKULTRA, the CIA’s Program of Research in Behavioral Modification

Senator Kennedy said prior CIA testimony described covert drug testing on unwitting citizens across social levels and LSD administration in social settings.

over 30 universities and institutions were involved in an “extensive testing and experimentation” program which included covert drug tests on unwitting citizens “at all social levels, high and low, native Americans and foreign.”

Kennedy stated that at least one death, that of Dr. Frank Olson, resulted from the activities discussed by the committee.

At least one death, that of Dr. Olsen, resulted from these activities.

Kennedy said the records of the human-experimentation activities were destroyed in January 1973 at the instruction of CIA Director Richard Helms.

The records of all these activities were destroyed in January 1973, at the instruction of then CIA Director Richard Helms.

Kennedy said newly discovered records expanded the known institutional scope to 86 universities or institutions.

The records reveal a far more extensive series of experiments than had previously been thought. Eighty-six universities or institutions were involved.

Stansfield Turner’s prepared statement said MKULTRA operated from 1953 to 1964 as an umbrella for sensitive subprojects involving drugs and behavioral modification.

Project MKULTRA, a closely held CIA project conducted from 1953-1964. As you may recall, MKULTRA was an “umbrella project” under which certain sensitive subprojects were funded, involving among other things research on drugs and behavioral modification.

Turner’s statement says Frank Olson died about a week after unknowingly receiving LSD at a CIA-called meeting of LSD researchers.

In 1953 Dr. Olson, a civilian employee of the Army at Fort Detrick, leaped to his death from a hotel room window in New York City about a week after having unwittingly consumed LSD

Turner explained that seven boxes of financial records escaped the 1973 destruction and the 1975 Senate search because they had been filed in retired budget and fiscal holdings.

the newly located material was sent to the Retired Records Center in 1970 by the Budget and Fiscal Section as part of its own retired holdings.

The recovered files identified 149 MKULTRA subprojects connected in varying degrees with behavioral modification, drug acquisition, testing, or surreptitious administration.

there are 149 MKULTRA subprojects, many of which appear to have some connection with research into behavioral modification, drug acquisition and testing or administering drugs surreptitiously.

The prepared statement categorized six subprojects as involving tests on unwitting subjects and fourteen as definitely involving human volunteers.

14 subprojects definitely involving tests on human volunteers; 19 subprojects probably including tests on human volunteers. While not known, some of these subprojects may have included tests on unwitting subjects as well; 6 subprojects involving tests on unwitting subjects.

The newly recovered material named 185 nongovernment researchers and assistants and 80 institutions connected with the 149 subprojects.

We are now in possession of the names of 185 non-government researchers and assistants who are identified in the recovered material dealing with the 149 subprojects. The names of 80 institutions where work was done or with which these people were affiliated are also mentioned.

Turner described a $375,000 CIA contribution routed through an intermediary so it appeared private and qualified for matching federal funds without disclosing the true source to the institution.

One project involves a contribution of $375,000 to a building fund of a private medical Institution.

Turner assured the committees that the CIA was not then engaged in either witting or unwitting drug testing and said the agency was working to identify possible unwitting subjects.

I assure you that the CIA is in no way engaged in either witting or unwitting testing of drugs today.

Turner testified that the discovered finance folders contained 149 MKULTRA subprojects, two boxes of miscellaneous papers, and 33 additional subprojects unrelated to behavioral modification, drugs, or toxins.

First, there are 149 MKULTRA subprojects, many of which appear to have some connection with research into behavioral modification, drug acquisition and testing, or administering drugs surreptitiously.

Turner said Project MKNAOMI involved Army assistance to the CIA in developing, testing, and maintaining biological agents and delivery systems for use against people, animals, and crops.

Under CIA’s Project MKNAOMI, the Army assisted the CIA in developing, testing, and maintaining biological agents and delivery systems-for use against humans as well as against animals and crops.

The hearing record says unwitting drug testing occurred in safe houses in San Francisco and New York City and involved three identified participants.

some of the unwitting drug testing was carried out in what is known in the intelligence trade as safe houses in San Francisco and in New York City, and we have identified that three individuals were involved in this undertaking

Turner said the recovered material identified 44 colleges or universities, 15 research or chemical organizations, 12 hospitals or clinics, and three penal institutions.

The institutions include 44 colleges or universities, 15 research foundation or chemical or pharmaceutical companies or the like, 12 hospitals or clinics, in addition to those associated with the universities, and 3 penal institutions.

Turner said MKULTRA began from concern that foreign powers might use drugs against U.S. personnel and said the CIA found no evidence of White House involvement.

Basically, it was a CIA-initiated project. It started out of a concern of our being taken advantage of by other powers who would use drugs against our personnel, and it was approved in the Agency.