LETTER TO CHANCELLOR HEARD FROM A. R. CINQUEGRANA RE CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY RECENTLY LOCATED SEVERAL THOUSAND DOCUMENTS RELATING TO ACTIVITIES FUNDED BY CIA AS A PART OF PROJECT MKULTRA IN THE 1950S AND1960S.

• Document Type: SPECIALCOLLECTION
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): 00319557
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: January 23, 2025
• Document Release Date: February 14, 2000
• Publication Date: June 6, 1978

CENTRAL. INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
WASHINGTON. D.C. 20505
June 6, 1978
Chancellor Alexander Heard
Vanderbilt University
West End Avenue
Nashville, Tennessee 37203
Dear Chancellor Heard:
As you may know from recent media coverage, the Central
Intelligence Agency recently located several thousand docu-
ments relating to activities funded by the CIA as a part of
Project MRULTRA in the 1950s and 1960s. That Project involved
the sponsorship by the Agency of research concerning human
behavior patterns. In the late 1960s and early 1970s,
MKULTRA was terminated and replaced in part by a limited
program of financial grants intended to carry on a portion
of the research effort begun under MEULTRA. Recently the
Agency discovered a small number of documents relating to
these grants.
Until these documents were found it was believed that
virtually all such records were destroyed in 1973. These
newly-discovered documents consist largely of financial
records, however, and add only fragmentary substantive
information concerning the nature and extent of these activities.
What the documents do add to our knowledge of these programs
is information regarding the identities of individuals and
institutions involved in these activities and the funding
mechanisms used to conceal CIA interest. In some cases
these individuals and institutions apparently were aware of
CIA sponsorship but in many cases it appears the individuals
or institutions, or both, were not informed that the research
was connected in any way with CIA. The documents which are
enclosed with this letter identify Vanderbilt University as
one of the institutions at which some portion of this CIA-
sponsored research apparently was performed. Further, these
documents indicate this research was a continuation of a
project begun under Subproject 93 of MRULTRA, a determina-
tion we could not make previously since the documents relat-
ing to that subproject, also enclosed, do not identify any
institution as the site of that research.
APPROVED FOR RELEASE
6-400 121
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While we recognize this may be unwelcome news, we
believe we have an obligation to advise you of this fact so
that you may initiate such action as you deem necessary to
protect the interests of your institution in the event, this
information should somehow become public. These documents
are in the same form in which they have been released to the
public under the Freedom of Information Act, except that,
for your information, the identity of the University has
been reinserted where it appears in the original materials.
This Agency does not intend to reveal to the public the
identities of any institutions or individuals that knowingly
or unknowingly were involved in these activities. The
decision concerning the manner in which you and your institu-
tion choose to treat this matter is, of course, yours alone.
Since we are under pressure to release these institutional
identities, we would appreciate being advised, however, as
to whether you intend to make this matter public or whether
you believe it to be preferable that we continue to protect
the identity of your institution. In the latter case, we
shall exert every effort to protect that identity, although,
given the uncertain nature of the judicial process under the
Freedom of Information Act, there can be no guarantee we
shall ultimately be successful in this effort. Finally, it
is our opinion, concurred in by the Department of Justice,
that we are not free under the Privacy Act of 1974, to
disclose to you the name of any individual affiliated with
your institution who participated in the activities in
question.
Please address your correspondence and inquiries in
this regard to the undersigned. I shall try to answer any
questions you might have, or furnish any assistance you may
desire in this regard.
Enclosure
2
Very truly yours
egra
(Assistant GT eral ounsel
/1/