The Tesla FBI Files
Nikola Tesla
For many years scientists and researchers have sought for Tesla’s missing papers with no apparent success. It is conceivable that if Nikola Tesla knew a means for accurately projecting lethal beams of energy through the atmosphere, he may have taken it to the grave with him.
Nikola Tesla
One of the more controversial topics involving Nikola Tesla is what became of many of his technical and scientific papers after he died in 1943. Just before his death at the height of World War II, he claimed that he had perfected his so-called “death beam.” So it was natural that the FBI and other U.S. Government agencies would be interested in any scientific ideas involving weaponry. Some were concerned that Tesla’s papers might fall into the hands of the Axis powers or the Soviets.
- For many years scientists and researchers have sought for Tesla’s missing papers with no apparent success. It is conceivable that if Nikola Tesla knew a means for accurately projecting lethal beams of energy through the atmosphere, he may have taken it to the grave with him.
- The FBI claims that despite longstanding reports and rumors, it was not involved in searching Tesla’s effects, and it never had possession of his papers or any microfilm that may have been made of those papers. Since 1943, the FBI has told a consistent story to all who have asked. Reports to the contrary appear to be based on an initial confusion of FBI agents with other government officials —especially Alien Property Office personnel. These rumors have long been repeated in biographies and articles on Tesla without double-checking the facts as reported in their files.
- The Tesla FBI Files contains all files released to this day by the FBI concerning Nikola Tesla.
Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION
Freedom of Information Release I On Subject: Nikola Tesla
Letter to J. E. Hoover — 2/12/1937
FBI FOIPA—Deleted Page Information Sheet — UNDATED
FBI Memorandum—Death Ray — 1/11/1943
Letter to FBI—Experiments and Research of Nikola Tesla — 1/21/1943
Letter from J. Edgar Hoover — UNDATED
Letter from FBI—Alien Enemy Custodial Detention — 3/19/1943
FBI—SAVA M. KOSANOVICH — 3/29/1943
FBI—Espionage — 10/17/1945
Letter to Alien Property Custodian — 1/30/1943
List of Persons Associated With Nikola Tesla — UNDATED
Memorandum for Mr. Whitson — 6/8/1949
FBI—Sava N. Kosanovic, Internal Security — 4/3/1950
Memorandum—Tesla Estate — 4/17/1950
FBI—Yugoslavian Consulate — 12/1/1948
Activities of Consulate Employees — UNDATED
Nikola Tesla Monument, Niagara Falls — 8/2/1976
FBI—Yugoslavian Consulate, Internal Security — 2/19/1953
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director — 7/7/1975
Engineering Management Society — 6/27/1983
Letter from Roger S. Young — 7/25/1983
Current Biography — UNDATED
Red Ambassadors, Sava Kosanovich — UNDATED
FBI—Internal security Registration Act — 2/2/1946
FBI—Internal security Registration Act — 11/7/1947
FBI—Internal security Registration Act — 3/4/1945
FBI—Internal security Registration Act — 5/8/1945
YUGOSLAVIAN ACTIVITIES IN THE US — 8/30/1946
YUGOSLAVIAN ACTIVITIES IN THE US — 11/18/1947
FBI—Deleted Page Information Sheet — UNDATED
FBI—American Slav Congress — 11/18/1942
FBI—American Slav Congress — 11/5/1943
FBI—American Slave Congress — 11/5/1943
Nikola Tesla, The Slavic American — UNDATED
Sava Kosanovish, Alleged Communist — 11/13/1943
Memorandum—Westbrook Pegler — 1/30/1951
Memorandum—Internal Security — 8/30/1946
FBI—Allegations — 6/19/1952
The United American Yugoslav Club of New York — 9/8/1975
FBI—Loyalty of Employees of the United Nation — 3/28/1960
Freedom of Information Release On Subject: Nikola Tesla
Letter to J. Edgar Hoover — 9/24/1940
Death Ray for Planes — 9/22/1940
Letter from J. Edgar Hoover — 10/1/1940
FBI NYC Director Vest Unsubs — 1/12/1943
FBI NYC Director, Unknown Subjects — 1/9/1943
FBI Memorandum — 1/11/1943
FBI Memorandum for Mr. Ladd — 1/12/1943
Letter to J. E. Hoover 150 — 4/16/1948
Letter from J. E. Hoover 152 — 4/22/1948
Letter from J. E. Hoover 153 — 4/3/1950
Director, FBI—Internal Security Memo 154 — 4/17/1950
Letter to Director, FBI 155 — Undated
Request to FBI 156 — 8/18/1952
Letter from J. E. Hoover 158 — 8/26/1952
Office Memorandum 159 — 5/5/1953
Office Memorandum 161 — 8/19/1954
The Life and Work of Dr. Nikola Tesla 162 — 2/3/1954
Prodigal Genius 163 — UNDATED
Registered Mail 164 — 2/5/1954
Letter to George Scherff 166 — 2/3/1954
Important Announcement 168 — UNDATED
SPECIAL DELIVERY—Letter to George Scherff 169 — UNDATED
Internal Security 170 — 3/10/1954
Letter to J. E. Hoover 171 — 6/25/1955
Strange Genius 173 — 5/1955
Recognition for Tesla 174 — UNDATED
Information concerning espionage 175 — 6/29/1955
Letter to Swezey 177 — 6/30/1955
Letter to J. E. Hoover 178 — 8/1/1955
Letter from J. E. Hoover 179 — 8/11/1955
Letter to J. E. Hoover 180 — 9/10/1955
Letter from J. E. Hoover 181 — 9/20/1955
Recognition for Tesla 182 — 7/13/1955
The Genius Who Walked Alone 183 — 6/1955
Recognition for Tesla 188 — 10/7/1955
$2000 Public Aid Sought 189 — 10/26/1955
Tesla Statue Funded $UNKNOWN 190 — 1580
Letter to FBI 192 — 6/23/1956
Letter from J. E. Hoover 193 — 6/29/1956
Office Memorandum—Flying Saucer 194 — 7/25/1957
Letter to J. E. Hoover 198 — 3/18/1958
Letter from J. E. Hoover 199 — 3/14/1958
Letter to FBI—Request for Information 200 — 6/24/1959
Letter from J. E. Hoover 201 — 7/2/1959
Letter to FBI—Access to Records 202 — 12/6/1960
Reply from FBI 203 — 2/14/1961
Letter from J. E. Hoover 204 — 2/23/1961
Letter from FBI—Papers for Examination 205 — 11/21/1962
Letter from J. E. Hoover 206 — 11/27/1962
Letter to FBI 207 — 3/18/1964
Letter to FBI—Tesla Papers 208 — 3/10/1964
Letter from J. E. Hoover 209 — 3/8/1964
Letter to FBI—Is it True? 210 — 6/23/1964
Letter from J. E. Hoover 211 — 6/22/1964
Letter to FBI—Oregon State University 212 — 3/28/1967
Letter from J. E. Hoover 213 — 4/2/1967
Letter to J. E. Hoover—Tesla Files 214 — 6/23/1964
Letter to FBI—Edison: It Would Never Work 216 — 2/25/1969
Letter from J. E. Hoover 217 — 3/4/1969
Letter to FBI—Tesla’s Personal Effects 218 — 4/8/1970
Letter from J. E. Hoover 219 — 4/14/1970
Letter to FBI—Foreign Agents 220 — 7/8/1970
Letter from J. E. Hoover 221 — 7/15/1970
Letter to FBI—Have Them in Jail 222 — 12/6/1971
Letter from J. E. Hoover 223 — 12/14/1971
Letter to FBI—Records Locked Up 224 — UNDATED
Letter from L. Patrick Gray III, Acting Director 225 — 10/31/1972
Letter to FBI—Resuming Tesla’s Work 226 — 4/1/1973
Letter from L. Patrick Gray III, Acting Director 227 — 4/11/1973
Letter to FBI—Microfilm 228 — 6/20/1973
Letter from William D. Ruckelshaus, Acting Director 229 — 6/27/1973
United State Senate to FBI 230 — 6/26/1973
Letter to Senator Packwood—Alaska Military Contract 231 — 6/27/1973
Letter from William D. Ruckelshaus, Acting Director 232 — 7/5/1973
Letter to FBI—Why? 233 — 7/20/1973
Letter from William D. Ruckelshaus, Acting Director 234 — 7/19/1973
LETTER TO FBI—Alien Property Clarifications 235 — UNDATED
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 237 — 8/2/1973
Letter to FBI—Impounded Material 238 — 6/9/1975
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 239 — 7/7/1975
Letter to FBI—Bad Publicity 240 — 11/13/1975
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 241 — 11/26/1975
Routing Slip 242 — 10/21/1975
Letter to FBI—National Security 243 — 10/17/1975
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 244 — 11/10/1975
Letter to FBI—Microfilms Records 245 — 4/20/1976
Fusion Energy 247 — UNDATED
Tesla Tries to Prevent World War II 249 — UNDATED
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 253 — 4/3/1976
United State Senate 254 — 6/16/1976
Letter to FBI—Unpublished Papers 255 — UNDATED
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 257 — 6/23/1976
Letter to FBI—Hotel New Yorker 258 — 7/26/1979
Letter from Clarence M. Kelley, Director 259 — 8/6/1979
Memorandum—Dr. Tesla Under the FOIA 260 — 2/25/1980
FBI Internal Routing Action Slip 261 — 10/10/1979
Every Case in “Preprocessed” 262 — UNDATED
Memorandum for the Director, FBI 263 — 2/9/1981
Letter from Roger S. Young 264 — 3/10/1981
In the Custody of Alien Property 265 — 3/23/1981
Letter from Roger S. Young 268 — 4/1/1981
Letter to FBI—Underground San Francisco Paper 269 — 7/21/1981
Letter from Roger S. Young 271 — 8/7/1981
Letter to FBI—Air Force Aeronautical System Division 272 — 8/18/1983
Tesla: Man Out of Time 276 — UNDATED
FBI—Records/Operations Sections 318 — 8/26/1983
FBI—Search Slip 321 — 8/26/1983
Nikola Tesla (10 July 1856 – 7 January 1943) was a Serbian-American inventor, electrical engineer, mechanical engineer, physicist, and futurist who is best known for his contributions to the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system. Born and raised in the Austrian Empire, Tesla received an advanced education in engineering and physics in the 1870s and gained practical experience in the early 1880s working in telephony and at Continental Edison in the new electric power industry. He immigrated to the United States in 1884, where he would become a naturalized citizen. He worked for a short time at Continental Edison in New York City before he struck out on his own.
