Greada Treaty

President Eisenhower (photographed in 1956) visited Palm Springs, California in 1954

Depiction of a "Gray" alien. Grays, first described by Barney Hill, were associated with folklore of alien abductions and cattle mutilation

The Greada Treaty, in a conspiracy theory dating to the 1980s, is alleged to have been a secret agreement made between American President Dwight D. Eisenhower and malevolent Gray aliens in 1954. ^{[1] [2] [3] [4]}

From the early 1950s throgh the 1970s, legends circulated of benevolent extra-terrestrials landing at US bases. In the 1980s, these legends were adapted into a story about malevolent aliens collaborating with elements of the US government. The story originated with John Lear and was further propagated by his associates Rick Doty, Paul Bennewitz, Bill Cooper and Philip Schneider. ^{[5] [6] [7]} Schneider's final lecture, in 1995, introduced the term "Greada" as the name of the Eisenhower–Gray Alien pact. ^[3]

The supposed treaty inspired mainstream 1990s film and television like The X-Files and the 21st-century show American Horror Story: Double Feature . ^{[5] [8]}

Antecedents in UFO landing stories

An "Etherian" space brother, described as Aryan or Nordic in appearance

External documents
Letter from Gregory Light to Meade Layne (received April 16, 1954)
Meade Layne's Personal Bulletin in response (April 16, 1954)

The 1980s "Greada Treaty" stories incorporated elements from earlier legends of UFO landings by peaceful, benevolent aliens.

In 1954, occultist Gerald Light authored a letter to "ethership" theorist Meade Layne in which he relayed a story of five "etherships" being inspected by President Eisenhower at Muroc, Edwards Air Force Base. ^{[2] [9]} Light argued the ships were there "with the assistance and permission of the Etherians" — Layne's term for Nordic aliens, the theosophy-inspired benevolent Space Brothers he'd spoken of since 1945. ^{[2] [9]} Meade Layne published the story in a bulletin to his newsletter subscribers. ^[9]

By the 1970s, more stories of a summoned UFO landing were circulating, promoted by the supposedly-nonfiction film UFOs: Past, Present, and Future . The film's Holloman landing sequence has been noted for its similarities to the finale of the later Spielberg film Close Encounters of the Third Kind . ^[10] The Gerald Light landing story was incorporated into the 1978 sci-fi novel Miracle Visitors by Ian Watson. ^[11] A 1980s variant held that Eisenhower had traveled to Edwards to view alien bodies from the Roswell incident. ^{[4] [2]} According to one version of the legend, the benevolent aliens offered technology and enlightenment in exchange for the elimination of Earth's nuclear weapons, a deal Eisenhower declined. ^[12]

Unlike the Greada Treaty theories, these early stories made no mention of a mutiliation treaty, malevalent Grays, or traumatic abductions.

Origin and spread by John Lear and associates

External documents
Statement by John Lear (rev. August 25, 1988) hosted by the Internet Sacred Text Archive

In the 1980s, John Lear began speaking of alien collusion with secret governmental forces, ^[13] and in the second half of the decade, Lear was "probably the most influential source" of UFO conspiracies. ^[14] By way of contrast with prior UFO conspiracy theories about benevolent 'space brothers', author Jerome Clark named this new strain of thinking "ufology's dark side". ^{[7] : 97}

From 1987 to 1988, John Lear posted drafts of a statement to ParaNet, an early bulletin board system dedicated to the paranormal, claiming that the US government has close contacts with extraterrestrials. ^[7] The document was revised on January 14, again in March, with a final revision dated August 25, 1988, describing a secret government committee, Majestic 12, making a treaty with Gray aliens, only to later realize they've been deceived by the aliens. ^{[15] [16]}

Lear's associate, Bill Cooper, in 1991 authored the influential conspiracy tract "Behold A Pale Horse" in which he asserted an Eisenhower–Alien treaty had been signed at Muroc/Edwards on February 20, 1954. According to Cooper's lore, Aliens were allowed to mutilate cattle and abduct specific humans. ^{[17] [18]} According to Cooper's narrative, it soon becomes clear the aliens are not abiding by the treaty, with some humans becoming victims of mutiliations. ^[19] Cooper theorizes that a historic late-night dental visit was actually cover for a trip to Muroc/Edwards. ^{[20] [21]}

In a series of 1995 lectures, John Lear's associate Philip Schneider talked of the Ike-Alien pact, naming it the "Greada Treaty". ^{[22] [3]} Schneider's proper noun "Greada" may have been a mis-speak of the island nation of Grenada; a minority of transcripts interpolate Schneider's term as "Grenada treaty". Author Greg Valdez argues Schneider was directly influenced by Lear. ^[6] Writes Valdez: "If you view the Phil Schneider story from a legal standard of preponderance of evidence or beyond a reasonable doubt, there is no evidence to support his story... Based on this lack of evidence and the cumulative issues about Phil, the Phil Schneider story... is not credible... especially in light of where these stories originated from: John Lear and the air force.... Phil also met with John Lear in Las Vegas, according to Lear’s interviews." ^[6]

In 2004, both the Eisenhower Presidential Library and the former president's son John S.D. Eisenhower denied such a meeting had occurred. ^[2] The theory was again discussed in 2018 after the creation of the US Space Force. ^[1]

In popular culture

In the 1992 film Sneakers, a conspiracy theorist played by actor Dan Aykroyd comedicly espouses an early version of the theory, saying "the key meeting took place July 1, 1958, when the Air Force brought the space visitor to the White House for an interview with President Eisenhower. And Ike said, hey, look, give us your technology, and we'll give you all the cow lips you want." ^{[23] [24]} The line was drawn from contemporary conspiracy culture -- Dan Aykroyd's brother Peter supplied conspiracy material on "UFOs, cattle mutilations, the Tri-Lateral Commission, the staged moon landing, JFK, [and] Marilyn Monroe" that was used to "spice up" his character. ^[25]

Starting in 1993, hit tv show The X-Files adopted Bill Cooper's writings as the premise for its series. ^{[5] [26]} Over the course of several seasons, protagonists Mulder and Scully learn a secret elite group called "The Syndicate" has forged a treaty with alien colonists that allows abductions; in exchange, the Syndicate hope to receive preferential treatment after the colonization for themselves and their families. ^[27]

In 2021, American Horror Story: Double Feature dramatized the treaty, casting Neal McDonough as Dwight D. Eisenhower, Sarah Paulson as first lady Mamie Eisenhower, and Cody Fern as the alien ambassador. ^[8]

Further reading

• "Ch. 9: 'Take Me To Your Leader' - Ike and the Extra-Terrestrials". The Real Ike: Eisenhower Fact and Fiction. University Press of Kansas. 2 September 2025. ISBN   978-0-7006-4069-0.

References

1. S.A. Miller (24 December 2018). "UFO conspiracy theorists see Space Force as evidence". The Washington Times . The outer reaches of the UFO community also believe that President Eisenhower signed a secret treaty in 1954 with an alien race known as the Greys. The two sides agreed in the "Greada Treaty" not to interfere with each other's affairs. Also under the treaty, the Greys would share technology with the U.S. and the aliens would be allowed to abduct humans for various experiments, provided they submit the names of abductees to a secret government committee known as the "Majestic 12."
2. Peter Carlson (February 18, 2004). "Ike and the Alien Ambassadors". The Washington Post . Salla... doesn't believe it... He believes Ike went to Edwards Air Force Base, where he met with two ETs... Sometime later in 1954, Ike reached a deal with another race of extraterrestrials, known as the "Greys" -- allowing them to capture earthling cattle and humans for medical experiments, provided that they returned the humans safely home. Since then, Salla says, the "Greys" have kidnapped "millions" of humans. Salla, author of "The Hero's Journey Toward a Second American Century," published his ET theories in his new book, "Exopolitics: Political Implications of the Extraterrestrial Presence" and in an article on his "Exopolitics" Web site
3. New Mexico Myths and Legends: The True Stories behind History's Mysteries. Simon and Schuster. 7 September 2015. ISBN   978-1-4930-1585-6. Phil Schneider supported this theory, offering as evidence his own experiences. He claimed there was a 1954 Greada Treaty made between the United States and aliens that allowed for the taking of a few cows by aliens.
4. "Dwight D. Eisenhower and the UFO Controversy by Martin Mack Teasley". Kansas University Press. 18 December 2025.
5. Jacobson, Mark (2018). Pale Horse Rider: William Cooper, the Rise of Conspiracy, and the Fall of Trust in America. Blue Rider Press. ISBN   978-0399169953. Sure, I remember Bill Cooper," said Chris Carter when I rang him at his office in the winter of 2016. Creator and major domo of The X- Files, the preternaturally popular TV show, Carter had mentioned Cooper in an interview he did with Rolling Stone magazine in 1997. "I get inspiration from paranoia," Carter said in the Stone piece, mentioning that at the moment he was reading Behold a Pale Horse... The basic story, the strange landing. the cover-up, hidden alien-derived "black tech," the government conspiracy to protect the most compelling secret on Earth, all that has been canonized in The X-Files "mythology" shows.
   Asked about this alleged cultural appropriation, Carter laughed. "I've got a BA in journalism. If I'm interested in something, I try to find out more about it. Did I pay attention to those UFO conventions and meetings back then? Of course I did!"...
   There have been numerous Cooper sightings in The X-File projects over the years... At one point, a character... alludes to "Silent Weapons for Quiet Wars," the title of the most influential chapter in Behold a Pale Horse. There is a scene in which... the ambulance pulls away, Cooper is spelled out on the back.... "It was more than obvious to everyone present," Cooper wrote, "that a great deal of it came right out of my book, Behold a Pale Horse.
6. Valdez, Greg (July 5, 2013). Dulce Base: The Truth and Evidence from the Case Files of Gabe Valdez. Levi-Cash Publishing, LLC. ISBN   9780989102803.
7. Michael Barkun (4 May 2006). A Culture of Conspiracy: Apocalyptic Visions in Contemporary America. University of California Press. pp. 86–. ISBN   978-0-520-24812-0. Archived from the original on 26 June 2014. Retrieved 18 October 2012.
8. "American Horror Story Season 10 True Story: President Eisenhower's Link to Aliens Explained". Screen Rant . 3 October 2021. For years after, alien conspiracy theorists have noted this fateful 1954 night as the "first contact" between humans and extraterrestrials. It's been suspected that Ike met with the species at least two more times, eventually signing what some refer to as the Greada Treaty.
9. Peebles, Curtis (1994). Watch the Skies!: A Chronicle of the Flying Saucer Myth. Washington, DC: The Smithsonian Institution. ISBN   978-1-56098-343-9.
10. Meehan, Paul (1998). Saucer Movies: A UFOlogical History of the Cinema. Scarecrow Press. ISBN   9780810835733.
11. "Miracle Visitors". 1978.
12. Kim Jarrell Johnson (13 September 2024). "Why did President Dwight Eisenhower disappear during a 1954 Palm Springs visit?". Mercury News.
13. Dickey, Colin (August 28, 2018). "A Pioneer of Paranoia". The New Republic. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022.
14. Pilkington, Mark (July 29, 2010). Mirage Men: A Journey into Disinformation, Paranoia and UFOs. Little, Brown Book Group. ISBN   9781849012409. Archived from the original on March 31, 2022. Retrieved March 31, 2022– via Google Books.
15. Bishop, Greg (February 8, 2005). Project Beta: The Story of Paul Bennewitz, National Security, and the Creation of a Modern UFO Myth. Simon and Schuster. ISBN   9780743470926. Archived from the original on April 3, 2022. Retrieved April 3, 2022.
16. Watch the skies! : A chronicle of the flying saucer myth. Smithsonian. 1994. ISBN   9781560983439.
17. Bill Cooper: "A third landing at Muroc, now Edwards Air Force Base, took place in 1954. The base was closed for three days and no one was allowed to enter or leave during that time. The historical event had been planned in advance. Details of a treaty had been agreed upon. Eisenhower arranged to be in Palm Springs on vacation. On the appointed day the President was spirited to the base. The excuse was given to the press that he was visiting a dentist. Witnesses to the event have stated that three UFOs flew over the base and then landed. Antiaircraft batteries were undergoing live-fire training and the startled personnel actually fired at the crafts as they passed overhead. Luckily, the shells missed and no one was injured.
    President Eisenhower met with the aliens on February 20,1954, and a formal treaty between the alien nation and the United States of America was signed."
18. Cooper:"The treaty stated that the aliens would not interfere in our affairs and we would not interfere in theirs. We would keep their presence on earth a secret. They would furnish us with advanced technology and would help us in our technological development. They would not make any treaty with any other Earth nation. They could abduct humans on a limited and periodic basis for the purpose of medical examination and monitoring of our development, with the stipulation that the humans would not be harmed, would be returned to their point of abduction, would have no memory of the event, and that the alien nation would furnish Majesty Twelve with a list of all human contacts and abductees on a regularly scheduled basis."
19. Cooper: "By 1955 it became obvious that the aliens had deceived Eisenhower and had broken the treaty. Mutilated humans were being found along with mutilated animals across the United States. It was suspected that the aliens were not submitting a complete list of human contacts and abductees to Majesty Twelve and it was suspected that not all abductees had been returned."
20. Cooper: "The excuse was given to the press that he was visiting a dentist."
21. "Eisenhower Goes to Dentist After Cap Falls off Tooth". St. Louis Post-Dispatch. 22 February 1954. p. 1.
22. Schneider lecture (Nov 1995, Denver): "In 1954 during the Eisenhower administration they led to a interesting treaty called the Greada 1954 treaty"
23. Geirland, John; Kedar, Eva Sonesh (April 22, 1999). Digital Babylon: How the Geeks, the Suits, and the Ponytails Fought to Bring Hollywood to the Internet. Arcade Publishing. ISBN   978-1-55970-483-0 – via Google Books.
24. Robinson, Phil Alden; Lasker, Lawrence (March 2003). Sneakers: The Screenplay. Harvest Moon. ISBN   978-1-59300-130-8.
25. "Actors". The Daily Oklahoman . September 11, 1992. p. 42. Retrieved March 2, 2025– via Newspapers.com.
26. David Lipsky (20 February 1997). "The Virtue of Paranoia". Rolling Stone. Carter:I get inspiration through the paranoia. Right now I'm reading one of those right-wing extremists sort of books — Behold a Pale Horse, by William Cooper. I read these things with fascination.
27. The Paranormal and the Paranoid: Conspiratorial Science Fiction Television. Bloomsbury Publishing PLC. 11 June 2015. ISBN   978-1-4422-5114-4.