International Fortean Organization
Corporate brand
UnclaimedThe International Fortean Organization is a nonprofit network of researchers, writers, publishers, and readers devoted to investigating anomalous phenomena in the tradition of Charles Fort.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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History
The International Fortean Organization emerged from the revival of interest in Charles Fort's writings during the 1960s. Fort had become known for collecting reports that appeared to conflict with accepted scientific explanations, including accounts of strange celestial events, unusual physical effects, cryptozoological claims, and alleged paranormal experiences. His approach was less a conventional theory than a challenge to intellectual certainty: observations should be assembled, compared, and kept open to revision. The original Fortean Society was founded in 1932 by figures including Theodore Dreiser and Tiffany Thayer. It drew support from writers, editors, and members of the literary and science-fiction communities. After Thayer's death in 1959, the society declined, although accounts differ on whether it ever formally ended. Ron and Paul Willis subsequently assembled a new organization in the United States. INFO was incorporated in 1965 as a successor in purpose and tradition, and it inherited or acquired a substantial body of Fortean books, periodicals, clippings, correspondence, and research material. INFO Journal: Science and the Unknown began publication in spring 1967. The periodical gave the organization a durable means of communicating with members and publishing material that did not fit easily into mainstream scientific or journalistic outlets. Its coverage included anomalous astronomy, physical anomalies, scientific frauds and hoaxes, cryptozoology, UFO reports, and related subjects. The journal's editorial environment reflected INFO's broad constituency. Skeptics, scholars, investigators, and strong believers could participate, provided that the subject matter was treated as worthy of examination. By 1993, the quarterly publication had expanded to roughly 69 pages and had become one of the most enduring periodicals devoted to Fortean subjects. The Willis brothers also maintained extensive correspondence with writers influenced by Charles Fort. Their network included science-fiction authors and researchers such as Robert A. Heinlein, Fritz Leiber, Philip K. Dick, Robert Anton Wilson, Damon Knight, and others. Heinlein was remembered as a particularly loyal member. These relationships helped connect INFO with science fiction, alternative research, and popular writing communities beyond the organization's formal membership. INFO's work was not limited to a journal. It operated a research library and answered inquiries from an international membership. During its College Park period, the collection reportedly exceeded 10,000 books and included extensive files, clippings, magazines, and historical correspondence. Materials associated with the former Fortean Society, including issues of Doubt and letters connected with early society figures, formed part of the historical context of the collection. The organization also contributed to the preservation and republication of Fort's works. In the 1970s, INFO representatives pressed Dover Publications to reissue Fort's books, which helped prevent them from disappearing from general circulation. The organization participated in book publishing as well. In 1974, Ron Willis and Paul Willis worked with Jacques Bergier on Extraterrestrial Intervention, the Evidence, a compilation credited to Bergier and the editors of INFO. The volume reused selected material from INFO Journal and represented the organization's effort to present Fortean subjects to a broader book audience. FortFest became another major part of INFO's identity. The event brought together speakers and audiences interested in unexplained phenomena and the continuing relevance of Charles Fort. John Keel appeared frequently when his health allowed and served as an adviser and friend. Colin Wilson and John Michell were also long-time advisers or associated intellectual figures. Other participants came from anomalous-phenomena research, journalism, science fiction, and skeptical inquiry. The organization also recognized contributors to Fortean culture through activities associated with the Falling Frog Award. After Ron Willis died from a brain tumor in 1975, Paul Willis relocated the organization and its holdings to College Park, Maryland. INFO operated for more than twenty years from rented space in the Washington, D.C., suburbs. Its facilities were informally identified with the name NO!, a playful response to a nearby New Age bookstore called YES!. Raymond D. Manners served as president and journal editor during the late 1980s and early 1990s. In 2003, a fire forced another move. Later public information is insufficient to establish whether INFO remains active, where it is based, or whether the journal and research services continue in their earlier form.
- 2003
Fire forces a move
[1]A fire resulted in the relocation of INFO from its long-term College Park facilities.
- 1993
INFO Journal reaches expanded quarterly format
[1]Periodical reviewers described the journal as approximately 69 pages and among the longest-running Fortean publications.
- 1975
Paul Willis relocates INFO to College Park
[1]Following Ron Willis's death, Paul Willis moved INFO and its growing library and archives to College Park, Maryland.
- 1974
Publication of Extraterrestrial Intervention, the Evidence
[1]INFO-associated editors collaborated with Jacques Bergier on a book that incorporated material previously published in INFO Journal.
- 1967
INFO Journal launched
[1]INFO began publishing INFO Journal: Science and the Unknown, its principal periodical for Fortean research and commentary.
- 1965
INFO incorporated
[1]Ron and Paul Willis incorporated the International Fortean Organization as a successor to the earlier Fortean Society.
- 1959
Original Fortean Society declines after Tiffany Thayer's death
[1]The death of the society's principal organizer marked the end of its active period and created the context for a later successor organization.
- 1932
Fortean Society established
[1]The original Fortean Society was formed in the intellectual and publishing tradition associated with Charles Fort, providing the institutional predecessor for INFO.
Products and positioning
A volunteer-led, open-minded research and publishing organization focused on anomalous phenomena, Fortean literature, archival preservation, and debate between skeptical and paranormal perspectives.
Periodical · 1967
INFO Journal: Science and the Unknown
INFO's principal publication covered anomalous astronomical phenomena, unusual physical effects, cryptozoology, scientific hoaxes, UFO reports, and related Fortean topics. It was issued quarterly and grew substantially in size over time, becoming a durable publication within the Fortean field.
Research service
Fortean research library
INFO maintained a specialist collection of books, clippings, periodicals, correspondence, and research files concerning Charles Fort and anomalous phenomena. The collection reportedly exceeded 10,000 books during its College Park period and supported inquiries from members and researchers.
Book · 1974
Extraterrestrial Intervention, the Evidence
A 1974 book associated with INFO and Jacques Bergier, presenting a compilation of material on alleged extraterrestrial intervention and reprinting selected articles from INFO Journal.
Marketing campaigns
- 1974Charles Fort reprint advocacy
United States · International readership
INFO representatives urged Dover Publications to bring Charles Fort's works back into print after concern that his writings would become unavailable.
Outcome. Dover published editions of Fort's works, helping preserve access to his writing for later readers and researchers.
- FortFest
United States · International Fortean community
INFO developed FortFest as a conference centered on Charles Fort, anomalous phenomena, and Fortean research. The event brought together writers, investigators, scholars, skeptics, and enthusiasts, with John Keel among its recurring contributors.
Outcome. It became a recognizable public forum for INFO and helped connect the organization with a wider community of researchers and readers.
Brand decisions
2003
Relocate after facility fireOtherBackground
A fire damaged the premises that had housed INFO's offices and research holdings in College Park.
Action taken
INFO moved its operations and collections to another location.
Aftermath
The move ended the organization's more than two-decade period in College Park, while later operating details remain unclear.
1967
Launch INFO JournalProduct launchBackground
INFO needed a regular publication through which to communicate with its international membership and circulate research on anomalous phenomena.
Action taken
The organization began publishing INFO Journal: Science and the Unknown.
Aftermath
The journal became INFO's central public offering and one of the longest-running Fortean periodicals.
1965
Create a successor organization to the Fortean SocietyStrategyBackground
The original Fortean Society had declined after the death of Tiffany Thayer, but interest in Charles Fort's ideas and archives remained.
Action taken
Ron and Paul Willis incorporated INFO to continue the earlier society's publishing, correspondence, and research aims.
Aftermath
The new organization established a continuing institutional platform for Fortean publishing and community activity.
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