Houston, TX being encounter — July 8, 1947

The Houston Post of 9 July 1947 printed a short, openly humorous item about an unnamed merchant seaman in the Acres Homes district. He reportedly telephoned the newspaper to say that a large silver disc had landed in front of him while he was walking. A little man, about two feet tall with a round head compared with a basketball, emerged and shook his hand. The figure then climbed back into the disc and departed. The article ended with a comic exchange about whether it resembled someone from Mars. It provided no witness name, independent observer, photograph, detailed clothing or facial description. Later catalogues commonly assign the event to 8 July, while some retellings use the 9 July publication or telephone-report date. The exact hour is not established by the article despite later noon entries. Davis and Bloecher recovered the item as part of their survey of early occupant reports; skeptical commentators subsequently emphasized its tongue-in-cheek framing. The imported hoax designation and the possibility of a journalistic joke are relevant, but no independent confession was recovered. It should therefore be presented as an uncorroborated humorous press story. The reconstruction retains the handshake and oversized round head without adding the large black eyes, skin colour or other features of a later Grey stereotype.