DCI

Hoyt S. Vandenberg

Succeeded Souers as DCI in June 1946. Like Souers served as DCI of CIG and member of the NIA by Executive Order. Took a more aggressive role than Souers and managed to gain greater budget independence for CIG and helped to expand the Groups clandestine collection, research and analysis roles. Expanded the size and scope of the CIG with the establishment of the Office of Research and Evaluation. Vandenberg was actively responsible for the National Security Act’s delineation of the duties of the CIA. Vandenberg helped produce the Groups first national estimate, which covered Soviet intentions and capabilities. Vandenberg used this position to try and reach his goal of becoming Chief of Staff in the new Air Force. Vandenberg left the office in April 1947.

Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter

Admiral Hillenkoetter served as the first "official" DCI of the CIA. Appointed first as DCI of CIG and then after the National Security Act of 1947, Hillenkoetter was sworn in as DCI of CIA. Hillenkoetter’s tenure was from May 1947 – October 1950. Hillenkoetter believed that while the stated role of the CIA was to coordinate intelligence activities, realistically the Agency lacked the bureaucratic muscle to effect such a lofty goal. As a result of this decision Hillenkoetter urged the Agency into the area of current intelligence production. In 1949 a group appointed by the President recommended that the Agency be restructured.

Walter Bedell Smith

In October 1950 Smith took over as DCI after the CIA received a lot of criticism for not being able to foresee the invasion of Korea earlier in June. Smith had previously served under Eisenhower as his Chief of Staff, while Eisenhower was Supreme Allied Commander of Europe. He had also been a US Ambassador to the Soviet Union. Under Smith’s tenure as DCI, a number of changes to the organization were implemented. Smith Established three new branches in the growing body of the CIA: the Office for National Estimates, the Office for Research and Reports (ORR), and in 1952 the Directorate for Intelligence (DDI). The Office of National estimates only responsibility was to create coordinated national estimates. The Office for Research and Reports was responsible for monitoring and reporting on economic changes in the Soviet Bloc. The DDI was responsible for producing finished intelligence. Smith also arranged for a daily report to be made to the President, regarding the most important developments affecting US security interests. Smith added to the permanence of the still fledgling organization and created the foundations for two arms within the CIA: operations and analysis. Smith is generally regarded as one of the most successful Directors and his appointment is regarded as the turning point, in which the CIA began to resemble the organization outlined by Donovan. Under Smith the CIA successfully dealt with a crisis in Iran and established itself as a global player in the intelligence game.

Allen Dulles

Allen Dulles, a previous member of the OSS, took over for Smith when he left to become Secretary of State in 1953. Dulles, brother of Secretary of State John Foster Dulles, served as DCI from February 1953 to November 1961. During his tenure he provided long-term stability for the organization by continuing many of the innovations implemented by General Smith. Since Dulles had previously served in the OSS, he was mainly interested in covert operations and most frequently helped to overthrow governments unfriendly to the US and help replace them with one that is more friendly. During his tenure as DCI he launched successful operations in Iran in 1953, Costa Rica and Guatemala in 1954. He launched unsuccessful operations in Indonesia in 1958, Tibet in 1958, and Operation Mongoose against Cuba in 1960 and 1961. However, despite some of his operational failings, Dulles’ OSS experience served him well organizationally and ultimately operationally. After Dulles’ term as DCI almost no new branches were created, and despite some shifting of agencies between branches, the CIA remains much how Allen Dulles left it.