The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) was formally created in 1947. It is considered to be the principal foreign intelligence and counterintelligence agency of the U.S. government. The CIA is headed by a director and deputy director; interestingly only one of the directors may be a military officer. The director of central intelligence (DCI) is appointed to serve as the chief intelligence adviser to the president of the United States. Below is a list of the directors, in chronological order, from the earliest to the most recent.
January 23, 1946–June 10, 1946 | Rear Adm. Sidney W. Souers, U.S. Naval Reserve |
June 10, 1946–May 1, 1947 | Lieut. Gen. Hoyt S. Vandenberg, U.S. Army |
May 1, 1947–October 7, 1950 | Rear Adm. Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, U.S. Navy |
October 7, 1950–February 9, 1953 | Gen. Walter Bedell Smith, U.S. Army |
February 26, 1953–November 29, 1961 | Allen W. Dulles |
November 29, 1961–April 28, 1965 | John A. McCone |
April 28, 1965–June 30, 1966 | Vice Adm. William F. Raborn, Jr., U.S. Navy |
June 30, 1966–February 2, 1973 | Richard M. Helms |
February 2, 1973–July 2, 1973 | James R. Schlesinger |
September 4, 1973–January 30, 1976 | William E. Colby |
January 30, 1976–January 20, 1977 | George H.W. Bush |
March 9, 1977–January 20, 1981 | Adm. Stansfield Turner, U.S. Navy |
January 28, 1981–January 29, 1987 | William J. Casey |
May 26, 1987–August 31, 1991 | William H. Webster |
November 6, 1991–January 20, 1993 | Robert M. Gates |
February 5, 1993–January 10, 1995 | R. James Woolsey |
May 10, 1995–December 15, 1996 | John M. Deutch |
July 11, 1997–July 11, 2004 | George J. Tenet |
September 24, 2004–May 26, 2006 | Porter J. Goss |
May 30, 2006–February 13, 2009 | Gen. Michael V. Hayden, U.S. Air Force |
February 13, 2009–June 30, 2011 | Leon E. Panetta |
September 6, 2011–November 9, 2012 | Gen. David Petraeus, U.S. Army |
March 8, 2013–January 20, 2017 | John Brennan |
January 23, 2017–April 26, 2018 | Mike Pompeo |
May 21, 2018–January 19, 2021 | Gina Haspel |
March 19, 2021– PRESENT | William J. Burns |
This list was compiled on 09/27/2023