Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter
| Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter | |
|---|---|
| Director of Central Intelligence | |
|
In office May 1, 1947 – October 7, 1950 |
|
| President | Harry Truman |
| Deputy | Edwin K. Wright |
| Preceded by | Hoyt Vandenberg |
| Succeeded by | Walter B. Smith |
| Personal details | |
| Born |
Roscoe Henry Hillenkoetter May 8, 1897 St. Louis, Missouri, U.S. |
| Died | June 18, 1982 (aged 85) New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Resting place | Arlington National Cemetery |
| Spouse(s) | Jane Clark |
| Education | United States Naval Academy (BS) |
| Military service | |
| Allegiance |
 United States
|
| Service/branch |
 United States Navy
|
| Rank |
 Vice Admiral
|
| Commands | Commanding Officer, USS Missouri Commander, 1st Cruiser Division Commander, 3rd Naval District |
| Battles/wars |
World War II Korean War |
Roscoe Henry Hillenkoetter (May 8, 1897 – June 18, 1982) was the third director of the post-World War II United States Central Intelligence Group (CIG), the third Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), and the first director of the Central Intelligence Agency created by the National Security Act of 1947. He served as DCI and director of the CIG and the CIA from May 1, 1947 to October 7, 1950 and after his retirement from the United States Navy was a member of the board of governors of National Investigations Committee On Aerial Phenomena (NICAP) from 1957 to 1962.
Born in St. Louis, Missouri, Hillenkoetter graduated from the United States Naval Academy at Annapolis, Maryland in 1919.
He served tours in naval intelligence, several as assistant naval attaché to France. As Executive Officer of the USS West Virginia (BB-48), he survived the attack on Pearl Harbor, and afterwards was officer in charge of intelligence on Chester W. Nimitz's Pacific Fleet staff.
Then Captain Hillenkoetter commanded the USS Missouri in 1946.
President Truman persuaded a reluctant Hillenkoetter, then a rear admiral, to become Director of Central Intelligence (DCI), and run the Central Intelligence Group (September 1947). Under the National Security Act of 1947 he was nominated and confirmed by the U.S. Senate as DCI, now in charge of the newly established Central Intelligence Agency (December 1947). At first, the U.S. State Department directed the new CIA's covert operations component, and George F. Kennan chose Frank Wisner to be its director. Hillenkoetter expressed doubt that the same agency could be effective at both covert action and intelligence analysis.
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