The Office of United States Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) was established by U.S. President Harry Truman on January 23 1946 with Admiral Sidney Souers occupying the position. The DCI was coordinating intelligence activities among and between the various United States intelligence agencies, also called the American Intelligence Community.
Until April 2005, the DCI also served as de facto Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and was often referred to colloquially as the "CIA Director." After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks on the United States and the subsequent investigation by the 9/11 Commission, a movement grew to re-organize the Intelligence Community. That movement prompted the creation, on April 21, 2005, of the Office of the Director of National Intelligence (DNI), in whose purview was the job portfolio that had been performed previously by the Director of Central Intelligence. The latter position then ceased to exist.
List of Directors of Central Intelligence (in chronological order)[change | change source]
| Director | Tenure |
| RADM Sidney Souers, USNR | January 23 1946–June 10 1946 |
| LTG Hoyt S. Vandenberg, USA | June 10 1946–May 1 1947 |
| RADM Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter, USN | May 1 1947–October 7, 1950 |
| GEN Walter Bedell Smith, USA | October 7 1950–February 9 1953 |
| Allen W. Dulles | February 26, 1953–November 29, 1961 |
| John McCone | November 29 1961–April 28 1965 |
| VADM William Raborn, USN (Ret.) | April 28 1965–June 30 1966 |
| Richard M. Helms | June 30 1966–February 2 1973 |
| James R. Schlesinger | February 2, 1973–July 2 1973 |
| William E. Colby | September 4 1973–January 30 1976 |
| George H. W. Bush | January 30 1976–January 20 1977 |
| ADM Stansfield Turner, USN (Ret.) | March 9 1977–January 20 1981 |
| William J. Casey | January 28 1981–January 29 1987 |
| William H. Webster | May 26 1987–August 31 1991 |
| Robert M. Gates | November 6 1991–January 20 1993 |
| R. James Woolsey | February 5 1993–January 10 1995 |
| John M. Deutch | May 10 1995–December 15 1996 |
| George J. Tenet | July 11 1997–July 11, 2004 |
| Porter J. Goss | September 24, 2004–April 21, 2005 |
| Position replaced by Director of the Central Intelligence Agency and Director of National Intelligence. |
