Director of Central Intelligence

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)

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.