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Office of the Coordinator of Information (COI) Established
Before World War 2, there was no specific intelligence gathering agency. Other departments such as the FBI and the US Armed Forces were collecting intelligence but it was very uncoordinated. During WW2, Roosevelt realized that America needs better intelligence to help them in the war. So he created the COI to gather foreign intelligence about the war. The COI was led by World War I hero General William “Wild Bill” Donovan. -
Office of the Strategic Services (OSS) Established
Donovan and President Roosevelt revised the COI as World War II went on. President Roosevelt changed COI into a new office at Donovan's recommendation, the OSS, giving it a name that represented the significance of strategy in gathering intelligence and conducting covert operations. The OSS established itself as the nation's first centralized intelligence service. Donovan led the OSS to collect and analyze strategic information and conduct unconventional and paramilitary operations. -
Strategic Services Unit (SSU) Established
At the end of World War II, President Truman abolished the OSS along with many other war agencies. As a result, the country was left without a non-departmental, strategic intelligence service. Branch offices of the OSS combined under President Truman's directive to form the Strategic Services Unit (SSU). As a temporary measure until the United States could implement a more long-term solution, SSU filled vacant OSS positions all over the world. -
Central Intelligence Group (CIG) Established
Officials decided to transfer SSU's operations to the newly established Central Intelligence Group (CIG). President Truman chose Admiral Souers, the deputy chief of naval intelligence during WW2 to lead the CIG. He was the first DCI (Director of Central Intelligence). The CIG could do more things like conduct independent research and analysis. It became the nation’s top intelligence agency. -
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) Established
The CIA became the nation’s top intelligence agency but it was still constrained by the Department of State and armed services. Truman realized that America needed a fully functional post-war intelligence agency. He signed the National Security Act through which he established the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The CIA became an independent, civilian intelligence agency within the executive branch. Truman appointed former CIG Deputy Director Hilenkoetter as leader of the CIA. -
Central Intelligence Agency Act
2 years after the CIA was established, President Truman signed the Central Intelligence Agency Act. This act allowed the CIA to secretly fund intelligence operations outside standard U.S. government practices. -
Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act
President George W. Bush signed the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act which changed the role of the DCI. This act created the Director of National Intelligence (DNI). The Director of the CIA through the DNI oversaw the CIA. The Directer, John Brennan, also modernized the CIA into "mission centers" to improve it.