RICHARD HELMS, DIRECTOR OF CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP75-00149R000700020018-7
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 16, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 2004
• Sequence Number: 18
• Publication Date: June 30, 1966
• Content Type: OPEN

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CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE- -
"M%Tr, RIVERS of South Carolina asked
and was given permission to address the
House for 1 minute, to revise and extend
his remarks, and to include certain press
articles.)
Mr. RIVERS of South Carolina. Mr.
SPcaker, of Tuesday, the Senate con-
firmed the nomination of Mr. Richard
Helms to succeed Adm. William F. Ra-
born as Director of Central Intelligence,
At his confirmation hearings, the Senate
Committee on Armed Services welcomed
Mr. Helms' appointment enthusiastically
and unanimously approved his nomina-
tion. I, too, wish to welcome Mr. Helms
to this position. I look forward to a close
association with him in my capacity as
chairman of the House Armed Services
CIA Subcommittee.
During the past 14 months, my close
association with Admiral Raborn has
been one of the most pleasant aspects of
my duties as chairman of the Armed
Services Committee. I, and a number
of my colleagues, have already paid trib-
ute to the admiral's record of distin-
guished service as a career naval officer
and more recently as Director of Central_
Intelligence, He responded to a call
from the President and, performed his
-job splendidly, We all extend him every
good wish for the future. .
Mr. Speaker, a number of distinguished
Americans have held this position which
is so important to the security of our
country. I think It is entirely fitting now
that a man who has gained distinction
through the professionalism acquired
through a career in intelligence work in-
eluding the holding of several senior po-
sitions within the Agency should now be
appointed the head of that Agency, Mr,
Heins' professional competence was rec-
ognized 14 months ago when he was
named by President Johnson as Deputy
Director of Central Intelligence.
It has been recognized again in his
elevation to the top position in the CIA.
I am sure that it is encouraging to those
who have worked with Mr. Helms over
kind to iris CIA but I have been most in-
terested in the almost universally favor-
able respon.,e wh;eh Mr. Helms' appoint-
ment has rccr:;:>d. I wish to insert in
the Racing :si, this point a selection of
these articles.
I do not agree with those who are criti-
cal of Admiral Raborn's tenure as Di-
rector; belt I do agree with the universal
acclaim over Mr. Helms' appointment,
The articles follow:
(From I):r Pt u. tn'gh Press June 20, 19061
1l\r.;'.LLEN'r CHOICE
Presidc?u1, Johnson chose well in elevating
the Govcrnrurn?'s top career intelligence
officer, Rlchnrti M. Helms, to directorship of
the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA).
Dick }Uiins Is ml exceptionally able public
'servant. The words customarily used to de-
scribe hhn-"brlillant;" "dedicated," and
"unbiased"-are accurate.
Going from the Navy into the Office of
Strategic Services (the CIA's predecessor) in
1943, Mr, Helms has spent the years since
continuously in Government intelligence,
rising through the ranks and until only little
more than a year ago he'was named deputy
director of the CIA'under the now retiring
Admiral William F. Raborn, N
Thus, lie knows Inside-out the faults,
strengths, plans and machinery of this most
complicated, controversial but all-essential
Government agency, His record commends
and fits him to take over the reins.
He knows that one of the greatest needs
of the CIA today is a better public Image-
not that it Is nearly as bad as some claim.
But it needs to be better, for it is an agency
essential to the welfare of our country.
Many in the Scripps-Howard newspaper
organization have known Dick Helms Since
the pre-War II days when he was director
of national advertising for The Indianapolis
Times, a sister newspaper.
Our wager is he can turn in the perform-
ance required,
(From the Washington Post, Tuesday, June.
26, 1966)
CIA CHANCING OF GUARD-AGENCY BEING
VINDICATED BY SENATE
(By William S. White)
The changing of the top guard at the
Central Intelligence Agency is proceeding
sm
thl
oo
y notwithstanding CIA's inbuilt ca-
pacity to evoke more than its share of a kind
of querulous suspicion and criticism,
Richard Helms, who is to be the Agency's
director In succession to his resigned chief,
Adm. William F. Reborn, has been given the
unanimous approval of the leadership of
both parties In the Senate,
Deputy Helms thus becomes Director Helms
under a powerful and, practically speaking,
an unchallongeable Senate sponsorship,
Moreover, it has become clear that the de-
mand of the Senate Foreign Relations Com-
mittee for a part in congressional supervi-
sion of the CIA is going exactly nowhere.
The most realistic estimate 1s that if and
when this proposal Is pushed to a showdown
on the Senate floor it will do well to attract
as much as 20 per cent of the vote
.
strongest advocates to see him named to CIA Is already supervised by a select and
this position, Mr. Helms' intelligence bipartisan Srnato group, headed by Senator
career began in 1943 when he first served RrclbAaD oldssu.L of Georgia, which demon ma-
-
With the p[lice of Strategic Services. He jority rholds the . So the Russell avast ma-
has served continuously in Its successor t oiiltf cthe on inuetto be the sole supervising
organization, group; and that is that.
I have been extremely impressed with All this state of affairs is understandably
Mr. I-Iel is in his numerous appearances most pleasing to the CIA, which has long
before our CIA Subcommittee. Tam sure been the top villain In all the bureaucracy
it is a comforting thought to Admiral ea
to mi ucrasmall at acret in the heard reality These that a
Raborn, as he leaves his position to t cannot accept
a
d r oerations Is
know that the job Is Indeed In good thei unavoidable price exacted by the kind of
hands. The press has not always been. world in which we live.
The whole point is that the Russell CIA
Committee has never known a leak of na-
tional security information; the Foreign Re-
lations Committee Is widely known for just
such leaks. Its effort to move in on the CIA
is not being rejected by a Senate majority
only because of the essential bankruptcy of
its argument that CIA meddles In the mak-
ing of foreign policy, but mainly because
some of its members simply cannot keep,
from talking too much about some things
that should not be talked about at all.
(From the Washington Post, Monday, June
27, 19661
The net of It is that this agency as an\
Institution Is In the process of a massive
vindication by the Senate. This is bracing
news, indeed, to the poor old CIA, which
can never speak of its many successes and
can never even try to defend its few failures.
It Is happy news, too, for Admiral Raborn,
whop services to title country-from his
development of the Polaris missile program 1
t
h
o
is conduct of the CIA-has been rarely
matched,
. To be sure, Reborn leaves his post-for a
resumed retirement long since promised him -
by President Johnson-tinder criticism here
and there. Still, he can take comfort in the
knowledge that the one man who really ought
to know the quality of Ills work, the Presi-
dent, Is genuinely sorry to see him go,
The President has sent to Raborn a private
letter of farewell that should convince the
open-minded that the Admiral did a good
job, Indeed. "In your leaving," the President
told Raborn, "you take with you not only my
gratitude but that of your fellow countrymen
who have been served so well by your unique.,
-powers of leadership and understanding."
If this isn't a "well done" from the Com-
mander-in-Chief to a faithful old sailor, no-,i
body could write one.
That the President has sent it reflects, to
be sure, more than personal appreciation for .
a man who has done a particularly hard tour
of duty. It also reflects his grave concern
that all men in the most critical and most'
criticized arms of government-intelligence,
defense, State Department-are of necessity
asked to bear burdens of such pressure as to
make high careers less and lose attractive and
sometimes hardly even bearable.
Highly qualified men are hard to find-
and keep-even In times far less demanding
than these, the days of the running sore of
the war in Vietnam,
CIA's NEW CHIEF,A DETERMINED Pao
(BY Marquis Childs)
Those who occupy the seats of the mighty
In this Capital are more often than not
showy figures expanding like tropical flowers
In the public glow. They measure their
Success by clocking the time they get on
national television.
Just named to fill one of these seats is a
man who falls completely outside the pat-
tern, It is doubtful If one American in a
thousand could identify Richard M, Helms,
who will be director of the Central Intel-
ligence Agency. , And, if he has ever ap-
peared on television, it has been by the
sheerest inadvertence.
Even more remarkable in this hothouse
atmosphere is that this is the way he In-
tends it to 'Be. As a pro In the Intelligence
business himself, Mr. Helms has every Inten-
tion of making the agency a professional
operation. The dilemma of secrecy for it
.
vastly expanded Intelligence operation, serv-
ing a democracy In which the very word
secrecy Inspires the Itch to break it down,"
Is his to resolve.
Although It was not known at the time,
the White House on a previous occasion Seri-
ously considered putting Mr. Helms in the
position to which he has now been named,
.The argument was that, since the CIA la x
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prorv,slonni outfit, it rhmdd be headed by when Rlcharrl Ilc1ms was named to replace
a pro with a long background In the business. Admiral William Rnborn, 01, no director of
Instead, the President named a retired the CIA. And, as usual, there were count-
Admlrni. William F. Inborn, Jr. Rnborn was less cloak-nmi-dagger theories to explain the
n highly successful organizer and admin- switch. President Johnson compounded the
Istrntor In putting through the Polaris sub- conspiracy thcorlrr, by burying the news In
marine program. But, with no background a clutch of routine personnel announcements.
' In Intelligence. he proved an unhappy choice Actually, Raborn had nu understanding
its conunnnciing omcer on the bridge of the with Johnson, when he took the job 14
phathtonh ship of ntnto which the CIA repro months ago, that he would stay only n year
scats. For six months or more, Mr. 1lehns or two; thus his departure was not unex-
has been directing opcrntions and Admiral
Raborn'a presence has been less and less felt.
The power of the CIA Is a fact of con-
temporary life. It Is embodied in the huge
white structure completed five years ago at
Langley, Va., across the Potomac and Do-
c.uplcd by rat least 6000 of CIA's employes.
Perhniau another 10,000 or 16,000-the totals
An it turned out, Admiral Rnborn's rein.
Lions with Congress proved far from hnppy
and his complete Inexperience In Intelligence
work and foreign affairs were serious hnndi-
caps, Ile wan a good man In the wrong job.
Mr. Helms Is a enreer Intelligence omcer
who has had primary responsibility for much
of the C.I.A.'s ndminlstrntivo work In the ]net
few years. Ho Is experienced, sophisticated,
and knowledgeable. Moreover, he Is highly,
regarded by the C.I.A. corps which has been
administration, he brought to the sprawling---- Good an the appointment In, it does not,?
spookery in Langley. Vs., modern manage- lessen ,the desirability of tighter Congres-
ment techniques for analyzing, projecting slonal supervision over this crucial agency,
and distributing the Inchoate mass of in- Legislators expert in foreign affairs should
formation that. pours in on the agency from share with members of the armed services
every corner of the world, and appropriations committees the duty for
are secret-operate In every corner of the, McCone and Allen Dulles, Rnborn sought no
world. policymaking role, was far less concerned
Part of Mr, Helms' task Is to apply disc with the substance of Intelligence, and his
cipline rind restraint to an organization that detached air drew criticism.
many critics feel Is overgrown and overly Dick Helms, 63, has made his career In
eager. The CIA's moving Into its great what Washington calls the "Intelligence earn-
white headquarters was, In the view of these munitv." A Williams College graduate and
tiscd nn agency that by its very nature lie served as an OS.- omcer during the war [From the Washington Star, Juno 19, I900
should have abjured advertising. . and signed up with the CIA at Its founding HELMS IS NAMED CIA CHIEF AS ADMmAL
Although he directed CIA's covert, or black, in 1047, Ito rose to become deputy director RADORN RESroNs
operations, Mr, helms fits none of the stereo- for plans-moaning covert operations-under ',
types of the spy thriller and the Innumerable McCono, nil(] hno since handled the agency's (By Garnett D. Horner)
spy films of recent years. Slender, soft- , delicate relations with Congress while simul- William r. Rnborn Jr. Is resigning as Cen-
spoken, modest in demeanor, married for 20 "taneously directing most of the CIA's pure- tral Intelligence Agency director after less
years and the father of one son, he Is Slot intelligence functions as Raborn's first dep- . than 14 months on the job,
even a distant relative of James Bond, uty. Ile thus became the first professional . President Johnson announced 13.aborn'8
His sparse official record' released by the ever to head the n.gency, and about that at resignation yesterday along with the pro-
White House when lie was appointed is also least there was no mystery, 'motion of a career professional In the
modest. Educated partly In Europe, at a intelligence field-Richard M. Helms-to suc-
German high school nod a famous boys school , [From the Washington Star, June 24, 19601 ceeo nim,
in Switzerland, he speaks French and Gee- GOOD NEWS FOR TYPE CIA Helms, 63, who got Into the spy businehits
ss man fluently. Graduated from Williams Col while In the Navy the Central In tell Igerrao Agency,,which been with CIA sin e during was World created War 10 h years
loge, he was elected to Pill Beta Kappa In his has been going through a cbfflcult period, the ago and has been deputy director under junior year. Ile worked In Europe for two appointment of Richard. M. Helms to succeed Reborn, years for an American news service and from ' William F. unborn a:; director is a heartening The President gave no reason for the resig-'
1937 to 1042 as national advertising manager development. nation of Reborn, a 61-year-old retired nice
for the Indianapolis Times, The new director, who has served an admiral, except that he wants to return to
Mr. Helms, who is 63, got his grounding in rtaborn's deputy for the p;,lit 13 months, is his home In California. But there have been
Intelligence In the wartime Office of Strategic the first thnroni-hoolnl; professional Intel- recurring rumors of unhappiness at high
Services, where he served as a Navylieuten- ligence agent ro be given the top job In the "levels within the administration about Rs-
ant (jg) . From then on, his career has been agency. Ila t,cen with l?ho CIA since It- born'sdirection of the CIA.
curtained by secrecy. He is said to have had was formed in I.0-I7, having previously served ANNOUNCES CHOICES
n lot to do with the U2 spy planes, which were 'in the Oficc of L.I.roto;ic Services during
Communist preserve until a U2 was shot
clown over Sverdlovsk hl 1960. That put an
end to the summit conference with the
Soviet Union,
Today-and this Is part of the challenge
confronting Mr. Helms-spying, along with
almost everything else, is being transformed
by revolutionary new technology. The Samoa
satellite replaced the U2 and, as It courses
through outer space, it sends back for analy-
sts by CIA technicians photographs Fn de-
tailed as those taken from the plane at'60,000
fact.
The new director also Is confronted by the
bad press the CIA had had, Books and maga-
zine articles have assailed and ridiculed the
agency. The best known of the books, The'
Invisible Government, fired the wrath of the"
CIA with the accusation that at times It has
exposed the "cover" of agchts whose useful-
nose was thereby ended.
What Irks Mr, Helms and his associates Is
that these attacks fail to point out that the
CIA Is a counter to the far greater And more
powerful intelligence operations of Commu-
nlnt Russia and China. That in the'Helme
concept--a professional agency operating
without publicity In a tough professional
sphere.
From Time, June 24, 19601
A Pao FOR CIA
reedy nncots--and sometimes even makes-
foreign policy.
The combination of n more effective direc-
tor and more effective Congressional Watch-
dogs could do much to heighten public con-
fidence that the vast powers of C.I.A. will not
be abused.
throughout the government Intelligence con- , also announced be Intends to nofninate:
munity and r.n,1e,s cxccllent relations on . Dr. Samuel M. Nabrit, president of Texas
Capitol hill. southern University, its a member of the
The api'nlntment amc'uuits to belated, rec- Atomic Energy Commission to succeed Mrs,
ognition In the \Yhltc itou.uo that intelligence Mary I. Bunting, who resigned some time
work is a lth'! y e.t?cclnliaed activity demand-' ago. Nnbrit Is a brother of Dr. James M.
ing the beat, pro,os; tonal talent. Rnborn, Nabrlt Jr., now U.S. deputy representative
it retired vier! admiral, was handicapped as to the United Nations, who plans to return
director by his lack of previouy experience In to his post as president of Howard University
intelligence work and in the field of foreign here In the fall.
affairs. In recent months, criticism of the Dr. Gerald F, Tape, for reappointment as.
CIA 1p Congress has become Increasingly out- a member of the Atomic Energy Commis-
spoken and morale within the agency itself slon. He has been a member of the AEC
has suffered. since 1003.
The change in leadership does not moon. Rose1 H. Hyde, it Republican first named to
that all the problems of the CIA will dlsnp- the Federal Communications Commission by
pear. Crlliclr,m In Congress, and pressure for' President Truman in 1052, for reappointment
tighter supervision by congressional corn- to the FCC. The President also said he plans
mittees, is likely to continue. It is to be to designate Hyde as FCC chairman,
hoped, however, that Increased confidence Nicholas Johnson, now serving no federal
within the agency Itself may lead in time'. maritime administrator, to fill a vacancy on
to greater public and congressional eon- the FCC created by the May 1 resignation
f1donco in the activities of this vital arm of of E, William Henry, former FCC chairman,
the govarnmcnt? DEPUTY PROMOTED
Wi
h
nt
From the New York Times, June 20, 1900)rop nnow,ton, now deputy assistant
secretary of the trensurv for International
The Central Inl.clligcnce Agency needed a ' Ho would repines Merlyn N. Trued, Who ro-
change of lr;cdership, nil([ President Johnson ? signed recently.
has picked the beat available man In Deputy The President also named Henry D. Owen,'
Director Richard Ilchns, Admiral Rnborn, a member of the State Department's Policy
the retiring director, was chosen in 1004 be- Planning Council for 11 years, as chairman
cause he had done an outstanding job in do-, of the council. He succeeds Walt W. Roetow,
The Central Intelligence Agency, which veloping the Polaris missile and, In the prop- recently named a speetal assistant to the
trice not too successfully to stay out of ens, had established excellent relations with President.
the news, makes It big when it has something Congress, It did not hurt that he 'was a" Raborn's resignation as CIA director came
that It wants to tell. So it was last week Texan who campaigned for Mr. Johnson. . In the midst of an attempt by the Senate
JUN 3 0 1966
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-0oieign Relations Committee to put three
of its members on n special congressional
icatchdo, committee for the CIA headed by
&^n. ln7ILAllO B. RUSSELL., D-Ga.
''here were no official Indications whether
the approaching battle In the Senate over the
prdpc-osl to enlarge the watchdog group had
anything to do with Raboru's resignation.
CONTROVERSIES AROSE
'iiere has been criticism of Raborn In
some quarters on the grounds that as a milt-
Lary Iran he was not familiar with CIA cloak-
and-dagger operations and that there had
been morale problems In his achuinlatratlon
of the agency.
In recent months, the CIA has become in-
volved .ln an Increasing number of contro-
versies. Two court suits, the Senate dispute
and a rash of newspaper and magazine arti-
cies have all raised questions about' the
agency's operations.
Ramparts magazine, in its April Issue,
charged that Michigan State University had
provided a "cover" for CIA operatives In.
Viet Nam. -'
University officials acknowledged that CIA
men were employed in the project, but said
..we (lid not knowingly hire any CIA men-
and when we found out about their role, we
dropped them."
At the same time the Michigan State con-
troversy erupted, the Star disclosed that an
Estonian Immigrant had flied a $110,000
slander suit In U.S. District Court in Balti-
more against a fellow immigrant whom the
CIA identified as one of its agents,
iibrik Leine, who flied the suit, alleged that
Jrui Raus, the CIA employo, was instructed
by the intelligence agency to warn Estonian
immigrants in this country that Heine was a
"dispatched Soviet intelligence operative, a
KGB agent."
Both the CIA and Raus have contended
that ita.us was acting as a government ofm-
vial and therefore was Immune to slander
suits. The court has not yet ruled on
whether that defense can be accepted.
Members of the Senate Foreign Relations
Committee, led by Chairman J. W. FULDRIGIIT,
D-Ark., have voiced concern about allega-
tions that the CIA is playing an increasing
role in influencing foreign policy,
Another controversy developed after For-
eign Affairs, a prestigious quarterly, pub-
ltshcd an article on "The Faceless Viet Cong,"
wrl i.ten by George A. Carver Jr. It was strb-
sequent.ly learned that the nuttier was a full-
time CIA employe, but the magazine, in a
short biography, did not identify him as
ruck.
Last month, the widow of a retired Marine
colonel filed an $000,000 damage suit in. U.S.
District Court in Norfolk, alleging that her
husband committed suckle because of drugs
administered to 1.llni while he was being in-
terviewed for a CIA position,
"There is no basis .for the charges," the
CIA said. "No drugs or medicines were ever
administered to him at ally time during his
contacts with agency officials."
Raborn was named in April last year by the
President to succeed John A. McCone, a Re-
publican West Coast industrialist, as CIA
director.
Johnson pointed out yesterday that Raborn
was retired when lie asked him to come to
Washington to servo "tor a period that would
be agreeable to hinl," IIe said lie told Ra-
horn at the time that lie hoped Helms could
succeed him at the end of his tour of duty.
"Although be (Raborn) had no desire to
return to Washington," the President ridded,
"he agreed to come and nerve for an in-
definite period. 'He has done that. Now he
desires to return to California,"
Helens was, named deputy director at the
same time Raborn was picked to head the
a ,cncy. Helms had been deputy director
for plans since early 1062, when he suc-
ceeded Richard M. Bissell Jr.
Johnson opened his press conference yes-
terday with an announcement of the first as-
signment of funds to projects around the
country under the new rent supplement
housing program.
IIe said 2000,000 has l.ieen set aside to pro-
vide for more than 1,000 units of "modest
-but decent housing" in Boston, Cleveland,
New Orleans, New York, Omaha, Philadel-
phia, Providence, San Antonio, Saginaw,
Mich,, Pasco, Wash,, the Watts area of Los
Angeles, and the Delta area of Mississippi.
Congress appropriated the first money last
month under the program approved last year.
Johnson again yesterday urged the Senate to
approve appropriations to carry the program
forward in the fiscal year beginning July 1.
In response to questions, the President Irn-
dicated that be hopes for a compromise to
win Senate passage of the controversial open
housing provision of the pending civil rights
bill.
"We do have difficulties," the President re-
marked. "We are trying to resolve them
and get a bill that can be approved by a
majority of the Congress . . . We are hope-
ful we will get a good civil rights bill as near
our recommendations as possible. We don't
always get all we ask for." 7
(From the Washington Star, June 19, 10661
CIA CHIEF HELMS IS FIRST CAREER MAN To
DIRECT AGENCY
"I know we've been crltized a lot," the new
.director of the Central IntelligenceAgency
said yesterday, "but I don't believe a lot of
It to he at all fair.
"All told, I think we have done a fine job
over the years."
Richard McG. Helms, D. career man with
CIA since its fouudlnp: nearly 20 years ago,
gave this appraisal in a telephone interview,
Colleagues In the normally supersecret
agency were happy to add their words of
praise for the 53-year-old former' newsman
who now heads one of the 'U.,13. government's
biggest and most important organizations.
President .Iohnson anncirmred at a news
conference th:!t retired Adiri, William F. Ra-
born, the I'oi'rrin iaibinlrino developer who
took over is CIA chief following John A.
McCone's dcpa noire n vrar ag;o, has decided
to go back to his California home.
Helms was raised to CIA's No. 2 spot under
Raborn with the. Idea of grooming him for
the top, $35,000-a-year job when the ad-
mir'al departed, Johnson. said.
The G-foot-l-inch, brown-haired and
brown-eyed Ilclr:i.-; Is, in a sense, the first
career intcll; ;once man to be promoted to the
top of the CIA. Iii; most widely known
predecessor, Allen W. Dulles, had long experi-
ence In Intelligence work, but was also a
lawyer before going on the CIA roster in 1951.
BRILLIANT, DEDICATED
Those who know him describe Helms as a
brilliant, dedicated, unbiased person-"the
finest product of the CIA."
He was assistant to Richard Bissell when
Bissell was director of plans and then re-
placed Bissell in 1902, the year of the,Bay of
Pigs, when Bissell resigned.
As assistant and then director for. plans,
Helms supervised the so-called "black opera-
tional' of CIA--the notion braneh of the
agency.
He was considered a protege of Bissell, who
although criticized for aspects of the Bay of
Pigs operation, was recognized as a brilliant
operative himself and is credited for many
successful CIA operations-including the U2
spy plane flights over Russia,
ANONYMOUS ROLE
What role I-iclms played in this and other
operations is not publicly known. Various
books and articles critical -of CIA operations
mention Helms only In passing-as an un-?
blued, capable and efficient operator, -
His anonymity may serve him well in
handling the CIA's current problem with
Congress. The Senate Foreign Relations
Committee has been seeking to have Its mem-
bers named to a Senate subcommiteo that
oversees the agency's operations,
Efforts at a compromise have been unavall-
Ing, and Raborn Friday told Foreign Relations
Committee Chairman J. WILLIAM FULDRIGIIT,
D-Ark., he would refuse to give members of
FULDRmHT's group any information about the
sources of CIA information or the methods'
the agency uses.
Helms, a native of Saint David's, Pa? in
suburban Philadelphia, graduated from Wil-
lia.ms College in 1035 with Phi Beta Kappa
honors and other achievements including his
class presidency and editorship of the college
newspaper.
In 1935-37 he was a United Press corre-
spondent, and from 1037 until 1042 he was
national advertising manager for the Indian-
apolis (Ind.) Times,
His government intelligence work began
after lie joined the U.S. Navy In World War
II. As a lieutenant junior grade, he went
with CIA's wartime predecessor-the Office
of Strategic Services-in August 1043.
After his Navy discharge In 1946 he joined
the War Department's Strategic Services Unit,
From there he went to the Central Intelli-
gence Group, which in 1947 was formed into
the CIA with Helms as ?a deputy director.
During such time as he gets off, Helms likes
to spring about a tennis court, go for walks
and read..
Mr. ALBERT. Mr. Speaker, will the
gentleman yield?
Mr. RIVERS of South Carolina. I am`
delighted to yield to the distinguished
majority leader.
Ml-. ALBERT. Mr, Speaker, I desire
to,associate myself with the remarks of
the gentleman in commending the Presi-
dent of the United States for appointing
this distinguished career public servant
to this most important position.
Mr. RIVERS of South Carolina. I
thank the gentleman, ,
Mr. GERALD R. FORD. Mr. Speaker,
will the gentleman yield?
Mr. RIVERS of South Carolina, I am
glad to yield to the distinguished mi-
nority leader.
Mr. GERALD,-R. FORD, It has been -
my privilege to know Richard Helms for
a number of years. I first became ac-
quainted with him when I was on the
Defense Subcommittee on Appropria-
tions and he was a witness before the
subcommittee. I grew to know him bet-
ter as a member of the Subcommittee on
Appropriations which had a special in-
terest in the Central Intelligence Agency.
Mr, Helms is a career man of the high-
est caliber, a man wlio has, by his ability
and his record, reached the top of this
important vital Agency, of the United
States.
I also commend the President for rec-
olnmending Richard Helms to the im-
portant position of Director of tho Cen-
tral Intelligency Agency. I am sure the
Agency is in good hands under his lead-
ership.
Mr. RIVERS of South Carolina. I
thank the gentleman from Michigan. I
agree with him. This Is one of the finest
appointments the President of the
United States has ever made in the in-
terest of the security of this great Nation.
Mr. HOLIFIELD. Mr. Speaker, will
the, gentleman yield?
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 Page ,4
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appointment of Richard Helms to be Di-
rector of the CIA. I have the utmost
elements of the press, as it has in the
past. This man needs our backing. He
needs the backing of everyone in the Ex-
ecutive Department and he needs the
backing of America, because we must not
eroded and downgraded by people who
have ulterior motives toward our Nation.
JUN 3 0 1966
Approved For Release 2004/12/15 CIA-RDP75-00149R0007000200.18-7