PRESIDENT LAYS CORNERSTONE AT CIA BUILDING

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP78-04506A000100030040-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: November 17, 2016
• Document Release Date: April 14, 1999
• Sequence Number: 40
• Publication Date: November 3, 1959
• Content Type: NSPR

Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP78-04506A000100030040-0
president lays
Cornerstone at
CIA Building
Says Information .
Is Used to Chart
Policy for Peace
President Eisenhower stressed
that America's foreign intelli-
gence operations "serve the
cause of 'peace" in laying the
cornerstone of the new Central
Intelligence Agency Building at
Langley, Va., today.
Approximately 2,000 persons
attended the outdoor cere-
mony of the $46 million struc-
ture scheduled for completion
in July, 1961.
'The President, asserting that
this Government constantly`
seeks to develop policies to
make peace permanent and
just, said information about
conditions and attitudes pre-
vailing in the world is essential
in policy-making.
It is CIA's task to provide
information of this kind to
help develop policies to preserve
peace, he added.
"Upon the quality of your
work," Mr. Eisenhower told
CIA employes, "depends in large
measure the success of our
effort to further the Nation's
position in the international
scene."
Secret Aspects Stressed
He said that success of CIA
efforts. "cannot be advertised"
I ?'failre cannot be ex-
ned"' ecause of the very
day ~ November 1959
1u aY ~ ~. ,cIA's
repu a an or quality and ex-
eehei4ce under Director Allen
Dulles "is a proud one."
Mr. Eisenhower said it was
a "great privilege" to partici-
pate in laying the cornerstone
for the agency's new national
headquarters.
"On this spot," he added, I
"will rise a beautiful and useful
structure. May it long endure,
to serve the cause of peace."
Introduced by Dulles
Introducing the President,
Mr. Dulles said:
"In this work of intelligence
we must not forget that human
beings are largely the creatures
of their beliefs."
Mr. Dulles said that "In the
field of our relations with our
fellowmen abroad, let us assure
ourselves, through accurate in-
telligence, that our attach-
ments to policies are soundly
based."
The motto to be inscribed on
the face of the building is "Ye
Shall Know the Truth and the
Truth Shall Make You Free,"
Mr. Dulles said.
Among those who partici-'
pated in laying the cornerstone
were Defense Secretary McEl-
roy.and Robert Murphy, retir-
ing Undersecretary of State.
Seven silver-plated trowels were
used to spread mortar before
the large white cornerstone
was lowered on a pulley oper-
ated by a workman.
En route to the ceremony at
CIA, President Eisenhower
stopped at Spout Run to cut a
ribbon opening a new 5-mile
section of ti1~le, George Washing-
tan Mem4rtal Parkway, from
LQrcom lane to Route 123.
The section was opened
shortly after the CIA ceremony.
Although the extension goes!
all the way to the CIA site,
traffic will be shunted off at the
cloverleaf intersection with Vir-
ginia Route 123.
Contracts have already been
let to carry the parkway be-
yond CIA to connect with the
projected Washington circum-
ferential highway at Cabin
John.
The presidential ceremony
took no more than 2 minutes.
Mr. Eisenhower, wearing a
gray felt hat and gray tweed
overcoat, was handed two pairs
of gold-plated scissors bearing
the National Park Service seal
by Rogel Ernst, Assistant Sec-
retary of Interior for Parks.
After clipping the red, white
and blue ribbon in two places,
Mr. Eisenhower was presented
with one of the shears as a
memento of the occasion. The
President also kept a bit of the
lbbQn= as. a trophy.
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Approved For Release 2000/06/30 : CIA-RDP7'3"-04 d6 0O0100030040-0