COORDINATION OF THE FEDERAL BIOGRAPHIC PROGRAM

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80R01731R003400050027-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: C
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 7, 2012
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: November 30, 1950
• Content Type: MEMO

Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/07: CIA-RDP80R01731 R003400050027-5
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Office Memorandum . UNITED STATES GOVERNMENT
TO Chief, COAPS
1Vta : Ap IC'D
FROM Chief, BR/OCD
SUBJECT: Coordination of the Federal Biographic Program
DATE: 30 November 1950 25X1
1. Three. alternative methods to overcome present biographic inadequacies
are:
b. Centralize only records relating, to specified categories
of biographics.
c. Establish and maintain a central index to basic records
held elsewhere.
2. Alternative "c" is least practical for:
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a. It is ewe to keep such an index current.
b. An index does not contain sufficient information for posi-
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c. As a location finder it would become unwieldy because of
the large number of duplicate references.
d. It represents increased space and personnel requirements
without demonstrable benefit, and conversely if these requirements
are absorbed internally, a decrease in substantive production.
3. Alternative "a" is the only truly satisfactory solution because
centralization of biographic files would:
a. Obviate the duplication of extensive basic records (as
distinct from researcher's desk files).
b. Constitute in itself an uncomplicated central index.
c. Enable all categories of biographic information to be
controlled centrally.
d. Speed up general biographic services
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/07: CIA-RDP80R01731 R003400050027-5
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Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/07: CIA-RDP80R01731 R003400050027-5
e. Serve as a central record which may be most economically
bulwarked in the compilation of published works.through both overt
and covert research.
f. Ensure that the principal biographic files in the Government
are periodically microfilmed for storage as a duplicate repository
to be used in case of emergency.
4. Alternate nbn is basically a compromise plan which may be carried out
in several ways, the two extremes being: (1) departmental sorting of documents
containing specified types of biographic data requiring manipulation by cate-
gory, the distribution of these documents (appropriately identified as to
category to be classified) to the central registry, extraction of the informa-
tion at the central registry accompanied by its adaptation for machine selection;
(2) attachment to CIA biographic staff of a nucleus of departmental biographic
specialists who would exercise control over the selection of types of informa-
tion specified by the parent departments, but comforming to the processing
procedures of BR.
Variations to these two themes may be worked. The principal advantages
of the compromise plan are-
a. Departments assigned primary responsibility for military,
political, etc., types of biographic data would exercise control
over what went into the basic files.
b. The Departments would direct collection efforts to close
existing gaps in biographic coverage in areas for which they have
priority needs.
c. The information would be uniformly processed, uniformly
cataloguetl for manual and machine manipulation of categories, etc.,
and uniformly stored.
(/OHN M. HUTZE
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r- E ' TIAL 25X1
Declassified in Part - Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2012/08/07: CIA-RDP80R01731 R003400050027-5