HISTORICAL RESEARCH APPLICATIONS

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84B00890R000700030017-2
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 19, 2016
• Document Release Date: November 17, 2006
• Sequence Number: 17
• Publication Date: December 4, 1979
• Content Type: MFR

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ME RANDOM FOR THE RECORD
SUBJECT: Historical Research Applications
1. The first application ?uch rec d by the Agency under
E.O. 11652 was from a former OSS officer who STAT
headed an OSS mission in Hanoi during World War II. He also served,
following his retirement from the Army, for 12 years with the Office
of Emergency Preparedness. He was encouraged by Senator Fulbright,
in connection with hearings on the on war in Southeast
Asia, to write about his experiences. I Isubmitted an
inventory of documents which he had turne over o the Army at the
time of his separation from the service, most of which he had
originated or which had been addressed to him during his tour in
Hanoi. Once he arrived at the Agency for his research (the Office of
Public Affairs provided the work space and took care of escort duty),
however, he kept asking for additional documents. He did not take
notes and submit them for security review but, instead, submitted a STAT
list of some 370 OSS documents for declassification. Most of these
were subsequent'- ed to him. Later on, we learned from NARS
personnel tha decided to enlarge the scope of his book.
He has never submitted a manuscript for review, so presumably nothing
has been published. One thing that we learned from our experience
with Mr. Patti was that the "care and feeding" of researchers is a
burden on our resources.
2. Marshall L. Miller, who at the time was an Associate Deputy
Attorney General, requested access to classified OSS and CIA records
filed among the State Department records at the Diplomatic Branch at
NABS. He planned to write a two-volume work on U.S. relations with
Bulgaria during World War II. Approval was granted, subject to the
usual conditions. As far as we know, however, he never exercised his
right. We received no notes from NABS for security review and he never
submitted a manuscript. It is known that Miller returned to private
law practive shortly after his application was approved, and this may
have affected his plans.
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3. Howard C. Berkowitz, a computer programmer at the Department
of Labor, was commissioned by the Ripon Society of the Republican Party
to do.a study of information control and leaks within the Federal
Government. His request for access to classified CIA information
was denied. One reason for the disapproval was his connection to a
major political party, but the principal reason was our belief that
his information needs could be substantially met on an unclassified
basis. He subsequently came to the Headquarters Building for briefings/
interviews.
4. David C. Walsh, an undergraduate student at Montgomery College,
requested access to classified OSS records in connection with his re-
search into special ordnance and similar equipment developed for or
by the OSS. Shortly after receiving this request, the Agency's
regulations concerning the criteria for considering historical research
applications were amended, with the approval of the Information Review
Committee, to take into account academic qualifications and evidence
of prior scholarly research. The request was denied on that basis.
S. Ray S. Cline, former DDI and former head of State/INR, sub-
mitted a request for historical researcher access directly to the
DCI. The DCI sent the request to the Chief of the Historical Staff,
Walt Elder. Mr. Elder was aware that Agency regulations and practices
called for other officials to handle these matters, but, although he
asked us to draft the correspondence, Mr. Elder felt obligated to
sign the letters. Applications were approved for both Mr. Cline and
his research assistant. There was a problem finding work space and
someone who would accept responsibility for badging and escort duty.
When then DDI, learned of Mr. Cline's approval for STAT
historical research, he insisted that the work space could not be in
Headquarters Building. We never received any notes to review and
assumed, therefore, that Mr. Cline had not availed himself of his
research privileges. However, we later heard that the research
assistant had in fact been given access to classified material in
one of the Rosslyn offices. We do not know who, if anyone, reviewed
her notes. The whole matter was handled outside established channels.
6. Vance Tiede, a graduate student at Georgetown University, was
turned down on his request for access to classified OSS records concerning
reported German-Soviet peace feelers, primarily on the basis that he lacked
the requisite academic credentials. Mr. Tiede was very persistent, however,
and persuaded several persons to submit letters on his behalf (including
a letter from Ray Cline). In the end, Mr. Tiede went along with having
his informational needs satisfied through an FOIA request.
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 7. Klemens von Klemperer, a professor at Smith College who was
writing a book on the diplomacy of the German opposition during World
War II, next submitted an application for historical researcher status.
The DDO agreed to providing work space and escort duty. Indeed, the
DDO drew up plans for a special office in its archives area to
accommodate Professor von Klemperer and other historical researchers
and went so far as to submit+rork requisition. The Office of Security
tha 7roject, however. The Security officials we talked to STAT
among others) were unaware of the earlier approvals. Their
Position was that they would not permit a non-Agency employee to do
research on CIA premises unless he had been cleared for Top Secret--and,
because of other priorities, Security would not undertake a full field
investigation just to clear a historical researcher. Mr. Blake, then
DDA, backed up the Office of Security's stand, but asked us to try
to accommodate Professor von Klemperer's informational needs by waiving
fees for an FOIA request. (We did this for the initital request. When
Professor von Klemperer submitted additional requests, however, we
started charging fees. We are still working on one of his requests.)
8. Vice President Nelson Rockefeller wrote to the DCI on
20 September 1976 on behalf of one of his speechwriters, Joseph Persico,
asking that Mr. Persico be provided access to classified OSS records.
(Mr. Persico had previously filed one or more FOIA requests with the
agency, but he wanted to expedite his research rather than await the
results of the FOIA processing.) The request was denied by Director
George Bush in a letter dated 8 October 1976. In his letter, Mr. Bush
pointed out the difficulties in accommodating historical researchers
and the fact that several previous requests of this nature had been
denied.
9. The position that the Office of Security had taken in the
von Kiemperer case (i.e.3, that a Top Secret clearance would be re-
quired) made it apparent that security approval would be given only to
those applicants who could be cleared without a full field investigation--
in other words, CIA annuitants or persons who had worked in other in-
telligence agencies. It occurred to us that the Agency could be opening
itself up to charges of partiality and an "old boy" mentality if such
persons were to be granted research privileges while "outsiders" were
turned down. With that in mind, we denied the applications of approx-
imately six former CIA employees. As I recall, we advised them that we
could not locate the materials without undue effort, and that we did not
have appropriate facilities (work space, etc.).
10. So far this year (1979), we have denied requests from two
students who wanted permission to view CIA records contained in
Department of the Army files. The requesters were Robert C. Morris, Jr.,
of VMI, and Timothy J. Lonperis of Duke University. In each instance,
we recommended that they submit FOIA or mandatory review requests instead.
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11. In January 1979, we received a still unanswered request from
the former U.S. Ambassador to Panama, William J. Jorden, for historical
researcher access to classified CIA records held by the Lyndon B. Johnson
Library, where Ambassador Jorden is a Scholar-in-Residence. He submitted
similar req ral other agencies. A meeting was held on the
matter with (OGC), the Office of Security's Records ManagemiitT
Officer, Jack ei er (to whom the letter had been addressed). The
Office of Security spokesman stated that OS would no longer insist upon'TAT
a full field investigation, and that this would thus not be an obstacle
to clearing historical researchers. He noted that the application forms
did not c n the Privacy Act and indicated that he would revise
them. for his part, said that he wanted to revise the STAT
security agreement so that it would be more in the form of a contract
in case we ever went to court. ly received a new version
of the security agreement from I never did get revised STAY
application forms from Security, however, despite having inquired about
the matter two or three times. To avoid further delay, I drafted a
letter to Mr. Jorden, inco oratin the Privacy Act statement, and was
about to have it typed when briefed me on a meeting of STAT
the Interagency Information Security Committee. Mr. Jorden's request
had come up for discussion at this meeting and several agencies, notably
the Department of State, opposed granting it. The Department of State
has consistently-refused to provide researchers with access to classified
materials. They did it once, and it resulted in criticism from other
historians. (I can provide more details to anyone who is interested.)
I I recommended, therefore, that I hold up on the letter unti TAT
o get policy guidance. She went on to her new assignment
in the Comptroller's office before doing so, and Mr. Jorden's letter STAY
remains unanswered.
the DDO Information Review Officer, is aware of it and i AT
unsympathetic. In fact, he thinks that the letter itself contains STAT
lassifi d information. The letter that I have drafted to be sent to
is designed to let him know that his request may very well be sTAT
deni and to encourage him to submit an POIA request instead. He is
not an established scholar (to my knowledge); there would be a problem
with providing working space and escort service; and, above all, to
approve his application after disapproving so many other requests wouldSTAT
smack of favoritism.
12. The latest r rmer Agency employee
was addressed td who forwarded it to
13. Policy guidance is sorely needed. If we are not going to
approve any of these applications, we should amend our regulations
to make that clear. If we are going to approve them, we need to set
up facilities to accommodate researchers on a more or less continuous
basis.
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 Approved For Release 2006/11/17: CIA-RDP84B00890R000700030017-2
Approved For Release 2006/11/17: CIA-RDP84B00890R000700030017-2