CIA USED INFORMANT AT W&M

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP90-00806R000201180079-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: September 9, 2010
• Sequence Number: 79
• Publication Date: April 22, 1980
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000201180079-3
R IC 1 OND TIMES-DISPATCH
22 APRIL 1980
CIA Used
Informant.
ByWilford Kale
Tnu 3-DV4patt Otat8 Staff
WILLIAMSBURG- -'The
Central Intelligence. Agency
conducted a- covert
informa tion-gatharing,ir opera-
tion on the Coilegt-ot;William.
_and Mary. campus in,~, '.he-. late
1960s and early 1970s, according
to CIA documents obtained by
the Flat Hat, the-eollege'sstu-'-
dent newspaper:
In its current edition, an arti
cle by Jennifer McBride; a,:,
junior from Rocky Mount and
the Flat Hat assistant news
editor,-related the information
obtained ? from CIA tiles and
reaction to. the documents on'
campus.
The files, sought by the paper
for the last two years under the
Freedom of Information Act,
showed that an unidentified in-
formant on campus regularly
-Cathy Pherson, an employee
in. the CIA's public relations of-
fice in Washington, was quoted
by the student paper, explaining
that more specifically Project
Resistance was aimed at
"predicting violence or harass-
ment that might *affect agency
recruiters on campus."
Project Resistance apparent-
ly was developed after the 1968
bombing of theCIA'srecruiUng
office at the University of
Michigan
Ms. Pherson told the Flat Hat
the that the CIA acted under
pressure from the White House
and "it we're guilty of anything.
it's of following orders." ---
J. Wilfred Lambert, retired
William and Mary official who
was vice president for student
affairs during the 1969-71 ac-
tivist period on campus, said he
did not know there was a CIA
presence at William and Mary.
He told the Flat Hat that if he
had known of a CIA.informant
operating on campus, he would
simply have told the CIA, "We
are not aware of a need for your
_
services'.
The student paper said that
substantial portions of the file
reportea to the l,IA on campus that was eventually obtained
"dissident" activities andother were blacked out by the CIA,
d
were
incidents that he believe
radical threats at William and
Mary. . . . ,
Similar Operations
There were a number of
similar CIA operations at other
colleges and universities in the
United States, but William and
Mary may have been. chosen
because of its proximity to
Camp Peary, a few miles out-
sideWilliamsburg.TheClAstill '
conducts its major training at
the base.
which claimed exemptions that
permit. withholding. informa-
tion related tonational security
and the protection of CIA sour-
The informant conclude
report by predicting, the Flat
Hat said, that "the College of
William and Mary will undergo
severe ferment and disorder in
the coming year regardless of
the national scene because the
radical elements control most
student functions." The Student
Government Association and
the Flat Hat were cited by the
advised him [Jones) that 'the
spooks were after him,"' the
student paper said.
Dr. Jones and others con-
tacted about the CIA file said
they-.believed that an in-
telligence agency wa s spying on
campus at the time, although
most believed it was the FBI or
Army intelligence
.
informant as major culprits. The CIA was not considered
Nancy Terrill, president of becauseitwasoperating,byits
the student body in 1969-70 and charter, in foreign countries,
contacted by the paper about cne professor said. There also
the CIA file, said "the lack of 'was no knowledge on campus of
surprise [at the revelation) CIA activities at Camp Peary.
doesn't lessen the anger." She .The information contained
currently is staff attorney for in the file indicates that the CIA
the Georgia Legal Services
informant was a person closely
Program in Macon, Ga._ connected with the college ad-
The Rev.. Winifred Legerton, ministration," the Flat Hat
student body president in 1970-- story said. "Specifically, acopy
71, was also told of the file and of aMay1970letterthatSA[Stu-
said she objected to the CIA's dent Association] President
portrayal of student protests as Legerton wrote to Lambert ap-
part of a cohesive force. Ms. peared with the CIA
Legerton, an ordained minister documents."
.who is an educational manage- Lambert "strongly denied"
meet consultant in Chariot ! to the Flat Hat that he had pass-
tesville, said she saw them ; ed the letter to the CIA. Carson
when they happened as "in- I H. Barnes, then William and
dividual actions in different Mary dean of students, also
groupings." denied involvement or contact
Dr. David Jones, proles; or of with the CIA.
philosophy, told the Flat Hat he The unidentified CIA source
probably was one of the CIA's. told the Flat Hat, regarding one
"weirdo professors" in the file. document outlining a student
Dr. Jones added that the men- protest, that "a reasonable in-
tion of "severe ferment" in the fer=ncecould be drawn that t`te
ces and methods. analysis indicated the "infor-
Part of the CIA data included i mant was trying to justify his
an assessment. of William and I salary" rather than be ac-
Mary and noted that the radical
population of the school, in 1970
curate. The typical William and
Mary protest at the time was
low-key and respectful, in keep-
fewer than 200 students out of a I ing with the conservative
student. body of 3,8W. Also in- 1 background of the students, the
cluded was, information paper said.
regarding the student action .'Dr:-Jones added that student
There was no mention in the--) movement, the dissidents'
documentsof anyother Virginia. organization and the notation of
college or university being-in- active support from three, or
volved in similar operations. It four "weirdo professors..'-'.
was learned last year, however;-
that.. the: CIA. helped finance
"mind control"experiments at',
the. University of Richmond- in
the 1960s and 1970s.~ :'":
A CIA employee who asked to
remain anonymous told the Flat
Hat that the CIA's activities at'
William and Mary were part of
Project Resistance, and a com-
panion., program. Merrimac,
which were nationwide efforts `i
"to monitor extremist activity.,
against the agency." ' _~, '.
The source said at the?time.'
the CIA feared that "someone
was trying to`overthrow the..,
government"and that dissidedt,',
student. groups might be sup-
. The data from the informant
in--April 1970 also. ,outlined
noteworthy radical activity on
campus, including several
fires,"almost daily" fire and
bomb threats telephoned to the _
campus. switchboard, verbal
threats of use of bombings and.
Molotov cocktails received by
the college. president, student
pickets and,two. student sit-ins.
activism at William and Mary
was directed more at loosening
women's curfews and dress
codes than at protesting the
`Vietnam War.
A member of the American
Civil Liberties Union, Dr. Jones
told the Flat Hat that he
suspected"then that his
telephone-was-tapped and that
his mail was being,opened. `.
? informant w>s a de :n or assis-
tant dean at the co:iege."
.ported by c Sanitized Copy Approved for Release 2010/09/09: CIA-RDP90-00806R000201180079-3