CHRONOLOGY OF THE 40 COMMITTEE

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: Library of Congress
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
• Release Decision: RIFLIM
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: January 11, 2017
• Document Release Date: October 4, 2010
• Sequence Number: 9
• Content Type: MISC

No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6 ~1~trAr+d ~
?c./sri'kat ~~, f .lq~3
CHlt.t'~htQLUGY OF THE 40 GOMIVIITTEE
September 1947 National. Securi.ty~ Act' of 1947 created CLA and NSC.
Decembex .1:947 NSC 4A directed the Director of Central Intelligence.
(D CT) to initiate and. conduct covert operations,
June 1948 NSC` 10/2 directed the. DCT to work through the .
' Desi Hated Representatives of the Secretaries of
State and. Defense (the Under Secretary of State and
Deputy Secretary of Defense) to ensure covert opera-
tionsi are consistent with U. S. foreign policy.
October 1951 NSC 10/5 called for expansion anal intensification
of covert operations; Psychological Strategy Soard
(PSB)r chaired by Under Secretary of State, a-stab-
lisped as approval mechanism..
September 1953 Cpperations. Coordinating Board (UCB) replaced PSB.
March 1954 NSC 5412 superseded NSC 10/2 aand 10/5; coordination
of covert operations xeverted to the Designated
Representatives of State and Defense.
March 1955 NSC 5412/1 directed the DCI to consult the' Planning,
Coordination Group of the' UCB (chaired by Nelson
Rockefeller) in advance an covert operations.
December 1955 NSC 541.2/2 reverted to the Designated Representatives
of State and Defense, and of the President, far
cooxdination of covert operations. (Under Secretary
of State, chairman, Deputy Secretary of Defense,
Assistant to the President for National Security
::.Affairs. )
..March 9 "Special Group".'adapted as name of the NSC 5412/2
Apr'
Designated Representatives.
General MaxvFrell D. Taylor appointed Military Repre-
sentative to President Kennedy; assuxned chairman-
ship. of the .Special Group.
McGeorge Bundy, President Kennedy's Assistant. for.
National Security Affairs, assumed chairmanship
of the Special Group.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
~1'ovexnber 1962 Bundy resumed chairmanship of Special Group.
June 1964 Special Group name changed to "303 Comrni.ttee.
February 1970 303 Committee name changed to "40 Committee" a.nd
NSDM 40 replaced NSC 54.12!2.
See TAB A for Details.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
EV+DLUTION OF THE 40 COMMITTEE
CIA wag created by the National Security Act of 1947--the sarx~e act:
.which created the National Security Council.
Three months later on 17 December 1947, NSC directive 4A told the
Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) to .initiate and conduct. covert
psychological operations. The IJirectar was to a.nform other affected
Government officials of these operations.
Six months `later,' an 18 June. 1948, NSG 10/2 ordered the DCI to ensure,
through "designated. representatives" of the Secretaries of State and
Defense that the CIA's covert operations were cangistent with U'. S.
foreign and. rx~ilitary policies and with avert activities. Th~:se repre-
sentatives became known as the NSC 10/2 Representatives ar Designated
Representatives or Senior Consultants. .They rnet weekly with the
Assistant Iirector of .CIA to review proposals far covert operations.,
The Joint Chiefs of Staff (JCS) also designated a representative to attend
these xzxeetings. CIA opexatian.s took glace under the aver-all policy
direction of .the NSC.
Developments in Korea in 1950 e~tpanded the operational activity of the
CIA and proxnpted General Walter $edeTl Sma.th, then Director of
Central Intelligence,...to seek additional guidance from .the NSC which took
the form:of "Scope and Pace" or'~vtagnitude" papers.
On 23 October 191 NSC 10/5' approved expansion of the, Agency's covert
operations and designated the Psychological Strategy Board '(PSB) to
oversee them. PSB members were the Under Secretary of State, the
Deputy Secretary of Defense and-the I)CI (with a JCS representative as
principal military advisor).
In February 195x> the PSB created a special panel--the 10/5 Panel--ta
oversee CIA's covert operations. It was composed of the designated
representatives of the Secretaries of State and Defense, a representative
of the JCS, a representative of the CIA and two representatives of the PSB,
one of whom vvas chairman. The. 10/5 Panel was to review GIA's covert
programs axid if ungble to reach agxeexnent, refer the dispute to the PSB;:
if they agreed, each representative had to obtain the concurrence of his
principal. In addition, the Under Secretary of State. and the l7epuxY
Secretary. of Defense had to certify approval of the. proposal fraxn the. stand.-
.. point of national policy.
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
On 2$ November .1952, the l0/5 Fa-nel became the "Review Staff" with
err~phasis upon telling. CIA what to do but less on how to do it.
General Eisenhower became President; on 20 3anuary 1.953 and a Comxrxittee
on International Inforrxxation Activities which he established recamxnended
creation of an Operations. Coordinating Board within the NSC to replace
the PSB. This was done by Executive Order on, 2 September 1953. The
OCB, .chaired by the Under Secretary of State, and including a repre-
sentative of the President, was to take policy from, the N$C and advise
the agencies cancerxxed as to their detailed responsibilities fox implementing
that., policy. The 4CS created Soard .Assistants who .carried out much of
the work of the OCS for their principals. Most of the NSC Ifl/2 and 10/5
assignments were given to the GCB.
NSC '5412' of 15 Maxch 1954 provided that the DCI would. continue to be
xesponsib2e for ensuring, througka. the designated representatives of the
Secretaries of State and Defense, that covert operations were consistent
.with U. S? foreign and. military policies 'and' overt activities, and consulting
with the OCS and ath~rs, as appropriate.
A year later, on 1z Maxch 1455, NSC 5422/1 designated the Planning
Caardination Group (PGG) headed by Nelson Rockefeller, as part of the
UCS and the mechanism to be consulted by the DCI as the source of
.advice on cavern operations.
In, December' 2955 President Eisenhawe r approved Mr. Rockefeller's
xecoxxzxnendatioxis to abolish PCG and adopted his more. positive recommen-
dations in issuing NSC 5412/2 on 28 December I955 which made the.
designated representatives of the Secretaries of State and Defense, and
of the President, the normal channel for policy approval of CIA's covert
oper~tians. They became known as the'NSC 5412/2 Designated Represen-.
tative s
Alan W. Du11e,s, then DCI, usu.a2ly arranged for meetings of the Special
Group 54I2--.often before or after the QCB Wednesday luncheons, usually
in the office of the Secretary of State's designated representative. The
name Special Group was formally adopted 4 March 19.59. Meetings were
held an a more. regular basis at the request of Gordon Gray, the
President's designated representative, in the office of State's represen-
tative. .Meetings continued at`State when the new designated representatives.
took their, seats as ~a result of the inauguration of President Kennedy.
The OCB was abolished by President Kennedy a:s "an instrument that
does not match the style of operation and coordination of the current
$drr~inistration," in the words of President Kennedy's Special Assistant
for National Security Affairs, Mr. McGeoxge Bundy. The Bay of Pigs
resulted in Mr. Sandy's exercising more attention and control, over the
~~~~'~T
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
 No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6
R~
~~ ~,~.
Special Group--its meeting site was shifted to the White House and he,
as host, assumed the chairmanship and established new operating
procedures x~quiring mare advance notice of proposals, arritten presen-
tations, and more formal consideration at meetings.
In July 1961 General Maxwell Taylor wa:~ named Military Representative
of the President' snd became the President's designated representative
on the Special Group. He named hirriself chairman and appointed a
Special Group assistant. When he left the post, the chairmanship reverted
to the President's Special Assistant for National Security Affairs,
In .January 19bZ a Special Group, Counterixxsurgency (GT) was created
which also became i~.terested in C7A covert operations from tinne-to-time,
but was .additional to the Special Cxr~p~up.5412, It was also chaired by
General Taylor.
In June 1964 the narrae of the Special Group ~41Z, ~xrhi.ch was about to enter
the public domain via a, soon-to-be published book, vrras changed to the
303 Committee (being created by NS:AM'3d3),
Qn 1? February 197a the name was changed to the 40 Committee as NSDM
40 replaced 541Z/2 under which the committee had been operating for 14
years,
~~~.~r
No Objection to Declassification in Full 2013/03/19 : LOC-HAK-301-1-9-6