Few government agencies have the fortune of being located in a rural, woodland setting as CIA is. Sitting on 258 acres across the Potomac River from Washington, DC, CIA Headquarters is a fulfillment of former Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) Allen Dulles’ vision for a campus-like environment. The Original Headquarters Building (OHB), completed in 1961, was carefully designed to fit comfortably into these natural surroundings. Recognizing its appeal, former DCI William Colby would write, “[w]e are fortunate in having a headquarters building and campus which rank among the most attractive and interesting of all federal establishments.” This sentiment was perhaps none better captured than in a series of film photographs by James Q. Reber, a leader in the early days of the American reconnaissance program who also happened to be an amateur photographer.
Reber, born on July 16, 1911 in Elizabethtown, Pennsylvania, had an interesting and distinguished career spanning 39 years, the last 22 with CIA. He earned a PhD in international relations at the University of Chicago in 1939. He then worked as a teacher for several years before beginning his government career in 1943 with the Department of State. In 1950 he joined CIA where he headed the Office of Intelligence Coordination, part of the newly created Directorate of Intelligence.
James Q. Reber
Around the same time, with the start of the Cold War, the United States was amplifying its efforts to obtain information about the intentions and capabilities of the Soviet Union. The Soviet Bloc was increasingly isolating itself from the rest of the world. Tight security along its borders and across communication lines stifled traditional methods for intelligence gathering. The United States turned to aerial reconnaissance to determine the true scope of the Soviet threat. CIA’s entry into the world of aerial reconnaissance began with the development of the U-2 aircraft in 1954.
From the very beginning of the U-2 program, it was apparent that an office was needed to develop and coordinate collection requirements. Richard Bissell, manager of the U-2 program, established the Ad Hoc Requirements Committee (ARC) to select and prioritize targets for the covert overhead reconnaissance overflights. Reber, who had experience coordinating with other intelligence agencies, was named Chairman of the ARC. This was a major leadership role in the national reconnaissance community.
The photographs from the U-2 overflights proved a valuable source of intelligence. This covert intelligence gathering of the Soviet Union continued until May 1, 1960, when the Soviets shot down a U-2 aircraft and captured its CIA pilot, Francis Gary Powers. The resulting diplomatic tensions caused President Eisenhower to suspend all U-2 flights over the Soviet Union. Within a few months, however, the United States launched its first successful reconnaissance satellite as part of the CORONA program. This flight provided more photographic coverage of the Soviet Union than all previous U-2 missions. The ARC committee was eventually taken over by the United States Intelligence Board and renamed the Committee on Overhead Reconnaissance, where Reber continued as Chairman. The committee’s activities morphed into prioritizing targets for early imaging satellite missions. Over the years, CORONA became the single most important source of intelligence on Soviet strategic forces, including missile launch complexes, ballistic-missile submarine deployment, air bases, and air defenses.
Left: CORONA launch – 26 April 1963. Right: Evolution of CORONA cameras. [Credit: National Reconnaissance Office]
Reber would go on to serve four years as deputy director of National Reconnaissance Office (NRO). Highly respected in the Intelligence Community, he was instrumental in fostering an effective working relationship between CIA and Department of Defense—as it was known then—in the early days of the NRO and the National Reconnaissance Program.
In addition to his work in reconnaissance, Reber was founder and chairman of the CIA Fine Arts Commission. The commission advises and acts for the Director of the CIA on aesthetic matters around CIA Headquarters. It helps implement building and common area enhancements and acquires and displays new artwork and exhibits for CIA.
Reber’s penchant for the arts and photography continued after his retirement in 1972. He went on to publish several collections of his images and maintained an interest in CIA’s fine arts program. In 2004, CIA added an installation of his photographs in the Headquarters Auditorium. A CIA workforce news bulletin accompanying the opening of the exhibit said of James Q. Reber, “he made the CIA a finer place to work.”
SEE MORE OF REBER'S PHOTOGRAPHS:
