William Webster was the only man to have led both Washington’s top federal law-enforcement agency and its primary intelligence service
William H. Webster, the only US official to head both the FBI and CIA, died Friday at age 101, his family said.
A former judge, he became FBI Director in 1978 as the agency reeled from corruption and surveillance scandals, serving nearly a decade before leading the CIA from 1987 to 1991 under Presidents Ronald Reagan and George H. W. Bush.
His family described him as a beloved husband, father, grandfather, great-grandfather, and patriot. The FBI called him a “dedicated public servant” who spent over 60 years serving the country and said it would be “forever grateful” for his contributions.
Born on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri, Webster served as a US Navy lieutenant in World War II and the Korean War. He earned a law degree from Washington University in 1949, later working as a federal prosecutor and district judge. His FBI appointment came as the agency reeled from scandals over warrantless surveillance and break-ins. Six weeks into his tenure, a federal grand jury indicted former officials from the bureau for illegal raids targeting associates of far-left fugitives.
Webster said after accepting the post that CIA and FBI directors should be ready to resign if asked to do something they know is wrong.
At the CIA, Webster steered the agency through the fallout of the Iran-Contra affair, a scandal in which senior US officials secretly sold arms to Iran, then under an arms embargo, and diverted the proceeds to Nicaraguan rebels despite a congressional ban. He retired in 1991 but remained active in public service, advising on homeland security and receiving the Presidential Medal of Freedom.
Despite his high reputation, Webster faced criticism. At the CIA, he was faulted for not detecting Soviet mole Aldrich Ames sooner, and some questioned his lack of foreign policy experience. Others questioned his intelligence assessments during the Gulf War and the USSR’s collapse.
In 2002, he briefly chaired a board overseeing accounting practices but resigned before its first meeting amid controversy over ties to a company accused of fraud. Some also criticized his cautious approach to domestic surveillance during his tenure at the FBI.
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