List of CIA Directors in Order: Permanent, Acting, and Appointment

Twenty-six people have led the Central Intelligence Agency since 1946, and the full list of CIA directors in order spans two eras with different titles. From 1946 to 2004, the job was called Director of Central Intelligence, and the person holding it ran the CIA while also coordinating every other U.S. intelligence agency. The Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 split those duties, creating a separate Director of National Intelligence and narrowing the CIA chief’s role to the agency itself.1U.S. Government Publishing Office. Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 John Ratcliffe, sworn in on January 23, 2025, is the current director.

Directors of Central Intelligence, 1946 to 2004

The National Security Act of 1947 formally created the CIA and placed it under a Director of Central Intelligence appointed by the president and confirmed by the Senate.2Central Intelligence Agency. National Security Act of 1947 The post actually predated the statute: President Truman appointed the first director in January 1946 under an earlier executive directive.

The nineteen people who held the title, in order:

  • Rear Admiral Sidney W. Souers — January 23, 1946 to June 10, 1946
  • Lieutenant General Hoyt S. Vandenberg — June 10, 1946 to May 1, 1947
  • Rear Admiral Roscoe H. Hillenkoetter — May 1, 1947 to October 7, 1950
  • General Walter Bedell Smith — October 7, 1950 to February 9, 1953
  • Allen W. Dulles — February 26, 1953 to November 29, 1961
  • John A. McCone — November 29, 1961 to April 28, 1965
  • Vice Admiral William F. Raborn Jr. — April 28, 1965 to June 30, 1966
  • Richard M. Helms — June 30, 1966 to February 2, 1973
  • James R. Schlesinger — February 2, 1973 to July 2, 1973
  • William E. Colby — September 4, 1973 to January 30, 1976
  • George H.W. Bush — January 30, 1976 to January 20, 1977
  • Admiral Stansfield Turner — March 9, 1977 to January 20, 1981
  • William J. Casey — January 28, 1981 to January 29, 1987
  • William H. Webster — May 26, 1987 to August 31, 1991
  • Robert M. Gates — November 6, 1991 to January 20, 1993
  • R. James Woolsey — February 5, 1993 to January 10, 1995
  • John M. Deutch — May 10, 1995 to December 15, 1996
  • George J. Tenet — July 11, 1997 to July 11, 2004
  • Porter J. Goss — September 24, 2004 to May 26, 2006

The early directors were mostly military officers. Souers and Hillenkoetter came from the Navy, Vandenberg and Smith from the Army, and each brought wartime intelligence experience to a civilian agency still finding its footing. Allen Dulles, the first civilian to hold the job for an extended run, led the agency nearly nine years across the Eisenhower and Kennedy administrations.3Central Intelligence Agency. Directors Portrait Gallery

Richard Helms led through the most turbulent stretch of the Vietnam War. James Schlesinger’s five-month tenure was the shortest of any confirmed director. William Casey, who served through most of the 1980s, became embroiled in the Iran-Contra affair and died in office. George Tenet held the position during the September 11 attacks and the lead-up to the Iraq War, serving longer than any DCI since Dulles.

Porter Goss straddles both eras. He was the last person appointed as Director of Central Intelligence and, when the law changed in 2005, became the first Director of the Central Intelligence Agency without a new appointment.

Directors of the CIA, 2005 to Present

Under the post-2004 structure, the CIA director reports to the Director of National Intelligence and focuses on the agency’s core work: collecting human intelligence, producing analysis, and carrying out covert action as directed by the president.4Central Intelligence Agency. Mission and Vision

The directors who have served under the new title:

  • Porter J. Goss — transitioned to the new title in 2005; served until May 26, 2006
  • General Michael V. Hayden — May 30, 2006 to February 13, 2009
  • Leon E. Panetta — February 13, 2009 to June 30, 2011
  • General David Petraeus — September 6, 2011 to November 9, 2012
  • John Brennan — March 8, 2013 to January 20, 2017
  • Mike Pompeo — January 23, 2017 to April 26, 2018
  • Gina Haspel — May 21, 2018 to January 19, 2021
  • William J. Burns — March 19, 2021 to January 20, 2025
  • John Ratcliffe — January 23, 2025 to present

Gina Haspel was the first woman to serve as CIA director, taking the oath on May 21, 2018, after a career spent almost entirely within the agency’s clandestine service.5Central Intelligence Agency. Gina Haspel Sworn in as First Female CIA Director William Burns broke a different mold as a career diplomat rather than an intelligence officer or military leader. Ratcliffe, the current director, had previously served as Director of National Intelligence during the first Trump administration before moving to lead the CIA.6Central Intelligence Agency. Director of the CIA

Counting both eras together, the CIA’s official tally is 26 directors. Porter Goss counts once despite holding both titles, since he led the same agency continuously.7Central Intelligence Agency. Ask Molly – Counting CIA Directors

Acting Directors Who Filled the Gaps

Presidential transitions, resignations, and slow Senate confirmations all create vacancies at the top of the agency. When that happens, the CIA’s deputy director steps into the role on an acting basis until a permanent successor is confirmed.6Central Intelligence Agency. Director of the CIA

Several deputy directors have carried the job through these gaps. Enno Knoche served in early 1977 during the nearly two-month vacancy between George H.W. Bush’s departure and Stansfield Turner’s confirmation. Richard Kerr stepped in briefly in 1991 between William Webster and Robert Gates. Admiral William Studeman served in the role multiple times during the 1990s. John McLaughlin became acting director in 2004 during the transition between George Tenet and Porter Goss, a period when major intelligence reform legislation was moving through Congress. Michael Morell served as acting director twice, first in 2011 after Leon Panetta left and again from late 2012 to early 2013 following David Petraeus’s resignation, making him the longest-serving acting director in the agency’s history. David Cohen served in early 2021 while William Burns awaited Senate confirmation.

How a CIA Director Is Chosen

Under 50 U.S.C. § 3036, the president nominates the CIA director and the Senate must confirm the choice.8Office of the Law Revision Counsel. 50 USC 3036 – Director of the Central Intelligence Agency The statute gives the director authority over human intelligence collection worldwide, intelligence analysis and dissemination, and any other intelligence functions the president or DNI assigns. Confirmed directors report to the DNI rather than directly to the president, though in practice CIA directors regularly brief the president on intelligence matters.

The original 1947 law explicitly allowed appointment from either “the commissioned officers of the armed services or from among individuals in civilian life.”2Central Intelligence Agency. National Security Act of 1947 When active-duty military officers have been nominated in the modern era, Congress has at times required a statutory waiver to reinforce the principle that the CIA remains a civilian agency. General Michael Hayden faced pointed questions on that point during his 2006 confirmation. Of the nine directors who have served under the post-2004 structure, only two were active-duty military officers at the time of their appointment.