Allen Dulles

First civilian and longest-serving Director of Central Intelligence (DCI)

Source-basedStable

Lived 1893–1969, aged 76United States

United States PoliticiansLawyer

Fame25.0
Momentum0.0
United States rank#17
Politicians rank#133
Wikipedia28.8K

Wikipedia
44 languages
Cross-language footprint
Rank in United States
#17
Politicians
Era
1893–1969
Aged 76

Summary

Updated 2026-05-29

CIA's longest-serving director during the Cold War, Dulles orchestrated covert ops from the 1953 Iran coup to the Bay of Pigs fiasco. Kennedy forced him out after the Cuba debacle in 1961.

Biography

About

Allen Welsh Dulles was an American lawyer who was the first civilian director of central intelligence (DCI), and its longest serving director. As head of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) during the early Cold War, he oversaw numerous activities, such as the 1953 Iranian coup d'état, the 1954 Guatemalan coup d'état, the Project MKUltra mind control program, and the Bay of Pigs Invasion in 1961. As a result of the failed invasion of Cuba, Dulles was forced to resign by President John F. Kennedy and was replaced with John McCone for the remainder of the Kennedy administration.

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