DESMOND FITZGERALD; OFFICIAL WITH CIA, DIES

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP80M01009A000100050027-5
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 1
• Document Creation Date: December 23, 2016
• Document Release Date: October 29, 2013
• Sequence Number: 27
• Publication Date: July 24, 1967
• Content Type: OPEN SOURCE

Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP80M01009A000100050027-5
iS S.." v.-S., ?rr, / ?
THE EVENING STAR
, Washington, D. C.
Monday, July 24, 1967
Desmond FitzGerald;
Official With CIA, Dies
Desmond FitzGerald, deputy
director of operations for the
Central Intelligence Agency,
died of a heart attack yesterday
while en route to the Fauquier
County Hospital, Warrenton. He
was 57.
Mr. FitzGerald collapsed dur-
ing a tennis match at his coun-
try home near The Plains, Va.
His home in Washington was at
1671 34th St. NW.
Most persons outside the
agency had never heard of Mr.
FitzGerald, so little-publicized
were his responsibilities and
power.
Corporate Lawyer
Mr. FitzGerald was a cor-
porate lawyer with the New
York firm of Spence, Hopkins,
Walser, Hotchkiss & Angell, be-
for joining the agency. He was
a graduate of Harvard Univer-
sity and its law school. His prac-
tice in his native New York
prior to World War II was
termed "brilliant" by a long-
time colleague:
"He was the kind of man
who left the practice of law at
age 31 to enlist as a private in
the Army" because .there was
a war on, a friend said. He
was discharged as a major.
His four years in the Army,
mostly in the China-Burma-In-
dia theater, gave him his first
experience in intelligence work.
After attending the Command
and General Staff School, he
worked behind enemy lines of-
ten, and served as a liaison of-
ficer for Chinese troops in the
Burma campaign.
Eventually he became opera-
tions officer for security for the
Chinese Combat Command in
Nanking. When he was dis-
charged he held the rank of
major and a Bronze Star with
Oak Leaf Cluster.
On his return to law practice
in New York, Mr. FitzGerald
"found it dull," a friend said,
in comparison with his Army
years. He became active in the
American Veterans Committee.
After the outbreak of hostili-
ties in Korea, he joined the
CIA. Those years were a time
of expansion for the agency,
DESMOND FITZGERALD
and many of Mr. FitzGerald's
friends also came to Washing-
ton, many to work for CIA.
"Very Committed"
"He was very committed to
the survival of this country in a
difficult world," another friend
commented.
Fifteen years after Mr. Fitz-
Gerald joined CIA, he replaced
Richard Helms as deputy direc-
tor for operations.
When he came to the agency
in 1951, he served as a station
chief in the Philippine Islands
and Japan. Then in 1961, he was
made director of Latin Ameri-
can operations in the shuffling
that followed the CIA's ill-fated
Bay of Pigs operation, an inva-
sion of Castro Cuba by a force of
Cuban exiles.
His quick and incisive mind
was his most exceptional quali-
ty, combined with a courage in
making decisions and an hones-
ty and fair-mindedness in deal-
ing with people, colleagues said.
Vice President - Hubert H.
Humphrey said today:
"He was an unusually bril-
liant and sensitive public ser-
vant whose loss will be deeply'
felt by the U.S. government.
For more than 15 years, the
American people ?have received
dedicated, selfless and highly
professional service from this
patriotic American. . . ."
Deputy Secretary of Defense
Paul Nitze called Mr. Fitz-'
Gerald "hardly replaceable . .
he combined a unique balance
of dash, courage, care and wis-
dom."
MF
Fiti-GRUdIEWSIEFTvireT
'formerly head of the Washington
Hearing and Speech Center; two
daughters, Frances and Joan; a
son, Desmond Jr., and a step-
daughter, Barbara Mary Law-
rence.
Friends may call to 10 p.m.
today and 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
tomorrow at Joseph Gawler's
Sons Funeral Home, Wisconsin
Avenue and Harrison Street
NW.
Services will be at 4 pail. W.-
morrow at the Bethlehemi
Chapel, Washington Cathedral.
Burial will be private.
The family requests that ex-
pressions of sympathy be in the
form of contributions to the
Children's Hearing /and Speech
Center of Washington, .D.C., ;f-
filiated with Children's Hospital
or to St. 3/1^- 's School, South-.
boro, Mass.
Declassified and Approved For Release 2013/10/29: CIA-RDP80M01009A000100050027-5