BIOGRAPHICAL DATA FOR DR. SHERMAN KENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP91-00587R000100670007-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 8
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 23, 2011
• Sequence Number: 7
• Publication Date: March 12, 1986
• Content Type: MEMO

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MEMORANDUM FOR:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
Executive Assistant, DDA
J. Kenneth McDonald
Chief, DCI History Staff
Biographical data for Dr. Sherman Kent
I'll attach a brief biographical sketch of Dr. Sherman Kent, based
principally on his entries in Who's Who in America 1968-1969 and in our
own 1971 publication Key Personnel Named in Agency Regulatory Issuances,
23 January 1946 - 1 July 1970. I'll also attach xerox copies of both
entries.
1-0 PA
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DCI History Staff
12 March.1986
Sherman Kent was born on 1 December 1903 in Chicago, Illinois, the son
of William and Elizabeth Thacher Kent. Having prepared at the Friends School,
Washington, D.C. and Thacher School, Ojai, California, he took his bachelor's
degree from Yale University in 1926 and a Ph.D. in History, also from Yale,
in 1933. In 1934 he married Elizabeth Gregory.
Dr. Kent served from instructor to professor of history at Yale from 1928
to 1954, taking leave during World War II and after to serve with the Office
1941-1945
of Strategic Services, the Department of State, and CIA. In OSS/he was Chief
of the African Section and then Chief of the Europe-Africa Division. In
1946 he was Acting Director of the Office of Research and Intelligence in the
Department of State, and an original member of the civilian staff of the new
National War College.
Dr. Kent, who in 1950 was appointed one of the eight original members of
the Board of National Estimates at CIA, succeeded William Langer as the Board's
Chairman in 1952. He was also Assistant Director, Office of National Estimates,
DDI, from 1952 to 1965, and was re-titled Director of National Estimates when
the Board and Office of National Estimates were transferred from the DDI to
the DCI Area in 1966.
Dr. Kent received the National Civil Service League Award in 1961, and
the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Service in 1967. From
1946 to 1952 he was a member of the Board of Editors of The Journal of Modern
History, and in 1956 he founded the Agency's classified journal, Studies in
-Intelligence. His books included a widely used guide, Writing History (1941),
and the groundbreaking Strategic Intelligence for American World Policy, which
he published in 1948 after his wartime service.
For almost a decade after his retirement on 1 January 1968 Dr. Kent was
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a consultant to CIA's History Staff, where he wrote several significant
studies of the Agency's estimative role.
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NOTE FOR: Acting Director of Central Intelligence
Deputy Director for Intelligence
Director, Public Affairs Office
Deputy Director, Office of Current Production
and Analytic Support
SUBJECT: Death of Sherman Kent--Update as of 1700 hours,
13 March 1986
1. I called Tobey Kent, Sherman Kent's son, to express condolences and to
be advised of the date and time of his father's memorial service once the
family had decided on the arrangements. He said that a very small private
family only gathering (approximately 15 people) was going to get together at
7:00 PM Friday, 14 March. He said the only non-family member was former DCI
Richard Helms, who had been close to his father to the end. He said that it
was becoming more likely that a larger memorial service would not be held;
however, the family has not made a final decision. Tobey Kent has my
telephone number and has agreed to let me know if they decide to hold the
memorial service. also is keeping in touch with the family and
promised to let me know if a memorial service is scheduled.
2. The Employee Bulletin describing Sherman Kent's career is at the
printers and should be distributed Friday morning, 14 March.
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