BACKGROUND THROUGH 1952

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00951R000200020005-5
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 2
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: PAPER

Approved For Release 1999/09/--rRQP84-00951 R000200020005-5
i:_ackround Through 1952
irevious Histories
T;ere are two papers basic to an understanding of the early history
f the Office of Collection and Dissemination (OCD). The first,..
A, il W-80-6 ff ,u is Chapter V: Development of a Reference Center,
_art of the ten-chapter 'Urganizational History of Central Intelligence
ij,ency,13 prepared by the Historical Staff, G/DCI, in 1957.
Although Chapter V uses 1950 as the beginning date of the history,
Lout the first third is devoted to the period 1946-1950 and treats the
origin of OCti in detail.'
The second paper is a draft of the story of the development of
OCD, prepared by temporarily attached to the Historical
J
11
taf. Compiled probably early in 1952, the draft carries the follow-
ing endorsement by the Assistant Director, OCD (Andrews): "I think
the content of this draft is probably quite satisfactory for a summary
history."
T A. Basic OCD Functions
BCD had assigned to it in the years 1946-47 three primary functions :
requirements (what was needed by the requester to fulfill his mission);
Approved For Release 1999/09/24: CIA RDP84-00951 R000200020005-5
 Approved For Release 1999/09/24: CIA-RDP84-00951 R000200020005 T,
needs was an evolutionary process. In 1951, for example, a new division,
the Special Register, was established to provide indexing and reference
services for special intelligence materials on a compartmented basis,
but integrated as far as feasible with the standards used in OCD.
FAV 1L, deed. ern. t#?u e.Po~an~ e ~v~. a Q ne e e~ce. co -~ c? LY ~,e.. drts~ en: tech c.~,
AOAA-
The office had moved portions of the OCD operations to the E eti~LL
_iliverside Stadium during 1952, relieving temporarily the crowded
quarters in M Building, but receiving in turn a building in sad condition
as far as health and safety standards were concerned. Yet OCD had
to occupy this patched-up former skating rink for the next nine years,
until the move to the new building in 1961.
During the first five years, 1947-1952, OCD had developed a
unique central intelligence reference service in support of current
operations and was building a storehouse of information to meet the
varied needs of the future. Into this system OCD endeavored to build
the same finding controls for classified documents and information that
a researcher was accustomed to using in unclassified research work. 46
C . 0 C i1 Ong
To carry out its assigned responsibilities in 1953, OCD was
F' v re
organized into seven divisions (See 41). The total number of
9A2 9A2
OCD personnel had been increased from about in 1950 to in
raid-1953.' Annual budget and manpower statistics are listed in
Appendix C.
SECRET
Approved For Release 1999/09/24: CIA-RDP84-00951 R000200020005-5