CHAPTER II. BACKGROUND THROUGH 1952

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00951R000200020006-4
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: November 11, 2016
• Document Release Date: December 9, 1998
• Sequence Number: 6
• Content Type: REPORT

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Draft # 3 C~
Chapter U. Background T6repr 1152.
1. Previous Histories
There are two papers basic to an understanding of the early
history of the Office of Collection and Dissemination (OCD 06. ftet--i5, uw
The first is Chapter V: Development of a
Reference Center, part of the ten chapter "Organizational History of Central
Intelligence Agency, 1950-1953," prepared by the Historical Staff, 0/DCI, in
pt 5,t ~
1957. Although Chapter V indicates 1950 as the beginning date of the history,
about the first third is devoted to the period 1946-1950 and treats the origin
The second paper is a draft of the story of the development of
2
OCD, cJ- ected by , temporarily attached to the Historical Staff.
Compiled probably early in 1952, the draft carries the following endoresement
by the Assistant Director, OCO (Andrews): "I think the content of this draft
is probably quite satisfactory for a summary history."
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2. OCD Functions
A
,,1946-47 three primary functions:
0GD had assigned to it in
requirements (what was needed by the requester to fulfill his mission);
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collection (coordinatcd,,,field collection); and dissemination (distribution of
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e intelligence documents r-il to the requester, based on hiss requirements).
Pulling together the extant material which it =t had the authority to do
virtue of the National Security Act of 1947 hwf . s OCO had to work out
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proe` .-l AAA- dG4Ilet.t 6h id
t ways to g the material .W, process, store and retrieve it in an
&Vl -,,t t /.y'
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The planners and organizers of OCO recognized that a central
reference organization was required which would encompass at least the following
services:
a,) through established channels, getting the intelligence
documents to a cemtral point so that immediate dissemination based on requirements
could take place;
b) indexing the documents in a manner providing multiple-choice
retrievability;
c) storing the documents in an organized fashion, providing for
weeding out superseded items,
d) ensuring proper security for handling material with all
degrees of security classification,
e) establishing means for procuring items needed beyond the
broad requirement categories;
f) putting into the system certain unique collections inherited
from other agencies, such as photographs, biographic and industrial intelligence;
and
g) organizing a small but highly selective and current library
of open literature.
The core of OCDA facilities was the Intellofax System, which
provided the requester with a bibliography of intelligence documents pertinent
to his problem and arranged in any one-.of several ways. The bibliography was
prepared by IBM and other machines which produced a facsimile of the catalog
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information prepared on each document indexed. ..a 1 November 1949, the AD/CD
issued a report which described how OCO had established the Intellofax System
3 /s S i~ 4!
and why. In this report axe the following significant wares.," It is quite possible
that the central reference system being built by CIA will ultimately prove the
mosA im oVe~ r Cen r~.l..i nta6la~ ~
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The groundwork for the role of OCD as a central reference service
had been carefully planned and action taken within budget and manpower limitations.
Forging this service and making it responsive to current needs was an evolutionary
process. In 1951, for example, a new division, the Special Register, was established
to provide indexing and reference services of special intelligence materials on a
compartmented basis, but integrated as far as feasible with the standards used in
OCD.9
The Office had moved portions of the OCD operations to the
44 uit
Riverside Stadium during 1952, relieving temporarily the crowded quarters, ut
receiving in turn a building in sad condition as far as health and safety standards
4
were concerned. Yet OCO had to occupy this patched-up former skating rink for the
next nine years, until the move to the new building in 1961.
The fist five years ~m~` tiP ~~~^^a--;~rlb-et#
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.
To carry out its assigned responsibilities in 1953, OCD was
organized into seven divisions (See Chart #1). The total number of OCD personnel
9A2 9A2 6
had been increased from about in 1950 to by mid-1953. Annual budget and
manpower statistics are listed in Appendix C.
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