THE BIOGRAPHIC REGISTER

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP84-00951R000400010060-3
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: S
• Document Page Count: 13
• Document Creation Date: December 12, 2016
• Document Release Date: February 5, 2001
• Sequence Number: 60
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Reel~ase 2002/06/18: CIA-RDP84-00951 RQP400010060-3
Security Information
THE B I O G R A P H I C R E G I S T E R
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Security Info
T H E B I O G R A P H I C R E G I S T E R
CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY
Office of Collection and Dissemination
E T
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The Biographic Register/CD is an intelligence service unit established
to provide to authorized recipients in the intelligence community biographic
information on all foreign scientific, technical, industrial. and economic
personalities and the organizations with which they are associated.
Biographic information has long been recognized as one of the major in-
gredients in intelligence production. As such, it is an integral part of
the function of each of the basic components which form the framework of the
intelligence c omunity; e.g.. the Division of Biographic Information in the
Department of State for political biographic intelligence; the research and
production branches of the Defense Department, for military biographic Intel-
ligence; the World Trade Intelligence Section of the Department of Commerce,
for commercial biographic intelligence, etc. The fact that the biographic
aspect must be included directly or Indirectly in most assessments of the
capabilities, vulnerabilities. and Intentions of foreign powers is the key
to its importance. While it is easy to appreciate in general the value of
the biographic program, its practical applications are not always so fully
realized. Some of the more outstanding of these are:
a. The identification of persons who are friendly or inimical
to the interests of the United States, leading to the preparation
of "white" or "black" lists to be used as guides in the applica-
tion of economic sanctions, and in the conduct of intelligence op-
erations;
b. Preparation of comprehensive reports and studies on Impor-
tant individuals to be used by researchers in the interpretation
of trends and events. in the prediction of probable courses of
action, and in the conduct of official negotiations;
c. Segregation of persons according to knowledge and capabili-
ties for assessing the scientific and economic potentialities of
countries and areas, as well as the rate of progress and significance
of special efforts; e.g., the development of weapons;
d. Collection of personal data to be used in the various aspects
of psychological warfare.
These uses are not theoretical, as has been proven repeatedly both in
historical and current events. Throughout World War II0 there was a con-
tinuous need for information concerning the location and activities of
German atomic scientists; the whereabouts of important military, political,
and economic figures; the leadership and size of resistance groups; the
identity of friendly persons in hostile areas who could be useful in the
post-war period, etc. Similar needs exist today for information on German
and Soviet scientists, on economic leaders. as well as on key individuals
in Soviet-controlled areas for psychological warfare and other unconventional
purposes.
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f3I 3APHIC REGISft!
Office of Collection and Dissemination
To provide to authorized recipients in the
intelligence community biographic information
on all foreign scientific, technical. Industrial,
and economic personalities and the organizations
with which they are associated.
To facilitate the accomplishment of its mission. the Register
been given certain prerogatives and has been st
ff
d
a
e
with
specialized Personnel and equipment. It has, for instance, authority
to deal directly with biographic offices of the various official
departments and agencies for the exchange of biographic information
and materials. And for the recording. indexing, and filing, of all
types of biographic data, it is supplied with an II i machine unit
and other modern machine aids.
Every effort has been made to acquire and consistently maintain
an analytical staff of the highest academic and professional calibre.
The Intelligence officers presently on duty hold a combined total
of degrees, and of that number have received the Master's
degree and 3 the Ph.D. The accui t a ed intelligence experience of
the analytical personnel represents a total of C7 years of service,
I.e?.F--jy ears with CIA and f previous service with such
intelligence organizations as UM5, MI, CIC, G-2, ONI, and NSA. The
degree of linguistic proficiency among the staff is indicated by the
follcuring list of languages which individual analysts are able to
use in connection with their research problems: Chinese, Danish,
French, German, Greek, Hungarian, Italian, Japanese, Korean,
Norian, Polish, Portuguese, Romanian. Russian, Serbo-Croatian.
Spanish, Swedish, and Turkish. The intelligence background of the
staff is further enhanced by its record of foreign residence,
amounting to a total of years in the Far East, ^ years in Europe,
and years in the Near d Middle East.
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Organized on an area basis to conform to the specialized aspects
of its mission and to meet practical considerations involved in the
processing of intelligence material in great bulk, it consists of a
headquarters - the Office of the Chief; three analytical components -
the Soviet Branch, the Non-Soviet Branch, and the Support Branch;
and a service component - the Index Branch.
Office of Chief
Soviet
Branch
N3on_Soviet **
i3ranch
Support
Branch
Index
Branch
USSR/Sat. Far Last Euro- NE/A & iA Analy- Refer- achine Master Info.
Sect. Sect. pecan Sect. psis ence Sect. File Control
Sect. Sect. Inter- Sect. Sect.
natl.
Orgns.
Sect.
0 A Soviet Branch, which is responsible for biographic and organi-
zational intelligence collection, compilation, and production on the
US 'and those areas which are either under Soviet control or politi-
cally or linguistically aligned with the Soviet orbit.
*0 A Non-Soviet Branch, which is responsible for biographic and
organizational intelligence collection, compilation, and production
on the areas oriented towards the nest or linguistically aligned with
those areas. .
000 A Support Branch, which is responsible for the classification by
category of biographic and organizational data as well as for coordina-
tion and administratton of those support functions which can best be
handled centrally (i.e., publications, reference facilities, interna-
tional organizations, etc.)
" '? An Index Branch, which is responsible for (1) maintenance of IfIi
machine records for category and multiple category selection and
tabulation, (2) maintenance of dossier files for the area desks, (3)
control and dissemination of intelligence and other materials routed
to the Register, and (4) time and attendance records, supplies, repro-
duction. etc.
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For those categories of personalities for which it has responsi-
bility*, the Register:
a. Provides direct service to requesters of biographic
information by experienced area analysts;
b. Compiles written biographic reports on personalities
and organizations;
c. Produces machine listings of individuals by category
or multiple category;
d. Prepares, by intellofax reproduction, copies of
"Who's Who" information cards ;
e. Publishes biographic research aids;
f. Provides support to editorial boards for official
forms and correct spelling of names, organizations, and
locations;
U. Briefs intelligence officials of the TAG In special
or general biographic requirements.
0 The Register previously processed data and compiled reports
on political, social and cultural personalities. As a result of a
taff study by OIG which revealed a high degree of duplication in
materials processed by II and State/fl, it was considered expedient
to utilize the facilities of State/BI to service the needs of CIA
for personality data in such ;categories. An agreement was signed
whereby State/BI agreed to provide complete biographic service to
CIA In return for budgetary support of E~osltions in State/fl,
or approximately yearly. Implementation of this agree-
ment began in Ja , and, except for the For Eastern area
which is scheduled for transfer 1 July 1953, State/BI has fully
assumed the biographic servicing responsibility as agreed.
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";EcRE
FILS
.........
The Register's files consist primarily of (1) dossiers, which
contain the total accumulation of biographic data on individuals
concerning whom there is extensive reporting; (2) McBee cards, con-
taining brief biographic extracts on individuals concerning whom there
Is limited information; and (3) IBM machine-listed indexes of names to
documents, used in instances where information is considered to be of
limited or inconclusive Intelligence interest.
In order to make possible the machine selection of specific items
of biographic data in single or multiple categories. extensive I3
machine records are maintained in support of all the above-mentioned
files. Also, for the purpose of furnishing biographic information of
a "Who's Who" nature in single or multiple categories of individuals,
there is a Who's Who card file in clear text representing all dossier
and DMcBee cases.
In addition. the Register's holdings include numerous individual
card files obtained from overt sources, originals or copies of cap-
tured biographic records from various overseas areas, and a reference
shelf containing an appreciable collection of biographic encyclo-
pedias, "Who's Oho" - type reference volumes, foreign language
dictionaries, gazetteers, handbooks, university catalogues, etc. At
present, Elk is engaged in compiling a central bibliographic reference
file covering Soviet and satellite scientific and technical literature.
Pt
* Revised edition due December 1953
Revision, to include organizations listed in the Directory, due
December 196
** Publication date; September 1953
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 ImW *40F
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BR REQUESTERS
Breakdown of requests by offices, 1952
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DD/P area
C#3 SERVICE BY AMOUNT AND TYPE - 1952
Written Intellofax of
Reports Who's Who Cards
5,371 15, 804
Inspection Machine
of Dossiers Listings
7,769 3 d, 343
OSI 1,631
OC I 9i35
R 255
1,503
Other CIA 237
State
Army
Navy
AEC
Air
0
34,217 13,291 65,053
15,412 3,418 21,467
2,991 1,136 35,x'13
6,370 2,056 76,510
156 3, 349 177,110
196 697
43 3,836
39 1,275
30
231 39,069
92
36
10,658 119,329
654 913
420 500
321 300
242 4
5,695 111,076
38.604
877,089
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BIOGfi'.APHIC SKETCHES
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