THE HISTORICAL INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
• Release Decision: RIPPUB
• Original Classification: U
• Document Page Count: 4
• Document Creation Date: December 20, 2016
• Document Release Date: August 24, 2007
• Sequence Number: 13
• Content Type: REPORT

Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
THE HISTORICAL INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION
LOCATION HIC is located in Vault 1E41A, CIA Headquarters.
It functions administratively under the Office of
Central Reference, and its personnel are slotted
in the Office of the Chief, Library Services Divis-
I. ion, OCR.
REPUTATION HIC has been mentioned frequently in the public
and professional prints. The evaluation ranges
from "the finest library of overt intelligence
materials in the world," to "resembling nothing
so much as a large used-book store on the seedier
side of Manhattan."
ACCESS HIC is available for use by all personnel with
Staff or Staff-access CIA building badges, in-
cluding intelligence community personnel with
that access. Its materials are available for
loan to other community elements and are made
available from time to time to authorized foreign
liaison.
HISTORY HIC was established byl January
1956. The officer responsible for its operations
was designated a Special Assistant to the DD/I un-
til 25 August 1959, when the disignation was changed
to Curator, Historical Intelligence, and the func-
tion was transferred to the Office of Central Refer-
ence.
STAT
STAT
As conceived by DCI Dulles, HIC would be a collection
of books and periodicals on all aspects of intelli-
gence, beginning with the earliest written accounts
of intelligence operations and continuing to the
present. He saw it as a reservoir of knowledge re-
cording both the "how to" and the "how it was done"
of the intelligence profession. He believed the lit-
erature contained sufficient precedents upon which
professional intelligence officers could draw, much
as an attorney draws upon both old and new law volumes.
He saw the usefulness of such materials for training
purposes, and hoped the existence of such a collection
would imbue young intelligence officers with the tra-
ditions of a uniquely-American intelligence service.
In time, other purposes have evolved, as have the
duties of the Curator who exploits the Collection.
Classified materials, training manuals, and exten-
sive clipping and cable holdings dealing with intelli-
gence services, major intelligence operations and
cases, etc.,have been been added to the Collection.
HIC now has overF--Icatalogued items, and has STAT
Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
STATI
 Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7 STAT
I I
served as a model for similar collections by
foreign intelligence services and that recently
established by Georgetown University.
THE STAFF "Would you please have one of your staff research
this," is a familiar requirement from senior offi-
cials. In fact, the HIC staff consists of two
persons, a Curator who manages and exploits the
Collection, and an Assistant to the Curator who
conducts the day-to-day operations of the Collect-
ion and assists in servicing research requirements.
THE CURATOR : The Curator of HIC is a professional intelligence
officer. He is notnecessarily'a librarian, although
he manages a specialized library; nor, need he be
an historian in the strictest sense, although he
seeks out the past in the literature of intelligence
to meet current needs. He must have a bit of both
of these, but of greater importance is a degree of
experience in the craft with which he works. Where
most analytical and research positions involve ab-
straction from actual personal experience, the Cura-
tor is required to meld such personal knowledge and
institutional memory with those of contemporaries
in the conscious reconstruction of events using
books, documents, press clippings and the like. The
Curator must be prepared to perform a wide variety
of research tasks for senior constituent groups and
have a positive desire to assist Agency officers in
performing successful research in the Collection.
His time schedules and priorities are usually estab-
listed by his consumers, although he works with a
high degree of independence and has direct control
over how the product is developed and presented to
the consumer.
CONSUMERS It is an anomaly that although HIC is "rationed and
quartered" in the DD/I, that Directorate is only a
minor customer in its operation. Some 90% of its
activities are in support of the clandestine servi-
ces and the offices of the DCI and DDCI. The largest
portion of the remaining percentage is support to
the Office of Security regarding foreign and domestic
espionage cases. Its product is delivered directly
to the consumer and is not subject to normal DD/I
review and release procedures, a result of compartmen-
t ion'-desires---o.f-the*.*consamers,-and .the'-frequent sensi-
tivity of the information sought for operational appli-
cation.
Examples of other major functions are attached.
STAT
Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7 %J I P% ~
 Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
I I
OTHER MAJOR SUPPORT FUNCTIONS
HIC scans a large number of U.S. and foreign publications for
articles on intelligence. Senior officials and concerned elements
are notified of those reflecting compromise or having adverse im-
pact on the Agency. Other materials meeting standing requirements
are provided to requesters. All are categorized and filed in HIC
for; later recovery.
HIC reviews various bibliographic and selection guides for
information on forthcoming books on intelligence and makes appro-
priate notification to senior officials and concerned elements at
that time, and provides copies of the actual book or article upon
receipt. Recommendations are made for possible review of important
works in Studies in Intelligence. HIC is also called upon when
necessary in damage assessment preparation.
HIC guides Agency and Community officers in the exploitation
of the Collection, with recommendations as to suitable and unsuita-
ble works addressing the problem being studied, research methods
which may be productive, etc. Assistance to Career Trainees on
their initial desk assignments has received enthusiastic and favora-
ble feed-back.
HIC assists FOIA/PA and declassification officers in research
of the public domain, prior disclosure and Executive Disclosure
status of specific items of contested information. It also per-
forms reviews as required for the Publication Review Board.
HIC conducts research for senior-level customers and others
as directed. Thfe.:ppoduct may be used for publication, public and
congressional responses, speeches, public affairs purposes, etc.
This ranges from research summaries to providing case or precedent
examples and anecdotes for inclusion in speeches and reports; from
providing HIC-prepared "shelf items" on regularly asked questions
to the writing of "first chapters" (i.e. historical perspective)
for Agency training pamphlets.'
HIC recommends and provides in many languages, materials to be
used for training and operational purposes.
HIC conducts liaison with other governmental and sometimes non-
governmental, historical elements to seek answers to official ques-
tions. It fields questions from such elements in return.
STAT
STAT
Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
 Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7
CIA HISTORICAL INTELLIGENCE COLLECTION
The CIA Historical Intelligence Collection was created at the
direction of DCI Allen W. Dulles on 31 January 1956. Dr. Walter L.
Pforzieimer, the former Legislative Counsel, was appointed as a
Speci 1 Assistant to the DD/I to serve as an advisor an thp-~ s_
tabli hment of the Collection.
On 25 August 1959, the Historical Intelligence Collection was
transferred to the Office of Central Reference and its principle
intelligence officer was designated Curator. igence.
Responsibilities of the Curator were defined and Pyna.,.ie,a ,
Responsibilities of the Historical Intelligence Collection to
support the Agency and Intelligence Community components regarding
certain records holdings were defined 28 August 1975.
J (fed. Reg., Vol. 40, No. 168)
The present Curator, Historical Intelligence,
assumed the position on 15 June 1974.
STAT
STAT
STAT
STAT
JI/AI
Approved For Release 2007/08/24: CIA-RDP85M00364R002003810013-7