Death of former FBI and CIA Director William Webster

• William Webster died at the age of 101.
• He served as the FBI Director from 1978 to 1987 and as the CIA Director from 1987 to 1991.
• Webster restored trust in American intelligence agencies.

Washington — William H. Webster, former director of the FBI and CIA, died at the age of 101, his family reported on Friday. Webster served as the FBI Director from 1978 to 1987 and as the CIA Director from 1987 to 1991. He became the only person to lead both a law enforcement agency and an intelligence agency in the country.

Before coming to Washington, Webster practiced law for nearly 20 years and worked as a federal prosecutor. President Jimmy Carter appointed him as FBI Director during a time of restoring the agency's reputation, which had suffered through scandals involving internal spying and corruption.

Webster was known for his integrity and professional reputation. He believed that the director of the CIA or FBI should be ready to testify if their agency's actions were ever called into question. After completing his term at the FBI, he was appointed director of the CIA by President Ronald Reagan, during a time when the agency was embroiled in the public crisis surrounding the Iran-Contra scandal.

After working at the CIA, Webster stressed the importance of restoring trust in American intelligence agencies. He received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1991 and continued to provide consulting for the FBI on national security issues in subsequent years.

Webster was born on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis, attended Amherst College and received his legal education at Washington University. He served in the Naval Reserve during World War II and the Korean War.

Tags: USA