—.), IMMEDIATE RELEASE May 4, 1961 Office of the White House Press Secretary THE WHITE HOUSE eee - The President today issued an Executive Order establishing the Fresident's Foreign Intellicence Adviscry Beard. Today's order reactivates, under broadened terms of reference, the President's Board of Consultants on Forcign Inteliigence Activities which was established by President Eisenhower ih 1956, following a rec-~ ommendation of the Commission on Organization of the Executive Branch of the Government. New appcintments are being made to the Board be- cause the resignations of the members of the prior Board of Consultants were submitted to and accepted by President Eisenhower before he left office. Composed of able and experienced individuals from outsice the Goverrmeat, the reactivated Board will be responsible for conducting an objective, independent review of the foreign intelligence end relatec ac- tivities of the Government and-for reporting periodically to the President with respect to its assessment of the objectives and performance of those activities by the Central Intelligence Agency and the several additional Civilian and military agencies engaged therein. The responsibilities assigned tc the President's Foreign intelli- gence Advisory Board are of a continuing nature and encompass the total U. S. foreign intelligence effort.: They are to be distinguished from the ad hoc and much more limited study that is presently being made by General Maxwell Taylor, The members of the Board in whose cualisication and discretion the President has the fullest confidence are as foilows: Dr, James R, Killian, Jr., Chairman Chairman of the Corporation Massackusetts Institute of Technology Cambridge, Massachusetts Dr, William O. Baker Vice President, Research Bell Telepkone Laboratories Murray Hill, New Jersey Lt. General James H, Doclittle, USAF (set.) Chairman of the Board Space Technology Laboratories, Inc. Los Angeles, California more
Dr. William L. Langer Professor of History Harvard University Cambridge, Massachusetts The Honorable Robert D. Murphy President Cerning Glass International New York, N. Y. General Maxwell Taylor, USA (Ret.) President, Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts, Incorporated New York City, N; Y. Mr, J. Patrick Coyne, former official of the Federa: Bureau of Investigation and the National Security Council, wiil ccntinue tc serve ag Executive Secretary of the reactivated Board. It is conternplated that in the near future the President may ap-~ point additional individuals to membership on the Board. The text of the Executive Order follows: EXECUTIVE ORDER -——m— ww me ESTABLISHING THE PRESIDENT'S FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE ADVISORY BOARD By virtue of the authority vested in me as President of the United States, it is crdered as follows: Section i, There is hereby established the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board. The function of the Board shall be to advise the President with respect to the objectives and conduct of the foreign in- telligence and related activities of the United States which are required in the interests of foreign policy and national defense and security.
-3- Section 2. _In the performance of its advisory duties, the Board shall conduct a continuing review and assessment of all functions of the Central Intelligence Agency, and of other executive departmests and agen- cies having such or similar responsibilities in the foreign intelligence end related fields, and snall report therecn to the President each six months oz more frequently as deemed appropriate. The Directcr of Central in- telligence and the heads cf cther departmeats and agencics concerned shall Mmaxe available to the Board any information with reepect to foreign intelli- gence matters which the Board may require for the purpose of carryizg out its responsibilities to the President. The information ss supplied to the Board shall be afforded requisite security protection as prescribed by the provisions of applicable laws and regulations. Secticn 3. Members of the Board shail be aproiated from among. qualified persons outside the Government and shail receive such compen- sation ard allowances, consonant with law, as may be prescribed here- after. Such compensation and allowances and any other expenses arising in connection with the work of tbe Beard shall be paid from the appropria- tion. appearing under the heading ''Special Projects" in title I cf the General Government.Matters Appropriation Act, 1961, 74 Stat. 473, anc, to the ex- tent permitted by law, from any corresponding eppropriation which may be made.for subsequent years, Such payments shall be made without regard to the provisions of section 3681 of the Revised Statutes and section 9 of the act of March 4, 1909, 35 Stat. 1927 (31 U.S.C, 672 and 673}. Section 4. .Executive Order No. 106562b£ February 6, 1955, is hereby revoked. a a JOHN F, KENNEDY THE WHITE HOUSE, May 4, 1961. .y more (cver}
~ 4 ~ The text of the letter from the President to the members of the Advisory Board follows: Dear 3 I em delighted that you have corsented to serve as a member of the President's Foreign Intelligence Advisory Board which is being reactivated pursuant to an Executive Order iseued earlier today. Iam establishing this Board for the purpose of providing me pevriod- icaliy with independent evaluations of the objectives and conduct of U. S. foreign intelligence activities and of the performance of the several agen~ cies engaged in foreign inteiligence and related efforts. It is my desire that the Board should meet periodicaliy to analyze oojectively the work of the Government's foreigz inteiligence agezucies. While the review by the Board will be concerned with all U, S. foreign iz~ telligence activities, I would expect particular attention to be devoted to the performance cf those civilian and military intelligence elements of key im- portance to the Government in the fields of national security and icreign relations. [Iam especially anxious to obtain the Board's views as to the over-ail conduct and progress of the foreign intelligence effort as well as its advice as to anv modifications therein which wcuid enhance the acquisi- tion of intelligence essential to the policy maxing branches of the Govern~ ment in the areas of national security and foreign relations, It is my hope that you and the others whom I have invited to serve on the Board will Le able to meet with me in the near future to discuss in detail the scope of the work which you have so generously agreed to under-~ take, I know that you and your fellow Board members can make a real contribution to the national interest by your service with this body, Sincerely, JOHN F. KENNEDY