HENRY L. BRETTON - SECURITY SUMMARY
Originator: CIA
Document date: 01/01/0000
Document type: PAPER - TEXTUAL DOCUMENT

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2023 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

Henry L. BRETTON

Office of Security records contain a file on a Henry L.

Bretton who was born on May 18, 1916 in Berlin, Germany. As

of 1963, this person was Professor of Political Science

the University of Michigan.

He also has been known as Henry Hans

Heinz Bismark and Henry Burk.

The information in the following

paragraphs pertains to this Henry L. Bretton who is probably

identical to the writer of the letter dated 3 January 1975 to

the Director.

In July 1945 Bretton, who was an Army enlisted man attached

to MIS (Fwd) FID, was under consideration for transfer to OSS.

An investigation at that time raised questions as to Bretton's

political sympathies.

Consequently, Bretton was security dis-

approved in August 1945 for transfer to OSS.

Bretton was informed in 1945 that he would not be hired by

OSS because "Washington

Security would not approve his employment."

Bretton reportedly was "distressed" by this decision.

In December

1945, when Bretton returned to the U.j., he personally called at

the Security Office and stated he was aware he had been disapproved

and requested the reason thereof. He was told there were no

openings.

In addition, according to a memorandum in Bretton's file

dated 19 November 1945 from the Strategic Services. Unit, Mission

to Germany, European Theater, earlier that fall that Unit had

tentatively recruited MIS T/4 Henry L. Bretton

and that the

Security Branch in Washington failed to pass him.

According to

this memorandum, when Bretton was told the Unit could not employ

him, Bretton was very much upset.

The memorandum indicated

that Bretton had earned the high regard of the officers immediately

concerned for some tentative work Bretton had done for the Unit.

dismissed From su. Brettoms side a statement chan the being

Adjutant General had no information that the circumstances of

his honorable discharge from the service might in any way be

considered derogatory.

In July 1956, Bretton was of interest to the Domestic

Collection Division as

a potential source of foreign intelligence

information.

In connection with this interest, National Agency

Name Check was conducted on Bretton at Army Intelligence. The

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records of Army. Intelligence contained a memorandum dated

16 November 1955 which indicated

that lst Lt. Henry

L. Bretton

had made complaints to the CIC, to the IG and to AGO, through

his Congressman, with regard to a personnel security investiga-

tion conducted on him.

Bretton alleged that the Government

investigators had given information to his political opponents

concerning his (Bretton's) Party politics and information

concerning his marital status.

Subsequent inquiry by the Army

failed to indicate misconduct

on the part of

Its investigators.

(Another name check on Bretton in August 1963

of the files of the Counter Intelligence Records

Facility, Army Intelligence Center, disclosed that

Bretton was investigated in August and September 1955:

by the CIC upon receipt of derogatory security informa-

tion about Bretton's ex-wife who was alleged to dominate

him.

The results of this investigation reportedly were

favorable to Bretton.

The CIC records also stated that

Bretton

at the time was being investigated in connection

with his application for a Reserve Commission.)

Based on past (1945) unresolved questions regarding Bretton's

political orientation, Bretton was security disapproved in

September 196l as a Personnel Placement Division Lead Source.

The Domestic Collection Division had an interest in Bretton

in May 1963 in connection with a trip Bretton was taking to

Nigeria and other

parts of Africa.

An AD HOC Secret or Confidential

clearance was denied Bretton.

In April 1964 the Africa Division advised that Bretton was

going to Ghana as an instructor and the

Station had inquired

A representative of the Africa Division

stated that the Domestic Collection Division had informed him

that Bretton had expressed a dislike of the Central Intelligence

Agency to them and because of recent events in Ghana (i.e.,

put to ation to say completely away from Bretton.

instructors) the Africa Division was going to

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