University of Virginia Library

'Dead Mackerel'

Richard Helms, the new
overseer of every piece of
intelligence that will be
collected by an agency of the
US and every "dirty trick" (as
they call the plots and coups)
initiated, once was described as
having "the personality of a
dead mackerel" by a Johnson
aide.

That personality seemed
just what is necessary for the
CIA since he has been with
that organization since its very
conception. The son of an
aluminum executive, Helms
was educated in posh schools
in Switzerland and Germany.
When he graduated from
Williams College, he was voted
by his classmates as "most
respected" and "most likely to
succeed."

Through his family
influence he got a job in the
Berlin Bureau of UPI and at 23
got the privilege of having an
exclusive interview with
Adolph Hitler.

Involved in intelligence
work during World War II., he
easily slid into the embryonic
CIA. For 15 years he led an
anonymous life in the "plans"
section-the nice word for
those people handling covert
activities, like, for example, the
1954 coup in Guatemala. In
1962 he was named the head
of the section and in 1966
Johnson rewarded all his loyal
years of service by making him
director.

Now living on his $42,500
salary inc ountry-clubbish Chevy
Chase, Maryland, he is part of
the Washington social whirl. In
fact, he is considered second
only to Henry Kissinger as a
prize catch on the social
circuit.

But Richard Helms will
probably be seeing more of his
cream-colored office in
Langley, Virginia, and less of
his Chevy Chase home in the
weeks ahead.