Frank Wisner | |
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| Birth name | Frank Gardner Wisner |
| Born | (1909-06-23)June 23, 1909 Laurel, Mississippi, U.S. |
| Died | October 29, 1965(1965-10-29) (aged 56) Galena, Maryland, U.S. |
| Cause of death | Suicide by gunshot |
| Branch |  United States Navy |
| Service years | 1941–1962 |
| Conflicts | |
| Alma mater | University of Virginia (BA,LLB) |
| Spouse | Mary Ellis Knowles |
| Children | 4 |
Frank Gardiner Wisner (June 23, 1909 – October 29, 1965) was one of the founding officers of theCentral Intelligence Agency (CIA) and played a major role in CIA operations throughout the 1950s.
Wisner began his intelligence career in theOffice of Strategic Services inWorld War II. After the war, he headed theOffice of Policy Coordination (OPC), one of the OSS successor organizations, from 1948 to 1950. In 1950, the OPC was placed under theCentral Intelligence Agency and renamed theDirectorate of Plans. First headed byAllen Dulles, Wisner succeeded Dulles in 1951 when Dulles was namedDirector of Central Intelligence.
Wisner remained as Deputy Director of Plans (DDP) until September 1958, playing an important role in the early history of the CIA. He suffered a breakdown in 1958, and retired from the Agency in 1962. He committed suicide in 1965.
Wisner was born in Laurel, Mississippi, the son of Mary (Gardiner), a schoolteacher, and Frank George Wisner, a timber magnate.[1] He was educated at theUniversity of Virginia, where he received both aB.A. and aLL.B. degree.[2] He was also tapped for theSeven Society.[3] After graduating from theUniversity of Virginia School of Law in 1934,[4] Wisner began working as aWall Streetlawyer forCarter, Ledyard & Milburn.[5]
In 1941, six months before theattack on Pearl Harbor, he enlisted in theUnited States Navy. He worked in the Navy's censor's office until he managed to transfer to theOffice of Strategic Services (OSS) in 1943. He was first stationed inCairo where he spent an uneventful year. After Cairo (from June 15, 1944) he spent three months in OSS Istanbul,Turkey, as head of SI (Secret Intelligence) branch. On August 29, 1944, Lt. Comdr. Wisner and 21 OSS agents landed inRomania,[6] where he became head of OSS Bucharest.[7][8]
Wisner arrived just as Romania joined the Allies and declared war on the Axis. His first task was to oversee the return of over 1,000 American airmen who had been shot down in missions against Romanian oilfields. The POWs were returned by theFifteenth Air Force via thePopești-Leordeni Airfield duringOperation Reunion.[9] Over 50B-17 Flying Fortress airplanes flew out the prisoners between August 31 and September 3. In all, some 1,127 American POWs were transported.[10][11]
Immediately after the arrival of Major Robert Bishop (September 9, 1944) as head of X-2 (Counter Espionage) branch in Bucharest, Wisner started the search for German records. With the help of Romanian Intelligence, they managed to obtain tons of records, including SD files, 200 rolls of German film and a large amount of Soviet information. During that time, Wisner and Bishop discovered and penetrated a Soviet intelligence service named GUGBEZ. Wisner left Bucharest in the last week of January 1945.[7]
In March 1945, Wisner was transferred toWiesbaden, Germany. In 1945–1946, he returned to law practice at Carter, Ledyard & Milburn.
During World War II, Wisner and his wife Polly became close friends withPhilip Graham and his wifeKatharine Graham who after the war became publishers ofThe Washington Post.[12]
Wisner was recruited in 1947 byDean Acheson to join theState Department to become the DeputyAssistant Secretary of State for Occupied Areas. On June 18, 1948, theUnited States National Security Council approved NSC 10/2 which created the Office of Special Projects.[13] On September 1, 1948, the office was formally established, although it was renamed to theOffice of Policy Coordination (OPC) for obfuscation purposes.[14] Wisner was chosen to lead the OPC in the capacity of Assistant Director for Policy Coordination (ADPC).[15] The OPC initially received services from the CIA but was accountable to the State Department.[16]
According to its secret charter, the OPC's responsibilities include "propaganda, economic warfare, preventive direct action, including sabotage, antisabotage, demolition and evacuation procedures; subversion against hostile states, including assistance to underground resistance groups, guerrillas and refugee liberation groups, and support of indigenous anti-communist elements in threatened countries of the free world."[17]
During the early 1950s, Wisner was the subject of FBI inquiries in connection with his wartime work in Romania, including the claim that he had an affair with Tanda Caradja, daughter of Romanian princessCatherine Caradja during the war; Caradja was alleged in FBI reports to be aSoviet agent. However, Wisner was cleared of all suspicions by the CIA Office of Security.[18]
On August 23, 1951, Wisner succeededAllen W. Dulles and became the secondDeputy Director of Plans, withRichard Helms as his chief of operations. In this position, he was instrumental in supporting pro-American forces thattoppledMohammed Mossadegh inIran in 1953[citation needed] andJacobo Arbenz Guzmán inGuatemalain 1954.[19] Another project he was involved in was with regard to theBelarus Brigade's leaders, a unit incorporated into a GermanSS division, who were assisted into theUnited States afterWorld War II, due largely to his efforts. In defiance of federal law, John Loftus asserted, theOffice of Policy Coordination helped obtainvisas for Nazi collaborators from Belarus — who were believed to have facilitated numerous atrocities by Nazi Germany. According to Loftus, it was all part of aCold War scheme to wageguerrilla warfare in Soviet-occupied Europe, in which the Nazi collaborators were to play a key role. When the project collapsed, however, the Belarusians quickly settled in and obtainedUS citizenship – and intelligence agencies protected them from exposure for decades.[20]
FBI directorJ. Edgar Hoover and U.S. SenatorJoseph McCarthy succeeded in forcing CIA directorRoscoe H. Hillenkoetter to dismiss long-time stafferCarmel Offie in 1950 for homosexuality, over Wisner's objections.[21]
Wisner worked closely withKim Philby, theBritish agent who was also a Soviet spy.
Wisner was also deeply involved in establishing theLockheed U-2spy plane program run byRichard M. Bissell Jr.[2]
Wisner suffered a serious breakdown in September 1958. He was diagnosed asmanic depressive and receivedelectroshock therapy. Bissell replaced Wisner as Deputy Director of Plans.[22] After a lengthy recovery, Wisner became chief of the CIA'sLondon Station.[22]
In 1961, Wisner was ordered to organize CIA activities inBritish Guiana.[23]
In 1962, Wisner retired from the CIA.[24]
Wisner married Mary Ellis 'Polly' Knowles (1912–2002) and they had four children: Elizabeth Wisner, Graham Wisner, Ellis Wisner, andFrank G. Wisner who entered into diplomatic service.[12] Wisner died on October 29, 1965, bysuicide.[25]
| Government offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Deputy Director for Plans August 23, 1951 – January 1, 1959 | Succeeded by |
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| National | |
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