Director of Central Intelligence

Director of Central Intelligence
Flag of the Director of Central Intelligence
Longest serving
Allen Dulles

February 26, 1953 – November 29, 1961
Central Intelligence Agency
AbbreviationDCI
Member ofUnited States National Security Council
AppointerPresident of the United States
with US Senate advice and consent
Term lengthNo fixed term
FormationJanuary 23, 1946
First holderSidney Souers
Final holderPorter Goss
AbolishedDecember 17, 2004
Superseded byDirector of National Intelligence
Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Unofficial namesCIA Director
DeputyDeputy Director of Central Intelligence
The 16-foot (5 m) diameter granite CIA seal in the lobby of the original headquarters building.
The entrance of the CIA headquarters

The Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) was the head of the American Central Intelligence Agency from 1946 to 2004, acting as the principal intelligence advisor to the president of the United States and the United States National Security Council, as well as the coordinator of intelligence activities among and between the various US intelligence agencies (collectively known as the Intelligence Community from 1981 onwards).

The office existed from January 1946 to December 17, 2004. After the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act it was replaced by the director of national intelligence (DNI) as head of the Intelligence Community and the director of the Central Intelligence Agency (D/CIA) as head of the CIA.