Thread by @CIA

Lyman Kirkpatrick: “I feel that many others can do what I am, but are constrained by fear of the unknown…”
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Lyman, born in Rochester in 1916, was graduate of @Deerfield.
He went to play football @Princeton & join Coordinator of Information.
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@Deerfield @Princeton 1942: CIO turned into #OSS & Lyman was sent to London & served as liaison w British, French, Norwegian, Czech & Polish intel services
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1943: Lyman was commissioned as lieutenant in @USArmy & served as intel briefing officer for Gen Omar Bradley until the end of #WWII.
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1947: Joined CIA & served as division chief & executive assistant to very demanding DCI, Walter Bedell Smith.
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At the age of 36, Lyman thought he had a bad cold, but it turned out to be polio, which required months of recovery & rehab.
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At that time, polio halted a clandestine career, but Lyman went on to senior CIA jobs, including Inspector General & Executive Dir.
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In tribute to his willingness to take independent & sometimes unpopular stances, Lyman’s staff nicknamed him “Hell on Wheels.”
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Lyman’s performance earned him the National Civil Service Award & the President’s Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service.
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After leaving CIA, Lyman taught political science at @BrownUniversity & wrote several books, including "The Real CIA" (1968).
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Lyman has been called the best director CIA never had & was named one of our first 50 Trailblazers in 1997.

1.usa.gov/1MidWOU
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