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
Abbreviation	DCI
Member of	United States National Security Council
Appointer	President of the United States with US Senate advice and consent
Term length	No fixed term
Formation	January 23, 1946
First holder	Sidney Souers
Final holder	Porter Goss
Abolished	April 21, 2005
Succession	Director of National Intelligence Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Unofficial names	CIA Director

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 2005, 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 U.S. intelligence agencies (collectively known as the Intelligence Community from 1981 onwards).

The office existed from January 1946 to April 21, 2005. 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.