William Colby

William Colby
Colby in 1975
10th Director of Central Intelligence
In office September 4, 1973 – January 30, 1976
President	Richard Nixon Gerald Ford
Deputy	Vernon A. Walters
Preceded by	Vernon A. Walters (acting)
Succeeded by	George H. W. Bush
Deputy Director of Central Intelligence for Operations
In office March 2, 1973 – August 24, 1973
President	Richard Nixon
Preceded by	Thomas Karamessines
Succeeded by	William Nelson
Personal details
Born	William Egan Colby (1920-01-04)January 4, 1920 Saint Paul, Minnesota, U.S.
Died	May 6, 1996(1996-05-06) (aged 76) Rock Point, Maryland, U.S.
Resting place	Arlington National Cemetery
Spouse(s)	Barbara Heinzen (1945–1984) Sally Shelton (1984–1996)
Children	5 (with Heinzen)
Relatives	Elbridge Colby (grandson)
Education	Princeton University (BA) Columbia University (LLB)
Military service
Allegiance	United States
Branch/service	United States Army
Unit	Office of Strategic Services
Battles/wars	World War II

William Egan Colby (January 4, 1920 – May 6, 1996) was an American intelligence officer who served as Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) from September 1973 to January 1976.

During World War II, Colby served with the Office of Strategic Services. After the war, he joined the newly created Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). Before and during the Vietnam War, Colby served as chief of station in Saigon, chief of the CIA's Far East Division, and head of the Civil Operations and Rural Development effort and oversaw the Phoenix Program. After the war, Colby became Director of Central Intelligence (DCI) and during his tenure, under intense pressure from the Congress and the media, adopted a policy of relative openness about US intelligence activities to the Senate Church Committee and the House Pike Committee. Colby served as DCI under Presidents Richard Nixon and Gerald Ford until January 30, 1976 and was succeeded at the CIA by George H. W. Bush.