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2025 RELEASE UNDER THE PRESIDENT JOHN F. KENNEDY ASSASSINATION RECORDS ACT OF 1992

KENT EXTRACT

Mr. William M. Kent joined the Agency in December 1951. He had previously received a degree in diplomatic and public relations from the Latin American Institute, New York City and had served time in the U.S. Army from 1946 to 1948. He graduated from the Latin American Institute with the highest honors and 4 awards.

Mr. Kent was initially assigned to the Office of Special Operations as a clerk typist and, after six months, in June 1952, was assigned to Panama as an intelligence officer under non-official cover. In July 1956 he returned to Headquarters where he worked as an area operations officer in the Western Hemisphere Divi- sion. After a successful stint in the Cuba section he was assigned as an operations officer to Caracas. After an excellently productive tour in Caracas, Mr. Kent was selected to join JMWAVE in Miami. There he really shone as attested to in the following quote from his fitness report: "He has been placed in most difficult positions, particularly in the handling of incompatible people and groups which he has managed without alienating either side and on various occasions accomplishing the impossible by satisfying everyone concerned." After his tour in Miami, he headed several sections in Headquarters in the Western Hemisphere Division, In 1967 he was transferred to New Orleans and then to the Washington Base. In both places he worked under non-official cover. From 1970 until his retirement he served in several capacities ranging from the planning and guiding of Covert Action programs to occupying managerial positions. During these eight years he received seven strong and three outstanding overall ratings. Of special note are the various commendation and laudatory reports concerning Mr. Kent's performance during the "Chilean crisis". Because of his excellent performance during the Chilean crisis he again was asked to help the Latin American Division during several investigations. He performed admirably as reflected in a commendation written by the Deputy Chief of LA Division on 5 December 1975: "When confronted with a need to produce a paper on Chile in a short timeframe, I instinctively turned to him. It was not only because he had expertise on Chile, but to service in the Chile Branch, but because he is highly skilled in written presentation. He organizes his material well and presents it in a lucid, highly readable manner. On the first occasion, he helped us prepare a paper that was eventually used by the Director in his presentation before the Senate Select Com- mittee on 14-15' July. On the second occasion his contribution

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was used by the DDO in his appearance before the Senate Select Committee on 28 October. Both of these papers were excellent and have withstood critical scrutiny."

Mr. Kent has now left the Agency after 26 years of distinguished service as an operations officer and as a manager both in the field and at Headquarters. On the occasion of his retirement, it is appropriate that Mr. Kent's career achievements be suitably recognized. It is recommended that he be awarded the Career Intelligence Medal in recognition of his long and distinguished service.