March 3, 1987
I am pleased to announce my intention to nominate William H. Webster to be Director of Central Intelligence. Bill Webster will bring remarkable breadth and depth of experience as well as an outstanding record of achievement to this position. He has been Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation since 1978, and in fact, just last week he celebrated his ninth anniversary in that post. Under his leadership, the FBI has dramatically increased its counterintelligence and counterterrorism capability. I expect Bill to bring that same kind of leadership and achievement to his new position as Director of Central Intelligence, a position so crucial to the security of our nation.
He served with great distinction as a judge of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit and before that as a U.S. district judge for the Eastern District of Missouri. Earlier he had engaged in the private practice of law, capped with a term as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. Bill served his country as a lieutenant in the U.S. Naval Reserve in World War II and in the Korean war.
Bill's distinguished career has exemplified his commitment to serving our nation and to defending and promoting the values of America and the free world. Bill is well known as a man of honor and integrity, as a man who is committed to the rule of law, and as a professional who is dedicated to the pursuit of excellence. I look forward to continuing to work with Bill as he assumes his new responsibilities, and I urge the Congress to act promptly to confirm him as Director of Central Intelligence.