Bobby Ray Inman
Encyclopedia
Bobby Ray Inman is a retired United States
admiral
who held several influential positions in the U.S. Intelligence community
.
from September 1974 to July 1976, then moved to the Defense Intelligence Agency
where he served as Vice Director until 1977. He next became the Director of the National Security Agency
. Inman held this post until 1981. His last major position was as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
, a post he held from February 12, 1981 to June 10, 1982.
Inman has been influential in various advisory roles. Notably, he chaired a commission on improving security at U.S. foreign installations after the Marine barracks bombing and the April 1983 US Embassy bombing in Beirut
, Lebanon
. The commission's report
has been influential in setting security design standards for U.S. Embassies.
After retirement from the Navy, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
(MCC) in Austin, Texas for four years and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westmark Systems, Inc., a privately owned electronics industry holding company for three years. Admiral Inman also served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
from 1987 through 1990.
Admiral Inman’s primary activity since 1990 has been investing in start-up technology companies, where he is a Managing Director of Gefinor Ventures and Limestone Ventures. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Massey Energy Company and of several privately held companies. He serves as a Trustee of the American Assembly and the California Institute of Technology. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
President Clinton nominated him as Secretary of Defense, but he withdrew his nomination (see below).
Inman also was on the board of SAIC.
Since 2001, Inman has held the LBJ
Centennial Chair in National Policy at The University of Texas at Austin
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
, and in 2005 and again in 2009 was the school's interim dean
. Inman graduated from Texas with a bachelor's in history in 1950.
Inman has also served on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations
, Dell
Computer, SBC Corporation (now AT&T) and Massey Energy
.
In 2011 he became head of the board of directors of Xe Services, formerly Erik Prince
's Blackwater
.
's choice to succeed Les Aspin
as Secretary of Defense
on December 16, 1993, initially receiving broad bipartisan support. He accepted the post at first, but withdrew his nomination during an unusual press conference on January 18, 1994 that shocked members of both major political parties.
During the press conference, Inman made angry remarks about perceived mistreatment by New York Times columnist William Safire
. Safire wrote paragraphs on Inman's "anti-Israel bias shown", and ended in a four point list of other negative qualifications. Inman suggested that Safire had recruited Senator Bob Dole
of Kansas to engage in a "vitriolic attack" on Inman, and also claimed that Dole and Senator Trent Lott
were planning to "turn up the heat" on his nomination.
Dole's reaction was to state that "I have no idea what's gotten into Bobby Inman... Admiral Inman's letter doesn't make any sense to me." Lott appeared even more surprised, saying that "I am floored by [Inman's] bizarre press conference," while an unnamed White House aide added: "Most of us were glued to the tube, our mouths open in shock."
's use of warrantless domestic wiretaps
, making him one of the highest-ranking former intelligence officials to criticize the program in public
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
admiral
Admiral
Admiral is the rank, or part of the name of the ranks, of the highest naval officers. It is usually considered a full admiral and above vice admiral and below admiral of the fleet . It is usually abbreviated to "Adm" or "ADM"...
who held several influential positions in the U.S. Intelligence community
Intelligence community
Intelligence community may refer to* Bangladeshi intelligence community* Croatian intelligence community * Israeli intelligence community* Italian intelligence community, see SISMI...
.
Career
He served as Director of Naval IntelligenceOffice of Naval Intelligence
The Office of Naval Intelligence was established in the United States Navy in 1882. ONI was established to "seek out and report" on the advancements in other nations' navies. Its headquarters are at the National Maritime Intelligence Center in Suitland, Maryland...
from September 1974 to July 1976, then moved to the Defense Intelligence Agency
Defense Intelligence Agency
The Defense Intelligence Agency is a member of the Intelligence Community of the United States, and is the central producer and manager of military intelligence for the United States Department of Defense, employing over 16,500 U.S. military and civilian employees worldwide...
where he served as Vice Director until 1977. He next became the Director of the National Security Agency
National Security Agency
The National Security Agency/Central Security Service is a cryptologic intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the collection and analysis of foreign communications and foreign signals intelligence, as well as protecting U.S...
. Inman held this post until 1981. His last major position was as the Deputy Director of the Central Intelligence Agency
Central Intelligence Agency
The Central Intelligence Agency is a civilian intelligence agency of the United States government. It is an executive agency and reports directly to the Director of National Intelligence, responsible for providing national security intelligence assessment to senior United States policymakers...
, a post he held from February 12, 1981 to June 10, 1982.
Inman has been influential in various advisory roles. Notably, he chaired a commission on improving security at U.S. foreign installations after the Marine barracks bombing and the April 1983 US Embassy bombing in Beirut
Beirut
Beirut is the capital and largest city of Lebanon, with a population ranging from 1 million to more than 2 million . Located on a peninsula at the midpoint of Lebanon's Mediterranean coastline, it serves as the country's largest and main seaport, and also forms the Beirut Metropolitan...
, Lebanon
Lebanon
Lebanon , officially the Republic of LebanonRepublic of Lebanon is the most common term used by Lebanese government agencies. The term Lebanese Republic, a literal translation of the official Arabic and French names that is not used in today's world. Arabic is the most common language spoken among...
. The commission's report
Inman Report
The Inman Report, formally known as the Report of the Secretary of State's Advisory Panel on Overseas Security, was a report released in 1985 in response to the Marine barracks bombing and the April 1983 US Embassy bombing in Beirut, Lebanon...
has been influential in setting security design standards for U.S. Embassies.
After retirement from the Navy, he was Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation
Microelectronics and Computer Technology Corporation was the first, and - at one time - one of the largest, computer industry research and development consortia in the United States....
(MCC) in Austin, Texas for four years and Chairman, President and Chief Executive Officer of Westmark Systems, Inc., a privately owned electronics industry holding company for three years. Admiral Inman also served as Chairman of the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas
The Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas covers the Eleventh Federal Reserve District, which includes Texas, northern Louisiana and southern New Mexico....
from 1987 through 1990.
Admiral Inman’s primary activity since 1990 has been investing in start-up technology companies, where he is a Managing Director of Gefinor Ventures and Limestone Ventures. He is a member of the Board of Directors of Massey Energy Company and of several privately held companies. He serves as a Trustee of the American Assembly and the California Institute of Technology. He is an elected Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration.
President Clinton nominated him as Secretary of Defense, but he withdrew his nomination (see below).
Inman also was on the board of SAIC.
Since 2001, Inman has held the LBJ
Lyndon B. Johnson
Lyndon Baines Johnson , often referred to as LBJ, was the 36th President of the United States after his service as the 37th Vice President of the United States...
Centennial Chair in National Policy at The University of Texas at Austin
University of Texas at Austin
The University of Texas at Austin is a state research university located in Austin, Texas, USA, and is the flagship institution of the The University of Texas System. Founded in 1883, its campus is located approximately from the Texas State Capitol in Austin...
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs
The Lyndon B. Johnson School of Public Affairs is a graduate school at The University of Texas at Austin that was founded in 1970 to offer professional training in public policy analysis and administration for students interested in pursuing careers in government and public affairs-related areas...
, and in 2005 and again in 2009 was the school's interim dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...
. Inman graduated from Texas with a bachelor's in history in 1950.
Inman has also served on the Board of Directors of the Council on Foreign Relations
Council on Foreign Relations
The Council on Foreign Relations is an American nonprofit nonpartisan membership organization, publisher, and think tank specializing in U.S. foreign policy and international affairs...
, Dell
Dell
Dell, Inc. is an American multinational information technology corporation based in 1 Dell Way, Round Rock, Texas, United States, that develops, sells and supports computers and related products and services. Bearing the name of its founder, Michael Dell, the company is one of the largest...
Computer, SBC Corporation (now AT&T) and Massey Energy
Massey Energy
Massey Energy Company was a coal extractor in the United States with substantial operations in West Virginia, Kentucky and Virginia. By revenue, it was the fourth largest producer of coal in the United States and the largest coal producer in Central Appalachia...
.
In 2011 he became head of the board of directors of Xe Services, formerly Erik Prince
Erik Prince
Erik Dean Prince is the founder and formerly the sole owner of the private military company Xe Services LLC, formerly Blackwater Worldwide. On March 2, 2009, Prince announced that he was stepping down as CEO of Xe. He is currently living abroad in the United Arab Emirates, where he is creating a...
's Blackwater
Blackwater Worldwide
Xe Services LLC, better known by its former names, Blackwater USA and Blackwater Worldwide, is a private military company founded in 1997 by Erik Prince and Al Clark.. Xe is currently the largest of the U.S. State Department's three private security contractors...
.
Nomination for Secretary of Defense
Inman was announced as President Bill ClintonBill Clinton
William Jefferson "Bill" Clinton is an American politician who served as the 42nd President of the United States from 1993 to 2001. Inaugurated at age 46, he was the third-youngest president. He took office at the end of the Cold War, and was the first president of the baby boomer generation...
's choice to succeed Les Aspin
Les Aspin
Leslie "Les" Aspin, Jr. was a United States Representative from 1971 to 1993, and the United States Secretary of Defense under President Bill Clinton from January 21, 1993 to February 3, 1994.-Early life:...
as Secretary of Defense
United States Secretary of Defense
The Secretary of Defense is the head and chief executive officer of the Department of Defense of the United States of America. This position corresponds to what is generally known as a Defense Minister in other countries...
on December 16, 1993, initially receiving broad bipartisan support. He accepted the post at first, but withdrew his nomination during an unusual press conference on January 18, 1994 that shocked members of both major political parties.
During the press conference, Inman made angry remarks about perceived mistreatment by New York Times columnist William Safire
William Safire
William Lewis Safire was an American author, columnist, journalist and presidential speechwriter....
. Safire wrote paragraphs on Inman's "anti-Israel bias shown", and ended in a four point list of other negative qualifications. Inman suggested that Safire had recruited Senator Bob Dole
Bob Dole
Robert Joseph "Bob" Dole is an American attorney and politician. Dole represented Kansas in the United States Senate from 1969 to 1996, was Gerald Ford's Vice Presidential running mate in the 1976 presidential election, and was Senate Majority Leader from 1985 to 1987 and in 1995 and 1996...
of Kansas to engage in a "vitriolic attack" on Inman, and also claimed that Dole and Senator Trent Lott
Trent Lott
Chester Trent Lott, Sr. , is a former United States Senator from Mississippi and has served in numerous leadership positions in the House of Representatives and the Senate....
were planning to "turn up the heat" on his nomination.
Dole's reaction was to state that "I have no idea what's gotten into Bobby Inman... Admiral Inman's letter doesn't make any sense to me." Lott appeared even more surprised, saying that "I am floored by [Inman's] bizarre press conference," while an unnamed White House aide added: "Most of us were glued to the tube, our mouths open in shock."
Statements
In 2006, Inman criticized the Bush administrationGeorge W. Bush administration
The presidency of George W. Bush began on January 20, 2001, when he was inaugurated as the 43rd President of the United States of America. The oldest son of former president George H. W. Bush, George W...
's use of warrantless domestic wiretaps
NSA warrantless surveillance controversy
The NSA warrantless surveillance controversy concerns surveillance of persons within the United States during the collection of foreign intelligence by the U.S. National Security Agency as part of the war on terror...
, making him one of the highest-ranking former intelligence officials to criticize the program in public