Charles E. Allen FellowshipIn March 2010, The George Washington University Homeland Security Policy Institute (HSPI) established The Charles E. Allen Intelligence Fellowship. Designed to further the professional development of an exceptional George Washington University graduate student who intends to pursue a career in the intelligence community, the Fellowship will help support that individual’s work within the auspices of HSPI. Made possible by the generous contribution of Ronald Marks, a former intelligence professional, the Fellowship is named for The Honorable Charles E. Allen, a remarkable public servant with half a century’s experience at the epicenter of this field.
“Charlie Allen is a living legend and it is only fitting that a Fellowship be created in his honor to help grow the next generation of extraordinarily talented and dedicated analysts,” said Frank Cilluffo, director of HSPI. “His lifetime of quiet commitment in the nation’s service should be properly celebrated and it is our hope—HSPI together with Ron Marks—that this Fellowship will take a small but important step toward serving that end.”
Allen joined the Central Intelligence Agency in 1958, served as the first National Intelligence Officer for Counterterrorism, the first Chief of Intelligence in the newly established Counterterrorist Center, and eventually became Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Collection and later, Under Secretary of Homeland Security for Intelligence and Analysis.
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On Tuesday, October 27, 2009, HSPI welcomed The Honorable Charles Allen for a discussion of the key events and lessons learned during his distinguished career of 50+ years in the US intelligence community. Watch the video above or visit the event page for details.
Charles Allen served as a member of the US intelligence community for five decades. Joining the CIA after graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 1958, Allen retired from federal service in 2009 as the Chief Intelligence Officer for the Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Intelligence and Analysis.
During a distinguished career, Allen bore witness or participated in some of the most important intelligence analysis in our nation’s history – including events surrounding the Cuban Missile Crisis, the Yom Kippur War, Iraq’s invasion of Kuwait, as well as operations against Osama bin Laden and al Qaeda. Furthermore, he has been at the epicenter of many of the intelligence community’s structural reforms and played a role in the fielding of new technologies – include spy satellites and Predator drones.
In August 2005, President George W. Bush appointed Allen, to the dual role of Assistant Secretary for Information Analysis at the Department of Homeland Security as well as the DHS Chief of Intelligence. Effective November 2007, he was elevated to Under Secretary for the renamed Office of Intelligence and Analysis at DHS, an office he held until January 20, 2009. Prior to his appointment to DHS, Allen served as Special Assistant to the Director of the Central Intelligence Agency.
Prior to joining the Department of Homeland Security in 2005, Mr. Allen served as the Assistant Director of Central Intelligence for Collection – beginning in June 1998. In this capacity, he was responsible for Intelligence Community collection and requirements management and reported to the Deputy Director of Central Intelligence (DDCI) for Community Management. Mr. Allen also chaired the National Intelligence Collection Board, which ensured that collection was integrated and coordinated across the Intelligence Community.
From 1974-1977, Allen served overseas in an intelligence liaison capacity and from 1977-1980 held management positions in the Directorate of Intelligence. From 1980 to November 1982, he served as a program manager of a major classified project, reporting to DDCI's Carlucci, Inman, and McMahon, respectively.
In December 1982, Mr. Allen was detailed to the Office of the Secretary of Defense, Department of Defense, where he held a senior position in strategic mobilization planning. In 1985, Director Casey asked Mr. Allen to return to CIA in the capacity of a National Intelligence Officer (NIO) for Counterterrorism. In February 1986, he also was appointed Chief of Intelligence in CIA's newly established Counterterrorist Center. As NIO for Counterterrorism, he represented the DCI in a number of interagency committees, including the chairing of the Interagency Intelligence committee on Terrorism, and serving as a member of the Interdepartmental Group on Terrorism (IG/T) and the National Security Council’s Terrorist Incident Working Group. Following this assignment, Mr. Allen served as the NIO for Warning from 1988 to 1994. In this capacity, he was the principal adviser to the DCI on national-level warning intelligence and chaired the Intelligence Community's Warning Committee.
Mr. Allen was awarded the National Intelligence Medal for Achievement in 1983 by DCI Casey and the President's Award for Distinguished Federal Civilian Service in 1986 by President Reagan. In 1991, he was presented the CIA Commendation Medal for provision of warning intelligence in Desert Shield/Desert Storm. In October 2005, CIA Director Goss awarded Mr. Allen the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the CIA’s highest and most coveted award. In addition, the Office of the Director of National Intelligence Negroponte awarded Mr. Allen the National Intelligence Distinguished Service Medal in October 2005.
Mr. Allen completed a Bachelor’s degree as well as graduate studies from the University of North Carolina. He is a Distinguished Graduate of the U.S. Air Force Air War College.
