Dulles, Allen

Dulles, Allen (Welsh) (1893–1969) diplomat, public official; born in Watertown, N.Y. (brother of John Foster Dulles). After serving in the U.S. Foreign Service (1916–26), he became a lawyer. In 1947 he assisted drawing up the legislation establishing the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA); he became its first civilian director (1953–61). Responsible for several notorious covert operations, he was forced to resign after the failure at Cuba's Bay of Pigs. He served on the Warren Commission (1963–64) investigating President Kennedy's assassination.