2. The Foundation Since the days of our first president, George Washington, the United States has carried out reconnaissance and intelligence activites The earliest form of the CIA was the OSS, or Office of Strategic Services. President Franklin D. Roosevelt appointed New York Lawyer William J. Donovan to be the first Coordinator of the Agency
3. Soon after World War II the heads of our country came to the conclusion that the intelligence gathering of our country needed extra attention. President Truman signed the National Securit Act of 1947, establishing the Central Intelligence Agency.
4. The CIA Today The CIA's primary function is to collect information about foreign governments, corporations, and individuals, and to advise public policymakers. The agency conducts covert operations and paramilitary actions, and exerts foreign political influence through its Special Activities Division.