Signed into law by Harry Truman on September 18th 1947, the National Security Act restructured America’s military departments and created the United States Air Force. It also formed both the National Security Council (NSC) and the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA). The following excerpts from the Act relate to the CIA:

“There is hereby established under the National Security Council a Central Intelligence Agency with a Director of Central Intelligence, who shall be the head thereof. The Director shall be appointed by the President, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, from among the commissioned officers of the armed services or from among individuals in civilian life…

If a commissioned officer of the armed services is appointed as Director then… in the performance of his duties as Director, he shall be subject to no supervision, control, restriction, or prohibition (military or otherwise) other than would be operative with respect to him if he were a civilian in no way connected with the [military]…

For the purpose of coordinating the intelligence activities of the several Government departments and agencies in the interest of national security, it shall be the duty of the Agency, under the direction of the National Security Council:

1. To advise the National Security Council in matters concerning such intelligence activities of the Government departments and agencies as relate to national security;

2. To make recommendations to the President through the National Security Council for the coordination of such intelligence activities of the departments and agencies of the Government as relate to the national security;

3. To correlate and evaluate intelligence relating to the national security and provide for the dissemination of such intelligence within the Government using where appropriate existing agencies and facilities…

4. To perform, for the benefit of the existing intelligence agencies, such additional services of common concern as the National Security Council determines can be more efficiently accomplished centrally;

5. To perform such other functions and duties related to intelligence affecting the national security as the National Security Council may from time to time direct.

To the extent recommended by the National Security Council and approved by the President, such intelligence of the departments and agencies of the Government, except as hereinafter provided, relating to the national security shall be open to the inspection of the Director of Central Intelligence, and such intelligence as relates to the national security and is possessed by such departments and other agencies of the Government, except as hereinafter provided, shall be made available to the Director of Central Intelligence for correlation, evaluation, and dissemination…

Upon the written request of the Director of Central Intelligence, the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation shall make available to the Director of Central Intelligence such information for correlation, evaluation, and dissemination as may be essential to the national security.”