William H. Webster, a former head of the CIA and FBI, has passed away.
He was 101.
Webster served as the head of the FBI from 1978 to 1987.
He served as the head of the CIA from 1987 to 1991.
He remains the only individual to have held both positions.
“The FBI mourns the passing of Judge William H. Webster, who served as Director of the FBI from 1978 to 1987. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and former colleagues. Judge Webster’s unwavering commitment to justice leaves a lasting legacy. We are forever grateful for his service to our nation,” the FBI stated.
The FBI mourns the passing of Judge William H. Webster, who served as Director of the FBI from 1978 to 1987. We extend our deepest condolences to his family, friends, and former colleagues. Judge Webster’s unwavering commitment to justice leaves a lasting legacy. We are forever… pic.twitter.com/yg5SECvdGx
— FBI (@FBI) August 9, 2025
ABC News has more:
A statement from Webster’s family said, “We are proud of the extraordinary man we had our lives who spent a lifetime fighting to protect his country and its precious rule of law.”
A memorial service for Webster will take place in Washington, D.C., on Sept. 18, the family said.
As FBI director, Webster served under Presidents Jimmy Carter and Ronald Reagan.
He then served as CIA director from 1987 to 1991 under Reagan and President George H.W. Bush.
“As the only individual to have led both the FBI and the CIA, Judge Webster’s unwavering integrity and dedication to public service set a standard for leadership in federal law enforcement,” the FBI Agents Association said in a statement.
Webster was born on March 6, 1924, in St. Louis, Missouri. He attended Amherst College in Massachusetts and earned his law degree at Washington University Law School in St. Louis.
He served as a U.S. Navy lieutenant in both World War II and the Korean War. A practicing attorney in St. Louis from the late 1940s to the late 1950s, Webster went on to serve as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri.
William H. Webster, only person to lead both FBI and CIA, dies at 101 https://t.co/yei9e4CrXP pic.twitter.com/IXVJGu9eaY
— New York Post (@nypost) August 9, 2025
Fox News noted:
Former FBI Director Christopher Wray, who departed the agency earlier this year, said he was “deeply saddened” by Webster’s death.
“My heart goes out to his family in this time of loss. His legacy will endure — not only in the institutions he guided, but in the generations of public servants he inspired to carry the torch forward,” Wray said in a statement.
ADVERTISEMENTWebster is survived by his second wife, Lynda Clugston Webster, and three children from his first marriage and their spouses, seven grandchildren and spouses and 12 great-grandchildren. His first wife, Drusilla Lane, died in the 1980s.
