William H Webster, the only person to have led both the FBI and the CIA, has died at the age of 101, his family announced on Friday. Webster served as FBI director from 1978 to 1987 and CIA director from 1987 to 1991, earning a reputation for integrity and restoring public confidence in both agencies after periods of scandal.
Appointed by President Jimmy Carter to head the FBI in 1978, Webster, a Republican, helped improve the bureau's image following revelations of domestic spying and corruption. He was generally credited with developing the agency's ability to tackle new challenges such as terrorism. President Ronald Reagan later chose him to replace CIA chief William J Casey, who had been criticised for politicising the agency and involvement in the Iran-Contra affair.
Webster quickly eased tensions with Congress, reporting regularly on CIA activities to lawmakers and avoiding attempts to shape policy. After retiring from federal service in 1991, he joined a Washington law firm and served on various policy boards. In 2002, he was selected to lead a board overseeing the accounting profession after the Enron scandal, but resigned amid questions about his role as head of the audit committee of a company accused of fraud.
Former President George W Bush described Webster as a model public servant with a passion for the rule of law. Webster once said that every director of the CIA or the FBI should be prepared to resign if asked to do something they knew was wrong.
