Preceded by George H. W. Bush Succeeded by Stansfield Turner Died July 9, 2010 | Name E. Knoche President Gerald Ford | |
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Alma mater Washington and Jefferson College Education Washington & Jefferson College, University of Colorado Boulder | ||
Enno Henry Knoche ( ; January 14, 1925 – July 9, 2010) was a deputy director of the CIA and acting Director of Central Intelligence.
Knoche attended Mt. Lebanon School District, where he played basketball and tennis, winning a Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League doubles championship. In 1942, he enrolled in Washington & Jefferson College, playing baseball and the freshman basketball team. He then enlisted in the United States Navy to serve in World War II in 1943. Later, he attended Bethany College, again playing basketball and leading the team in scoring. He then attended University of Colorado, where he led his basketball team to the 1946 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament and played baseball. Following his discharge from the military, he returned to W&J to complete his degree, graduating in 1947. He then played for 2 years in the professional National Industrial Basketball League, leading his team in scoring both years. He was drafted by the failing Pittsburgh Ironmen in the 1947 BAA Draft. When his contract was then sold to the New York Knicks, Knoche demanded $2,500 (equivalent to $26,800 in 2016) to play for the team, a demand that was not met.
He served in the United States Navy as a Navy intelligence officer, in World War II, and the Korean War.
He joined the CIA in 1953 as an analyst; he was fluent in Russian and the Fuzhou dialect. During the Cuban Missile Crisis, he briefed President John F. Kennedy. Even though he lacked the typical CIA resume, as having never served in operational capacity or in the clandestine operations, he was steadily promoted through the agency's ranks. On July 7, 1976 he became deputy director, serving under director George H.W. Bush. In that position, he was responsible for day-to-day agency operations.
Upon Bush's resignation from the CIA with the inauguration of Jimmy Carter on January 20, 1977, Knoche became acting director. That day, he briefed Carter on the agency's ongoing clandestine operations. On January 21, 1977, he met with president Jimmy Carter, and delivered photo intelligence from Aerospace Data Facility-East. His term as acting director ended when Stansfield Turner was confirmed as director of the CIA on March 9, 1977. He retired on August 1, 1977. He was awarded the Distinguished Service Medal.
He married Angie Papoulas in 1947; they had five sons