Cuban Missile Crisis
McCone emphasized continued reconnaissance and verification after Khrushchev agreed to dismantle and remove the offensive missiles.
Role range: 1961-1965
Historical biography archive · Updated 2026-11-03
John A. McCone Biography and Timeline — Page 2
Follow John A. McCone through 88 dated historical records for United States of America.
John A. McCone, historical timeline
A chronological timeline drawn from matching World History Database records.
88Distinct records
2 of 3Page
1962–1964Years on this page
1962
Cuban Missile Crisis
McCone reviewed reconnaissance showing dismantled missile equipment moving toward Cuban ports for shipment back to the Soviet Union.
Role range: 1961-1965
Post-Crisis Courses of Action
McCone sent McGeorge Bundy a memorandum outlining courses of action to follow as the administration moved from immediate crisis management toward verification and settlement.
Role range: 1961-1965
Cuba Intelligence Handling Postmortem
McCone reviewed an Inspector General examination of how raw intelligence on the Soviet buildup had been handled before the missiles were photographed.
Role range: 1961-1965
Cuba Photo Gap Review
McCone received a CIA review describing the reconnaissance gap over central Cuba and the caution that had limited U-2 coverage before 14 October.
Role range: 1961-1965
Non-Invasion Pledge Warning
McCone urged McGeorge Bundy not to give Cuba an unconditional non-invasion pledge without satisfactory arrangements for inspection, verification, and protection against subversion.
Role range: 1961-1965
Soviet Withdrawal ExComm Briefing
McCone briefed the Executive Committee on Soviet deployment, missile withdrawal, and intelligence concerning the continuing military situation in Cuba.
Role range: 1961-1965
Soviet Conduct in Cuba Warning
McCone warned Kennedy that Soviet communications, Cuban support for regional subversion, and Moscow's public claims required caution in any final settlement with Castro.
Role range: 1961-1965
1963
Cuba Intelligence Community Review
McCone treated the coordinated post-crisis review of intelligence performance and Cuban reconnaissance as the final Intelligence Community report for presidential advisers.
Role range: 1961-1965
Kennedy Intelligence Commendation
President Kennedy sent McCone a letter commending the Intelligence Community for its contribution during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Role range: 1961-1965
Test Ban Treaty Verification Review
McCone warned that a proposed test ban could constrain American weapons development without adequate assurance that prohibited Soviet activity would be detected.
Role range: 1961-1965
Vietnam Estimate Revision
McCone rejected a pessimistic draft national estimate on South Vietnam and directed further consultation, producing a final estimate with a more optimistic assessment.
Role range: 1961-1965
Unauthorized Cuban Raid Policy
McCone recommended that the United States disassociate itself from unauthorized Cuban exile raids and take steps to prevent their continuation.
Role range: 1961-1965
Purcell Reconnaissance Panel
CIA initiated the Purcell Panel to advise McCone on the future course of the National Reconnaissance Program and advanced technical collection.
Role range: 1961-1965
Research and Development Review Board
CIA established a Research and Development Review Board to coordinate scientific and technical programs across Agency components during McCone's reorganization.
Role range: 1961-1965
Science Directorate Leadership Transition
Herbert Scoville left the research directorate, prompting McCone to reorganize CIA's science and technology structure and seek new leadership.
Role range: 1961-1965
Directorate of Science and Technology Created
McCone created the Directorate of Science and Technology and selected Albert Wheelon to lead the expanded organization for technical intelligence and research.
Role range: 1961-1965
Vietnam Mission Authority Dispute
McCone resisted proposals that would weaken CIA control of its Saigon station while officials debated Ambassador Lodge's authority and possible leadership changes.
Role range: 1961-1965
Letter to Ambassador Lodge
McCone wrote Henry Cabot Lodge, opposing Edward Lansdale as Saigon station chief while agreeing to find a replacement for John Richardson if required.
Role range: 1961-1965
Foreign Missile and Space Analysis Center
McCone directed creation of the Foreign Missile and Space Analysis Center to strengthen independent CIA assessment of foreign missile and space capabilities.
Role range: 1961-1965
South Vietnam Coup Policy Meeting
McCone joined Kennedy, McNamara, Robert Kennedy, and Bundy in reviewing the rapidly developing coup situation and American responsibilities in South Vietnam.
Role range: 1961-1965
Harriman Vietnam Coordination Discussion
McCone told Averell Harriman that CIA had not coordinated or endorsed the August policy cable on South Vietnam as Harriman had been led to believe.
Role range: 1961-1965
Castro Contact Discussions
McCone participated in administration discussions about exploratory contacts with Fidel Castro but regarded the diplomatic initiative skeptically while covert pressure continued.
Role range: 1961-1965
Vietnam Assessment Return
McCone returned from Vietnam more discouraged about the war and increasingly doubtful that South Vietnamese leadership could carry its share of the burden.
Role range: 1961-1965
Johnson Vietnam Policy Conference
At President Johnson's early Vietnam policy conference, McCone gave a less optimistic assessment than other officials and questioned favorable forecasts from Saigon.
Role range: 1961-1965
Johnson Cuba Strategy Meeting
McCone discussed Cuba with President Johnson, who requested firm recommendations and more aggressive options while rejecting any repetition of the Bay of Pigs failure.
Role range: 1961-1965
DCI Public Image Discussion
McCone told Johnson that portraying the DCI chiefly as a covert operator impaired his broader intelligence role; Johnson agreed that the public image should change.
Role range: 1961-1965
South Vietnam Inspection Trip
McCone completed discussions in Saigon and found weak governmental leadership, uncertain military progress, and serious shortcomings in reporting on the counterinsurgency.
Role range: 1961-1965
Vietnam Pessimism Letter to Johnson
McCone told President Johnson that there were more reasons for pessimism than optimism in South Vietnam and that the new military government had not demonstrated effective leadership.
Role range: 1961-1965
Expanded Covert Reporting in Vietnam
McCone ordered experienced CIA officers to Saigon temporarily to develop additional covert reporting on the new government's effectiveness and public acceptance.
Role range: 1961-1965
1964
Vietnam Counterinsurgency Reporting Check
McCone proposed a covert method for independently checking reports on the progress of the South Vietnamese war and counterinsurgency effort.
Role range: 1961-1965
Joint Chiefs Vietnam Intelligence Review
McCone discussed Vietnam with the Joint Chiefs while questioning whether existing intelligence reporting gave policymakers a reliable picture of conditions in the field.
Role range: 1961-1965
Nosenko Brought to United States
Following McCone's order, Soviet KGB defector Yuri Nosenko was brought to the United States for intensive questioning about his intelligence claims and Lee Harvey Oswald.
Role range: 1961-1965
Special Group Cuba Covert Activities Review
McCone joined a Special Group meeting reviewing clandestine and covert activities against Cuba while the Johnson administration reconsidered its pressure campaign.
Role range: 1961-1965
Khanh Coup Intelligence Failure Review
McCone concluded that intelligence agencies had failed to anticipate the January coup by Nguyen Khanh and questioned whether warning indicators had been properly analyzed.
Role range: 1961-1965
Nosenko Warren Commission Decision
McCone was persuaded that Nosenko should not appear before the Warren Commission while CIA counterintelligence officers continued challenging the defector's credibility.
Role range: 1961-1965
Warren Commission Testimony
McCone testified before the Warren Commission about CIA information relevant to Lee Harvey Oswald and possible foreign involvement in President Kennedy's assassination.
Role range: 1961-1965
Invisible Government Publication Response
McCone challenged publication of The Invisible Government after CIA concluded that the book contained numerous security disclosures as well as many significant inaccuracies.
Role range: 1961-1965
CORONA Contracting Decision
McCone told the National Reconnaissance Program Executive Committee that he wanted CIA to retain its existing contracting responsibility for the CORONA satellite program.
Role range: 1961-1965
CORONA West Coast Management Plan
McCone briefed reconnaissance officials on plans to strengthen CIA's West Coast component and consolidate Agency contracting and support functions for CORONA.
Role range: 1961-1965
Records, sources and methodology
These dates and descriptions come from the historical_events database. Exact duplicate records have been collapsed. Names are grouped by the country, Name 2 and Name 1 fields; records with missing Name 2 cannot be reliably assigned to an individual biography. Check the underlying sources before formal citation.