"To Catch a Spy"

Oct 24, 2018

James Olson

"To Catch a Spy"

James Olson

"To Catch a Spy"

James Olson is a Professor at the Bush School of Government and former CIA officer. He will continue his May 9, 2018 Bryan Rotary presentation on the intelligence challenges facing the country today.

Professor Olson received his law degree from the University of Iowa. He is a Senior Lecturer at the Bush School, where he teaches courses on intelligence, national security, and international crisis management. He served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency, mostly overseas in clandestine operations. In addition to several foreign assignments, he was chief of counterintelligence at CIA headquarters in Langley, Virginia. Professor Olson has been awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, the Donovan Award, and several Distinguished Service Citations. He is the recipient of awards from the Bush School and the Association of Former Students for excellence in teaching. Professor Olson is the author of Fair Play: The Moral Dilemmas of Spying. Prior to his career in the CIA, he served in the US Navy, where he attained the rank of lieutenant commander.