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What’s the Meaning Behind the CIA Seal?
The CIA seal is one of the most recognizable images in the world.
You’ve probably seen it on book covers, T-shirts and in the movies.
But what’s the meaning behind the seal? What does it
represent to the CIA, its employees and the US citizens we serve?
Section 2 of the Central Intelligence Agency Act of 1949 provided for a seal of office for the CIA. The seal’s design
was approved on Feb. 17, 1950 in President Harry Truman's Executive Order
10111.
In this Order, the CIA seal is described in heraldic terms as follows:
SHIELD: Argent, a compass rose of sixteen
points gules.
CREST: On a wreath argent and gules an
American bald eagle's head
erased proper.
Below the shield on a gold color scroll the
inscription "United
States of
America" in red letters and
encircling the shield and crest at the top
the inscription "Central
Intelligence Agency" in white letters.
All on a circular blue background with a narrow
gold edge.
AND WHEREAS it appears that such seal is of
suitable design and is
appropriate for establishment as the official seal of
the Central
Intelligence Agency
But the formal verbiage in President Truman’s Executive Order does not
clearly explain what the various parts of the seal mean.
Here’s how we interpret our seal:
- The
American Eagle is the national bird and is a symbol of strength and
alertness.
- The radiating spokes of the compass rose depict the convergence of intelligence data from
all areas of the world to a central point.
- The
shield is the standard symbol of defense and the intelligence we gather for
policymakers.
For an interactive look at the CIA seal, visit
https://www.cia.gov/kids-page/k-5th-grade/the-cia-seal/index.html
Historical Document
Posted: Sep 12, 2007 02:06 PM
Last Updated: Jun 20, 2008 08:59 AM
Last Reviewed: Sep 12, 2007 02:06 PM