Clair Elroy George (August 3, 1930 – August 11, 2011) was a veteran of the Central Intelligence Agency's (CIA) clandestine service who oversaw all global espionage activities for the agency in the mid-1980s. According to The New York Times, George was "a consummate spymaster who moved the chess pieces in the CIA's clandestine games of intrigue". After serving in Korea and Japan as an enlisted man in Army Intelligence, George was one of the CIA's earliest recruits. As such George challenged the traditional image of early CIA recruits. He was not a son of privilege and lacked an Ivy League pedigree. By many accounts, he developed a loyal following for his ebullient manner and courage working in some of the world's most volatile regions. After a highly decorated career lasting nearly thirty years, including dangerous assignments in Beirut and Athens, George served for three years in the Reagan Administration as Deputy Director for Operations. He was the third-ranking official at the CIA under William Casey. George made headlines when he became the highest-ranking target of investigation and prosecution in the Iran–Contra affair. After a first mistrial, George was eventually found guilty by a jury on only two counts of making false statements to congressional committees investigating the Iran-Contra Affair. He was pardoned by President George H. W. Bush two weeks later along with others involved. The special prosecutor immediately thereafter moved to vacate the indictments against George altogether. After his retirement from the CIA, George continued to hold legendary hero status in the intelligence community and he was a successful consultant on international matters. He died in Bethesda at age 81 of cardiac arrest. His wife of 45 years, Mary Atkinson George, had died in 2008. She had given up her CIA career when they married. Early life Clair Elroy George was born Aug. 3, 1930 in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. His family moved several times, ending up in the western Pennsylvania steel-mill town of Beaver Falls, Pennsylvania, when he was 9. His father was a dairy chemist who worked for the United States Department of Agriculture. George, nicknamed "Red" because of his hair color, was an academic standout, a musician (drummer) and president of the student council. He worked in a steel mill. Later he majored in political science and debated at Pennsylvania State University, graduating in 1952. He was set to enroll in Columbia Law School when he joined the