Tenet held the position as the DCI from July 1997 to July 2004 , making him the second-longest serving director in the agency 's history â '' behind Allen Welsh Dulles â '' as well as one of the few DCIs to serve under two U.S. presidents of opposing political parties . Tenet held the position as the DCI from July 1997 to July 2004 , making him the second-longest-serving director in the agency 's historyâ `` behind Allen Welsh Dullesâ `` as well as one of the few DCIs to serve under two U.S. presidents of opposing political parties .