SECRET

12 May 1965

MEMORANDUM IN LIEU OF FITNESS REPORT

SUBJECT: James A. Noel, Employee Serial No. 065292
Fitness Report for the Period 1 April 1964 to 31 March 1965

1. Subject, who was born 10 March 1911, is a GS-16 and has been assigned to Madrid as Chief of Station since October 1961.

2. As Chief of Station, he is charged with the organization and management of the station and is responsible for the planning, direction, and supervision of all its activities. He also exercises general supervision of the Barcelona base. Assisting him and under his general supervision are 24 staff employees and 15 contract employees.

3. Subject serves as the Ambassador's principal intelligence officer, as chairman of the Embassy Defector Committee, as the Agency representative on the Embassy Country Team, and as the coordinator of U.S. clandestine intelligence operations in Spain. Accredited as the Agency's representative to the Spanish Intelligence (AEM) and Security (DGS) services, he plans, directs, and supervises all aspects of the station's multi-level liaison with those services and personally handles the liaison with the Service chiefs and a number of their senior officers. On the operational side, subject handled STIBAD/1, CITIZEN, and QUINN/1. He recruited QUIP/1 during the rating period, arranged a new cover job for HARRIOTT through QUINN/1, and participated in the handling of QUALAT and QUIPOS.

4. Subject is an experienced and mature officer, possessing an excellent command of Spanish. Highly motivated, he demonstrates sound judgment, readily accepts responsibility, and is both thorough and reliable in the execution of his duties. Friendly and affable, he holds the confidence and respect of those with whom he deals and those to whom he is responsible, and the morale of his subordinates is noticeably high. He is alert to the operational possibilities which might be exploited in Spain and has taken the initiative in proposing and developing new projects. He has also demonstrated a keen interest in the welfare of his subordinates and has been instrumental in improving their living and working conditions.

SECRET