[2] He graduated from the Sidwell Friends School in Washington, D.C. and earned a bachelor's degree in history and economics from Amherst College.

As Deutch was initially reluctant to accept the appointment, the position was conferred with Cabinet rank, a prerequisite ultimately retained by successor George Tenet through the end of the Clinton administration.

"[6] As head of the CIA, Deutch continued the policy of his predecessor R. James Woolsey to declassify records pertaining to U.S. covert operations during the Cold War.

[8][9] Speaking to a hostile crowd, Deutch denied any connection between the CIA and cocaine traffic in Los Angeles and vowed to open an investigation.

[8][9] The meeting was prompted by allegations published by journalist Gary Webb that connected the CIA to the California cocaine trade and trafficker Danilo Blandón.

Over two years after his departure, the matter was referred to the Department of Justice, where Attorney General Janet Reno declined prosecution.

[19] In June 2003, his son Philip Joseph Deutch (from his first marriage), then a managing director and venture capitalist at Perseus LLC, married Marne Levine, who later served as the COO of Instagram.