"[2] While serving in this role, Houston represented the interests of the CIA in procuring the contract for the Lockheed U-2 stealth aircraft,[3][4] and also during the Senate testimony of Francis Gary Powers surrounding the U2 crash.

[5][6] Houston also famously denied Joseph McCarthy any access whatsoever to CIA employees in the era of McCarthyism,[7] and especially during the events that occurred during the "John Paton Davies affair.

However, after his departure, many Cold War-era secrets emerged through media reports and congressional investigations, marking the end of a period of intense secrecy.

[1] Beginning in 1950, he developed a network of front companies to provide cover for CIA operations abroad, including the well-known Air America, whose true ownership was concealed through multiple corporate layers.

"[11] In 1952, Houston continued his education and took some courses at Georgetown Law School, and in 1953 he went through the Advanced Management Program at Harvard University.

[9] In 1955, Houston structured the contracts and performance guidelines that enabled the rapid development of the U-2 spy plane, which led to the completion of the project in just nine months.

[6] After the failed Bay of Pigs invasion in 1961, Houston facilitated the return of captured CIA operatives by coordinating the shipment of medical supplies to Cuba.

[2] In 1962, when Houston discovered that the CIA had enlisted Mafia figures in a plot to assassinate Fidel Castro, his actions helped keep the operation concealed for more than a decade.

They will remain as witness to his expertise, to his character, and to his superlative capacity in responding to the challenges of our national security and the dramatic times in which we live.