Robert Jay Hermann (April 6, 1933 – October 5, 2023) was an American public servant who was the eighth

Director of the National Reconnaissance Office The Director of the National Reconnaissance Office (DNRO) of the United States is responsible to the United States Secretary of Defense, Secretary of Defense (through the Under Secretary of Defense for Intelligence) and the Director of National Int ...

Life and career

Hermann was born on April 6, 1933. He was the major architect of the

National Security Agency The National Security Agency (NSA) is an intelligence agency of the United States Department of Defense, under the authority of the director of national intelligence (DNI). The NSA is responsible for global monitoring, collection, and proces ...

's expanded role in space reconnaissance. In addition, he advocated broadening the NRO's support to tactical military customers. Hermann was also responsible for establishing the Defense Reconnaissance Support Program. In 1989, Hermann was elected a member of the

National Academy of Engineering The National Academy of Engineering (NAE) is an American Nonprofit organization, nonprofit, NGO, non-governmental organization. It is part of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine (NASEM), along with the National Academ ...

for conceiving and guiding applications of space technologies to national security. Hermann died in

Darien, Connecticut Darien ( ) is a coastal town in Fairfield County, Connecticut, United States. With a population of 21,499 and a land area of just under , it is the smallest town on Connecticut's Gold Coast (Connecticut), Gold Coast. Situated on the Long Island ...

on October 5, 2023, at the age of 90.

References

External links

National Reconnaissance Office: Directors List
1933 births 2023 deaths Directors of the National Reconnaissance Office Members of the United States National Academy of Engineering Carter administration personnel Reagan administration personnel {{US-gov-bio-stub