RADM John M. Poindexter
United States National Security Advisor (1985–1986); Rear Admiral, United States Navy
John Marlan Poindexter was born in Washington, Indiana on August 12, 1936. He was high school valedictorian and class president. He attended the U.S. Naval Academy on an ROTC
scholarship, graduating at the head of his class in 1958 with a degree in engineering. The Navy awarded him one of its first Burke Scholarships, which he used to enroll at the California
Institute of Technology. He studied under Nobel laureate Rudolph Mossbauer, earning an M.S. degree in physics (1961) and Ph.D. in nuclear physics (1964).
Poindexter rose through the ranks of the Navy, alternating between postings on ships and Pentagon-based office assignments. The latter included work as a Systems Analysist in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense (1966-69), a member of the Secretary of the Navy’s personal staff (1971-74), and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations (1976-78). After two
years as commander of a destroyer squadron (1978-80), he was named Chief of Staff of the Naval Education and Training Command in Pensacola, Florida. He was promoted from Captain
to Rear Admiral in March 1981.
Admiral Poindexter joined the National Security Council (NSC) staff in June 1981. He served as Military Assistant to two National Security Advisors, Richard Allen and William P. Clark. When
Robert (Bud) McFarlane became National Security Advisor in November 1983, Poindexter was named his deputy. Poindexter received a temporary promotion to Vice Admiral in May 1985. He
was named National Security Advisor when McFarlane resigned in December.
In November 1986, it was revealed that the U.S. government had secretly been selling arms to Iran, in the hope that Iran would put pressure on Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Lebanon to
release their American hostages. On November 25, President Reagan announced the Justice Department’s conclusion that NSC staff had secretly used funds from the Iran arms sales to
support the Contra forces fighting against the Nicaraguan government. Reagan also announced Poindexter’s departure from the NSC.
As the Iran-Contra scandal began dominating the news, Poindexter reverted to Rear Admiral rank and was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He refused to cooperate
with the investigation of Iran-Contra until he was granted limited immunity from prosecution in April 1987. In July, he testified in televised Congressional hearings that he had helped divert
Iranian arms profits to the Contras without informing President Reagan. Poindexter retired from the Navy effective December 1, 1987.
In March 1988, Iran-Contra independent counsel Lawrence Walsh won grand jury indictments of Poindexter, Oliver North, and two others involved in the affair. Poindexter was charged with
obstructing the Government’s investigations of Iran-Contra. He was convicted on all five counts in April 1990, in a trial that featured seven hours of videotaped testimony recorded by former
President Reagan in Los Angeles. However, the conviction was reversed on appeal in 1991, on the grounds that several prosecution witnesses had been influenced by Poindexter’s immunized
testimony before Congress.
Poindexter held various defense contractor and technology jobs in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2002 he returned to Government service as a member of the Defense Advance Research Project
Agency (DARPA). Poindexter was named head of the Information Awareness Office (IAO), a DARPA pilot program investigating the use of computer technology to gather and analyze
information for the George W. Bush Administration’s “war on terror.” The IAO was disbanded in 2003, following widespread concern that its work would lead to intrusive Government
surveillance of U.S. citizens. Poindexter retired from DARPA a few months later. He currently lives in the Washington, DC area.
Poindexter married Linda Goodwin two days after he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958. Mrs. Poindexter began studying for the Episcopal priesthood after their five sons were
grown. She served as a priest from 1986 to 1999, when she converted to Roman Catholicism.
scholarship, graduating at the head of his class in 1958 with a degree in engineering. The Navy awarded him one of its first Burke Scholarships, which he used to enroll at the California
Institute of Technology. He studied under Nobel laureate Rudolph Mossbauer, earning an M.S. degree in physics (1961) and Ph.D. in nuclear physics (1964).
Poindexter rose through the ranks of the Navy, alternating between postings on ships and Pentagon-based office assignments. The latter included work as a Systems Analysist in the
Office of the Secretary of Defense (1966-69), a member of the Secretary of the Navy’s personal staff (1971-74), and Executive Assistant to the Chief of Naval Operations (1976-78). After two
years as commander of a destroyer squadron (1978-80), he was named Chief of Staff of the Naval Education and Training Command in Pensacola, Florida. He was promoted from Captain
to Rear Admiral in March 1981.
Admiral Poindexter joined the National Security Council (NSC) staff in June 1981. He served as Military Assistant to two National Security Advisors, Richard Allen and William P. Clark. When
Robert (Bud) McFarlane became National Security Advisor in November 1983, Poindexter was named his deputy. Poindexter received a temporary promotion to Vice Admiral in May 1985. He
was named National Security Advisor when McFarlane resigned in December.
In November 1986, it was revealed that the U.S. government had secretly been selling arms to Iran, in the hope that Iran would put pressure on Iranian-backed terrorist groups in Lebanon to
release their American hostages. On November 25, President Reagan announced the Justice Department’s conclusion that NSC staff had secretly used funds from the Iran arms sales to
support the Contra forces fighting against the Nicaraguan government. Reagan also announced Poindexter’s departure from the NSC.
As the Iran-Contra scandal began dominating the news, Poindexter reverted to Rear Admiral rank and was assigned to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He refused to cooperate
with the investigation of Iran-Contra until he was granted limited immunity from prosecution in April 1987. In July, he testified in televised Congressional hearings that he had helped divert
Iranian arms profits to the Contras without informing President Reagan. Poindexter retired from the Navy effective December 1, 1987.
In March 1988, Iran-Contra independent counsel Lawrence Walsh won grand jury indictments of Poindexter, Oliver North, and two others involved in the affair. Poindexter was charged with
obstructing the Government’s investigations of Iran-Contra. He was convicted on all five counts in April 1990, in a trial that featured seven hours of videotaped testimony recorded by former
President Reagan in Los Angeles. However, the conviction was reversed on appeal in 1991, on the grounds that several prosecution witnesses had been influenced by Poindexter’s immunized
testimony before Congress.
Poindexter held various defense contractor and technology jobs in the 1990s and 2000s. In 2002 he returned to Government service as a member of the Defense Advance Research Project
Agency (DARPA). Poindexter was named head of the Information Awareness Office (IAO), a DARPA pilot program investigating the use of computer technology to gather and analyze
information for the George W. Bush Administration’s “war on terror.” The IAO was disbanded in 2003, following widespread concern that its work would lead to intrusive Government
surveillance of U.S. citizens. Poindexter retired from DARPA a few months later. He currently lives in the Washington, DC area.
Poindexter married Linda Goodwin two days after he graduated from the Naval Academy in 1958. Mrs. Poindexter began studying for the Episcopal priesthood after their five sons were
grown. She served as a priest from 1986 to 1999, when she converted to Roman Catholicism.
Dates in Office
1985 - 1986 1985 - 1986
Related Web LinksSocial Networks and Archival Context (SNAC) record
Additional National Archives holdings related to this Individual can be accessed at:
NAID:10571682
Poindexter, John M: Files, 1981-1986
NAID:10571682
Poindexter, John M: Files, 1981-1986