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Dennis D. Fitzgerald

American government official

Layered newspapers, civic records and oral-history reels arranged as chronological evidence
History and societyInterpretive dossier study · Crown Archives visual atlas
Record originEnglish Wikipedia
Text licenseCC BY-SA 4.0
Source revisionJun 1, 2026
Entity authorityQ5258327 ↗
Source-derived summary

Dennis D. Fitzgerald (February 28, 1943 – December 31, 2008) was the first Principal Deputy Director of the National Reconnaissance Office

In announcing the passing of Dennis Fitzgerald, Director of the NRO Scott F. Large noted “Dennis had dedicated 33 years of government service to our nation upon his retirement from the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) in April of 2007.” He was the first Principal Deputy Director of the NRO, the Deputy Assistant to the Secretary of the Air Force (Intelligence Space Technology), the Director of the CIA’s Office of Development and Engineering, Directorate for Science and Technology, and the Associate Deputy Director for Science and Technology.

Early life and education

Born 28 February 1943 in New Haven, Connecticut.

Bachelor of Science, Physics, Fairfield University, June 1964.

Four Master of Science degrees: applied physics, mathematics, electrical engineering, and space technology, Johns Hopkins University, 1968 – 1980.

Awards and decorations

Senior Intelligence Service Distinguished Officer Award.

Senior Intelligence Service Meritorious Officer Award.

Central Intelligence Agency Medal of Merit.

Central Intelligence Agency Intelligence Commendation Award.

National Reconnaissance Office Gold Medal.

Editorial summary

The public source identifies “Dennis D. Fitzgerald” as american government official. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Dennis, Fitzgerald and American.

Editorial reviewA strong contextual entry point for chronology, institutions and public events when official records are distinguished from later interpretation. The current lead gives the account dated anchors—1943, 2008, 2007, 1964—that can be checked directly. The linked authority record independently contributes the date 1943-02-28. Its value is orientation rather than verdict, with Dennis, Fitzgerald and American providing the first useful test.
Editorial analysis

Why this record matters

A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “Dennis D. Fitzgerald”, the useful work is to connect “american government official” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.

Evidence profile

The record creator and administrative purpose are central evidence, because official documentation reflects both action and institutional priorities. The source revision retrieved here is dated Jun 1, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q5258327. 1 of 1 selected statements include explicit references; 0 carry qualifiers and 0 use preferred rank. The first chronological checks are 1943, 2008, 2007 and 1964.

Critical limits

Official terminology may obscure informal participation, dissent or communities documented only indirectly. The lead is largely declarative, so disagreement and counter-evidence require a deliberate search beyond the opening account. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.

How to read it

Compare institutional narratives with records created by participants and affected communities. Dates and formal titles are useful anchors, but not substitutes for context.

Best used for
  • Event chronology
  • Institutional context
  • Locating named record creators
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Contemporary correspondence, government or organizational records, oral histories and cited historical scholarship.

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  1. Establish the record: confirm the title “Dennis D. Fitzgerald”, its source revision and the description used here.
  2. Expand the search: follow Dennis D. Fitzgerald primary sources, Dennis D. Fitzgerald archive and Dennis research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
  3. Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.

Questions for further research

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Source & attribution

This entry incorporates text from “Dennis D. Fitzgerald” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.