James M. Olson, former Directorate of Operations of the CIA, Author

James M. Olson served for over thirty years in the Directorate of Operations of the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), mostly overseas in clandestine operations. Some say he was our James Bond of the CIA.

Jim was born in Iowa and graduated from the University of Iowa. He served in the U.S. Navy aboard guided missile destroyers and frigates and attained the rank of lieutenant commander in the U.S. Navy Reserves. Mr. Olson earned his law degree from the University of Iowa and became a member of the Iowa Bar.

His goal was to be a small-town lawyer in Iowa, but that changed when the Central Intelligence Agency offered him a position in the clandestine service. Mr. Olson met his wife Meredith at the CIA and together they served under cover for 31 years conducting espionage and covert action operations overseas. They served in Paris, Moscow, Vienna, Mexico City, and Washington, D.C. At CIA headquarters, Mr. Olson was Chief of Counterintelligence.

After retiring from the CIA, he taught intelligence at the Bush School of Government and Public Service of Texas A&M University. Meredith and Jim have three children and eleven grandchildren. He is the Author of two best selling books which he will be signing for us at our luncheon.

Needless to say, Olson’s stories of undercover operations and his breadth of knowledge in intelligence will be a must see on Thursday, August 29!

TICKET POLICY

Downtown Rotary Club of Houston members are entitled to one (1) free ticket per paid member.

Corporate members are entitled to five (5) tickets. Visitors and guests must purchase a ticket at $75.

If you are ordering more than one (1) ticket, please ENTER EACH ATTENDEE'S NAME for faster event check in.

All credit cards and PayPal accepted. Valet parking included.