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William H. Webster, an honorary emeritus trustee at Washington University in St. Louis, passed away on Friday, Aug. 8, 2025, in Warrenton, Virginia. He was 101 years old.
Native to St. Louis, Webster was brought up in Webster Groves. He attained a bachelor’s degree from Amherst College in 1947 and a juris doctor from WashU Law in 1949. He also fulfilled duties as an officer in the U.S. Navy during World War II and the Korean War.
After years in legal practice, President Dwight Eisenhower appointed Webster as U.S. attorney for the Eastern District of Missouri. In 1970, President Richard M. Nixon designated him to the U.S. District Court for Eastern Missouri, and three years later, in 1973, he was elevated to the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
In 1978, he took on the role of FBI director under President Jimmy Carter. President Ronald Reagan later appointed him as director of the CIA and central intelligence in 1987, where he oversaw all foreign intelligence agencies in the U.S. until his retirement in 1991. Webster remains the only individual to have served in both positions.
“Bill gained recognition in Washington due to his reputation for integrity and his bipartisan dedication to the rule of law,” stated Chancellor Andrew D. Martin.
He subsequently chaired the Homeland Security Advisory Council for several years. Webster’s accolades include the Distinguished Intelligence Medal, the Presidential Medal of Freedom, the highest civilian honor in the nation, and the National Security Medal.
A devoted WashU alumnus, Webster was awarded a Washington University Alumni Citation in 1972; a Founders Day Distinguished Alumni Award from WashU Law in 1977; the Eliot Society Search Award in 1981; and the Washington, D.C.-Baltimore Regional Award in 2015.
Webster became a member of the WashU Law National Council in 1995 and served as the founding chair of the Washington-Baltimore Regional Cabinet. He was a university trustee from 1974 to 1996, including a term as vice chair, and was honored as an emeritus trustee in 1996, a lifetime distinction. In 1999, WashU Law established the Webster Society of Scholars in his honor, offering full-tuition scholarships for students dedicated to public service.
Webster is survived by his spouse, Lynda (Clugston) Webster; two daughters, Drusilla Patterson and Katherine Roessle; son William H. Webster Jr.; seven grandchildren; and 12 great-grandchildren.
A memorial ceremony will be held at 2:30 p.m. on Sept. 18 at the National Presbyterian Church, located at 4101 Nebraska Avenue NW, in Washington, D.C. In lieu of floral tributes, the family requests donations to the Webster Society Scholarship program.
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