Pseudonym: Tichborn, Edward
104-10174-10064: FOLDER ON (ASSET)
1958 - Hank Lopez ran for the post of Secretary of State as a Democrat, while residing in Los Angeles. He was born on 5/28/20 in Denver, Colorado. At p. 104: Completely bilingual since childhood.
104-10119-10229: MEMO: INFORMATION ON HENRY PRESTON LOPEZ
Mid-1959 CIA investigation, Memorandum: Subject: Lopez, Henry Preston: "In mid-1959 National Agency Name Checks were conducted in the name of the Subject with negative results at ONI, ACSI, HCUA and State Security...The following information has been provided by a confidential source who is well versed in subversive activities in the Los Angeles, California, area: Subject has, in the past, been a candidate for Secretary of State in California but lost the election..." This matches the passage from the memorandum from Horace Davis on May 4, 1960 (104-10174-10032): ..."In 1958 he (Tichborn) was the Democratic candidate (unsuccessful) for Secretary of State in California..."
104-10119-10228: LOPEZ A HARVARD LAW SCHOOL GRADUATE.
Mid-1959 CIA document: Subject: Lopez, Henry P. D.O.B. - 28 May 1920. P.O.B. - Denver, Colorado: "Subject, a Harvard Law School graduate, has been in private law practice in the Los Angeles area since 1949. He was favorably investigated by the FBI in 1948 presumably at the request of the IZRB with whom he was briefly associated as an engineer on the West Coast. (REDACTION). A full field investigation by SSD in the Los Angeles (unintelligible) generally favorable; however, revealed considerable derogatory information in that his name appears a number of times in the subversive files on the West Coast. In 1949 he was listed as a member of the Bar Committee of the Democratic Minority Conference. This organization, according to a confidential informant well versed in subversive activities in the Los Angeles area, was believed to be infiltrated by Communist sympathizers. Subject's committee opposed loyalty oaths for attorneys. From 1952 to 1958 Subject's name was mentioned favorably in the Daily Peoples World, a West Coast CP organ. Subject has been an associate of a number of well known West Coast individuals who are either leftist or CP sympathizers over the years. Based upon the foregoing (REDACTION)."
104-10119-10236: MEMO: LOPEZ, HENRY P
07/28/59, Memorandum from Dale B. Whiteside, SAIC, Los Angeles Field Office to Chief, Investigative Division: Subject: Lopez, Henry P. #203377 OA IB/3: Changed: Lopez. Henry Preston: "1. Reference is made to Headquarters memorandum of assignment dated 12 May 1959 and to the Los Angeles Field Office OOC report dated 27 July 1959. 2. Investigation at Los Angeles, California, reveals that Subject's full name is Henry Preston Lopez. 3. The District Field Office is not being requested to reschedule National Agency Checks."
104-10119-10233: FORM: NAME CHECK REPORT
08/28/59, CIA document from Victor R. White, Special Agent in Charge: Subject: 203377 - H.P.L. OA IB/3: "In accordance with your request, a name check was conducted on Subject with results as indicated below: AGENCY: FBI, RETURN: SA, DATE: 5/7. ONI: NR, 6/19. ACSI: NR, 5/19. State: NR, 5/20. Passport: SA, 8/21. CSC: SA, 5/25. HCUA: NR, 5/20. OSI: SA, 5/20..."
104-10174-10059: MEMO RE: OPERATIONAL APPROVAL GRANTED
10/14/59, Memorandum from CI/Operational Approval and Support to Chief, PP/PAD: "Operational Approval is hereby granted in the case of Tichborn, Edward G (R) (REDACTION), for the purpose specified in your request dated 10 Apr 1959. Operational Approval is granted for use of Subject as outlined in your request (Form 772) dated 10 Apr 1959. Subject's reported association with suspected Communists should be borne in mind in all dealings with him. This information has been reviewed in CI/OA by a representative of PP/PAD. Project SGLACTEAL..."
104-10174-10052: MEMO SUBJECT: CONSULTANT FOR CUBA - EDWARD G. TICHBORN (P)
11/23/59, Memorandum for the record from Horace W. Davis, Acting Chief, Political Action Division: ..."2. As scheduled, I met with Mr. Tichborn at the Ambassador Hotel in Los Angeles on 18 November. We reviewed the situation in Cuba in some detail and I asked him if he would be available to make a TDY trip to Cuba to investigate possibilities of our coalescence of the non-Communist opposition to Fidel Castro into a political organization. Tichborn stated that he was most desirous of going...3. I was much impressed with Tichborn's immediate grasp of the difficulties involved and the type of operation I proposed for him to undertake..."
104-10174-10038: MEMORANDUM: DEBRIEFING OF EDWARD G. TICHBORN (P)
02/02/60, Memorandum for the record from Evalena S. Vidal: ..."2. Some of the operational information and suggestions offered by Tichborn are the following: a. There appears to be little chance of a coalition of the opposition groups at this time or in the near future since they are not well organized and each group would want to be the leader of such an effort. Also, according to the members of the opposition to whom Tichborn talked, it is the general consensus of opinion that Fidel Castro is in no danger of loosing his grip or the devotion of his followers for some time to come. b. Fidel Castro seems to become most upset and almost panicked by defections. Possessing a 'Messiah-type complex' he cannot bear the thought of someone leaving the fold. Rather than to let such defections pass on unnoticed, he feels compelled to give reasons and excuses. This then blows the matter up perhaps out of proportion and quickly becomes a matter of public knowledge. Tichborn feels that the inducement of defections could perhaps have more effect on Castro than any other single, rational action we might undertake..." Page 2: ..."5. While in Cuba, Tichborn accidentally met a young lady who later revealed to him that she was 'an agent for the State Department.' He felt that this was a security matter and that it should be brought to our attention for that purpose. Mr. (REDACTION) did not recognize the name; it is being further checked out with WH Division. The incident and the details will be made the subject of a separate memorandum for CI Staff."
104-10174-10032: MEMO SUBJECT: EDWARD G. TICHBORN (P), PAD CONTRACT AGENT
05/04/60, Memorandum from Horace W. Davis, Chief, Political Action Division: Subject: Edward G Tichborn (P), PAD Contract Agent: ..."2. Tichborn was recruited by Horace W. Davis in the fall of 1959 for use in the PAD political adviser program, i.e. advising foreign contacts of CIA on political organization and techniques, particularly as they apply to election campaign. 3. Tichborn is an American citizen, 39 years old, he is a graduate of Harvard Law School and has been an attorney, specializing in trial work in Los Angeles since 1949. He entered politics in Los Angeles the same year. He was elected President of the Los Angeles Young Democrats, 1950-51). In 1950 he was Chairman of the Speakers Bureau for the James Roosevelt - Helen Gahagan Douglas campaign. In 1952 and again in 1956 he was a member of both the Minorities Committee and the Speaker's Bureau for Adlai Stevenson's campaign. In addition he has participated in numerous local campaigns. In 1958 he was the Democratic candidate (unsuccessful) for Secretary of State in California...4. In January of this year Tichborn travelled to Cuba on behalf of WH Division where he spent about two weeks assessing the political situation, with emphasis on ascertaining the strengths and weaknesses of the non-Communist groups, and investigating the possibilities of a coalescence of these groups into apolitical organization. At briefing sessions prior to his departure, Tichborn demonstrated an immediate grasp of the type of mission proposed to him, and upon his return, revealed considerable insight into the Cuban situation. 5. WH Division received two copies of the debriefing report in February. Briefly, some of the operational information and suggestions offered by Tichborn are as follows:.. d. Most important, Tichborn emphasized that Castro must not be underestimated by the U.S., nor written off as another Latin American revolutionary..."
104-10119-10231: MEMO: LOPEZ, HENRY PRESTON
02/09/61, Memorandum from Acting Chief, Security Records Division to Chief, Investigations Branch: "1. A request for information concerning the Subject, date of birth 5/28/20, was received from FBI on 7 Feb. 61 in conducting a (REDACTION/BLANK) investigation. 2. Please prepare, if appropriate, a blind memorandum from information contained in the attached SSD file." Also see 104-10174-10069, p. 62, memo by DO/CO Gale Allen: "In mid-1962 he was taken on full-time under contract by WH Division and assigned to Mexico City. His cover for assignment was publishing and movie interests in Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America. In Mexico City, he published a magazine REDACTED..." p. 63: "The files show that Tichborn's magazine Dialogos was funded through Tichborn by various individuals through arrangements made by CCS (Central Cover Section). The AC/WH/6 interrogated Tichborn on any foundation funding. Tichborn could only recall one instance of foundation funding - 2000-2500 given Dialogos editor _____ Mirau by the Fairfield Foundation...Louis Mercier was informed that ODACID/State Dept. also supported Dialogos. 104-10174-10064, p. 103: Dialogos is described as a "Mexican literary magazine". This page also contains Lopez's cirriculum vitae.
104-10211-10045: DISPATCH: MEXICAN PROGRAM
10/28/63 dispatch from Win Scott to Chief KUWOLF, and DTDORIC/QKOPERA/DTGODOWN slugline: "From 21-25 October Keith J. Bastear and Geoffrey T. Huyette met with Mexico Station officers and Edward G. Tichborn to discuss the further development of the DTGODOWN program. The major focus was on the creation of a Mexican intellectual journal." They were seeking the "target core for the DTGODOWN program. They are the center of the advanced group of intellectual thought in Mexico". GPBEFIT is a central figure in this plan. It is thought that he could bring Saul Bellow into the project, and would be useful in tending Robert Lowell. "It was agreed by all save Huyette that small groups of approximately two intellectuals without wives would be lost. Huyette, however, has evidently committed himself to en masse trip by the Trillings, Lowells, Podheretz and the Epsteins. On the third page, the suggestion is made that Octavio Paz might become a member of an "advisory editorial board"...Paz's wife was the playwright Elena Garro.
1966 memo from Lee Patton, WH/6: "Edward G. Tichborn (IDEN A) a long time DYVOUR/Mexican contract agent has recently been transferred from Mexico City to the New York City office of his new cover organization WUSALINE (IDEN B) which is a DO proprietary and a subsidiary of WUSALIFY (IDEN C). Tichborn will accompany WUBRINY-1 (IDEN D) the witting head of WUSALINE on a business orientation trip to Costa Rica, Nicaragua, Guatemala and Mexico City October 3-10."