The United States has a rich history of intelligence systems, some good and some bad, according to the speakers at this week’s Center for Constructive Alternatives seminars. 

Hillsdale held its first CCA of the year Oct. 1-4, discussing the history and controversies behind U.S. intelligence.

Alexander Rose, author of “Washington’s Spies: The Story of America’s First Spy Ring,” gave the first lecture on intelligence during the American Revolution. 

“There was a lot of spying during the American Revolution; it’s just that no one talked about it until recently,” Rose said.

Rose’s lecture detailed the story of Abraham Woodhull and the Culper Ring. 

“Its importance lies in the fact that it was the only network of civilian agents permanently operating behind enemy lines,” Rose said. 

According to Rose, before the Culper Ring, intelligence would normally come from individual soldiers working for a single patron and for private interest.

“It was a great lecture,” freshman Hart MacKinnon said. “As someone who wants to minor in history, it was interesting to see the origins of American intelligence and spy rings during the revolution.”

Jonna Mendez, the former chief of disguise for the CIA, spoke Monday afternoon on “The Art of Disguise.” Her responsibilities included assigning disguises and special equipment to overseas agents. 

“We were the gadget people at the CIA,” Mendez said. 

Examples of gadgets were a camera hidden in a pen and a document hidden in a file reduced to the size of a 1 mm circle, also called a “microdot,” that would be read with magnification from a compact lens.

Mendez also said the CIA would take inspiration from sources such as Hollywood when forming new schemes. 

“We were always looking to private industry,” Mendez said.

Edward Jay Epstein, author of “Assume Nothing: Encounters with Assassins, Spies, Presidents, and Would-Be Masters of the Universe,” gave a lecture on Monday evening on the subject of Cold War espionage. Epstein focused on the Nosenko case.

“The Nosenko case was the most important case of the Cold War,” Epstein said.

Epstein said Yuri Nosenko defected after the Kennedy assassination, saying that he was Lee Harvey Oswald’s case officer in the KGB. He was discredited in part because he failed the verification process, which included lie detectors and emotional response tests. 

Fred Fleitz of the America First Policy Institute gave a lecture Tuesday afternoon on “The Importance of Good Intelligence.” He discussed what he considered bad intelligence, citing how then-CIA director John Brennan helped to orchestrate the Trump-Russia conspiracy story. The CIA is currently a body of the administrative state, according to Fleitz.

In order to bring back good intelligence, Fleitz said that conservatives need to get control of the agencies again.

“Good intelligence must be objective, non-political and relevant,” Fleitz said. “It needs strong and ethical leaders.”

The CCA held a faculty roundtable on Wednesday afternoon. Mark Moyar, professor of history, stressed the importance of good government for improving American intelligence.

“You need to elect leaders that are willing to make the necessary changes,” Moyar said. “I would encourage Hillsdale grads to go into government, because people of character are needed.”