Paul F. Gaynor

Paul Francis Gaynor (June 27, 1914 – May 13, 1975) was an American military officer and Central Intelligence Agency operative. He is best known for his involvement in Project MK Ultra, having overseen and directed its predecessor, Project ARTICHOKE. He is a recipient of the Distinguished Service Cross.

Early life and education Gaynor was born on June 27, 1914, in Scranton, Pennsylvania. His father, James Gaynor, was the owner of a construction company. Paul was a student at the University of Scranton as well as the University of Pennsylvania, studying business at the latter's Wharton School.

Following his education, Gaynor moved to Dunmore, where he worked for the Pennsylvania Coal Company.

Army career In 1941, Gaynor enlisted into the 28th Infantry Division of the Pennsylvania National Guard. He began active duty in 1943 when he was shipped off to Europe. He partook in the D-day landings and the Liberation of Paris. In one event during the Battle of the Bulge in December 1944, Gaynor, then a captain, killed eight German soldiers while covering the displacement of his company, before forming a defensive line, causing the Germans to disperse. As a result of his actions, Gaynor was awarded the Distinguished Service Cross.

Intelligence career Following the establishment of the Central Intelligence Agency in 1947, Gaynor was recruited as a member of the agency's research staff. On February 22, 1951, Gaynor was appointed Chief of Research Staff at the CIA's Office of Security, a position which he initially served until May 1957. During this period, Gaynor and his staff launched a large-scale investigation into homosexual employees in the federal government.

Gaynor also became the subject of harsh criticism by CIA Director Allen Dulles, who cautioned Gaynor against his overt support for former Nazi sympathizers in the US government, such as John B. Trevor Jr., as well as congressman Hamilton Fish III.

Project ARTICHOKE was brought under Project MK Ultra following the latter project's launch on April 13, 1953. Whereas previous ARTICHOKE experiments had primarily been conducted abroad, Gaynor initiated a new series of experiments to be tested within the borders of the United States. Gaynor also proposed the establishment of fake left-wing organizations run by the CIA to intercept "undesirable aliens" to be used as subjects for MKUltra, and approved of a plan to recruit over 4,000 military personnel serving court-martial sentences in federal prisons to be experimented on. Later, after a report by Gaynor detailing McCord's involvement in the Watergate break-in was uncovered, Gaynor refused to comment on its discovery, claiming that the incident reported had been "blown out of proportion". Gaynor was also mentioned briefly during the Watergate hearings when CIA deputy director Vernon A. Walters referred to a memorandum from Gaynor detailing CIA activities in Mexico.

Gaynor was awarded the Intelligence Medal of Merit upon his retirement from the CIA in 1973. He died suddenly at his home in Arlington County, Virginia on May 13, 1975, aged 60.