Bronson Tweedy, 90, Was Deputy Director to CIA

Bronson Tweedy, a former deputy director to the director of the Central Intelligence Agency, and a summer resident at Makonikey in West Tisbury, died of cancer Oct. 5, at his home in Chevy Chase, Md. He was 90.

Bronson was born to American parents in London, England. He did all his schooling in England until he left to live in Germany for six months before coming to the United States to attend Princeton University. He graduated in 1937 with a degree in European history, and went into advertising at Benton and Bowles in New York city. In 1942, he joined the naval intelligence and served in North Africa and Europe interrogating German U-boat crews.

After the war, he briefly returned to advertising before being recruited by the CIA. He was dispatched to Bern, Switzerland in the late 1940's, returning to Washington. D.C. in 1950. He then served as Chief of Station in Vienna from 1953 to 1956, in London from 1956 to 1959 and again in the late 1960's.

He was the agency's first head of the African Division and chief of the Eastern European from 1959 to 1966. He retired in 1973 as deputy of the director of the CIA, Richard Helms.

After his retirement, he and his wife, Mary Louise King, built a house on Makonikey and enjoyed the next 20 summers on the Vineyard. While summering on the Island, Bronson was active with the Edgartown Golf Club; a member of the summer residents' board for West Tisbury; and on the board for the Martha's Vineyard Hospital. Besides golf, his other favorite past time was watching the birds that came to his feeders, and having his children and grandchildren come visit.

Bronson also worked for more than 25 years with the Recording for the Blind and Dyslexic, first as a reader and then as national chairman for the organization.

His wife of 64 years died in July. Survivors include a son, Lawrence Tweedy of Moriarty, N.M.; and a daughter, Anne Tiffany of Leesburg, VA.; and two grandchildren.