10 Facts About Tom Braden

Tom Braden began staunchly advocating for a permanent civilian American intelligence agency.

In 1950, at the start of the Korean War, Allen Dulles invited Tom Braden to become his personal assistant at the Central Intelligence Agency.

Tom Braden accepted, and was assigned the codename "Homer D Hoskins".

Tom Braden's role was without portfolio, apparently assigned to Frank Wisner's Office of Policy Coordination but in reality working directly subordinate to Dulles.

Consequently, Tom Braden's efforts were guided toward promoting anti-Soviet left-wing elements in groups such as the AFL-CIO.

Tom Braden left the CIA in November 1954 and became owner of the Oceanside, California, newspaper The Blade-Tribune, which he bought with a loan from his friend Nelson Rockefeller.

Tom Braden himself ran for office only once, mounting an unsuccessful primary challenge in 1966 to incumbent Democratic lieutenant governor Glenn Anderson.

Tom Braden became a prominent political commentator on radio and television.

Tom Braden died of cardiac arrest on April 3,2009, at his home in Denver, Colorado.

Tom Braden was predeceased by his wife Joan, who died in 1999, and son Tom, who died in 1994.