A retired senior intelligence officer, Robert (Bob) Wallace served in the Central Intelligence Agency from 1971 through 2003. His field assignments included that of case officer and Chief of Station. He was appointed Deputy Director of CIA’s Office of Technical Service (OTS) in 1995 and elevated to Office Director in 1998. During his time at the OTS, scientists developed systems for agents and case officers to communicate with each other using secret writing, short-range radio, microdots, subminiature cameras and satellites. They designed and built audio bugs, telephone taps and surveillance systems. They made tracking devices, weapons, disguises and fake documents, and conducted experiments in character assessment and even “thought control.” In other words, Bob was the "Q" of the CIA.
He retired in 2003 with multiple awards including recognition by the CIA’s Inspector General, the Intelligence Medal of Merit, the Distinguished Career Intelligence Medal, and two Clandestine Service Donovan Awards. He frequently speaks and writes on intelligence and has co-authored several books including SPYCRAFT (2008), The Official CIA Manual of Deception and Trickery (2009), and three volumes of Spy Sites.
Presentation Topics
Who Wants to Be a Spy?
Compares the motivation, character and behavior of real spies with those depicted in novels, films and TV.
Nothing Is as It Seems—Admit Nothing, Deny Everything
Explores the fundamentals of Spycraft—assessment, development, recruitment, concealments, deception and more.
Gadgets from Q’s Workshop
Describes development of amazing spy devices and how a spy uses them.
Who’s Spying on Me?
Traces the evolution of clandestine surveillance from biblical stories to 21st-century digital technology.
Ethics & Espionage
Wrestles with real cases and hard choices of deciding right from wrong in the “wilderness of mirrors."
What Difference Does It Make?
Highlights the spies and espionage operations that won wars, made kings and altered the course of history.
They Did What There?
Discovers the buildings, parks, homes and fields that unexpectedly became a spy’s playground. (In Washington, Philadelphia or New York)
Cradle of American Espionage
Spies of the Revolutionary War.
It’s Not Just Moscow
Espionage in America by everyone except the Russians.
Biblical Espionage
Spies and deceptions that shaped biblical history.
When Cyber Spy Came to Town
An examination of disruptive technology’s transformation of espionage.
Magic and Espionage—Kindred Spirits
How spies use the conjurer’s skill to steal secrets.
Spies in the Cold
When Alaska was a Hotbed of Espionage.
Bob Wallace is available to speak at your event virtually or in-person. Contact our sales team for more information.
The Spy Museum does not endorse, approve, or support the opinions stated by the speakers. Statements made by presenters do not represent the position or opinion of the International Spy Museum.
