Max C. Hugel (May 23, 1925 – February 19, 2007) was an American businessman and political figure. He worked on Ronald Reagan's 1980 presidential campaign, and briefly served as

Deputy Director for Operations The deputy director of the CIA for operations is a senior United States government official in the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency who serves as head of the Directorate of Operations. The position was established December 1, 1950 and from Janua ...

of the

Central Intelligence Agency The Central Intelligence Agency (CIA ), known informally as the Agency and historically as the Company, is a civilian foreign intelligence service of the federal government of the United States, officially tasked with gathering, processing, ...

before resigning amidst allegations of improper stock trading. He later became a co-owner of the historic

Rockingham Park Rockingham Park was a horse racing establishment in Salem, New Hampshire, in the United States. First built in 1906, it was used as an area for many to gamble on the weekends. Seabiscuit raced there in 1935 and 1936,''Daily Racing Form'' staff (2 ...

Salem, New Hampshire Salem is a town in Rockingham County, New Hampshire, United States. The population was 30,089 at the 2020 census. Being located on Interstate 93 as the first town in New Hampshire, which lacks any state sales tax, Salem has grown into a commer ...

, and at the time of his death was chairman of Carmen Group, a Washington D.C. lobbying firm. He died of cancer at his home in

Ocala, Florida Ocala ( ) is a city in and the county seat of Marion County within the northern region of Florida, United States. As of the 2020 United States Census, the city's population was 63,591, making it the 54th most populated city in Florida. Home to ...

, at the age of 81. Hugel was born in

the Bronx The Bronx () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Bronx County, in the state of New York. It is south of Westchester County; north and east of the New York City borough of Manhattan, across the Harlem River; and north of the New Y ...

, New York, and was drafted into the U.S. Army at 18,
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serving from 1943 to 1947. He attended the Military Intelligence School at the

University of Michigan , mottoeng = "Arts, Knowledge, Truth" , former_names = Catholepistemiad, or University of Michigania (1817–1821) , budget = $10.3 billion (2021) , endowment = $17 billion (2021)As o ...

, where he became fluent in Japanese, and became a

first lieutenant First lieutenant is a commissioned officer military rank in many armed forces; in some forces, it is an appointment. The rank of lieutenant has different meanings in different military formations, but in most forces it is sub-divided into a s ...

in Military Intelligence. He graduated from the University of Michigan in 1953, and became president and CEO of Brother International Corporation from 1954 to 1975, and executive vice president and chief operating officer of Centronics Computer Corporation from 1975 to 1980. He was recruited by

Ronald Reagan Ronald Wilson Reagan ( ; February 6, 1911June 5, 2004) was an American politician, actor, and union leader who served as the 40th president of the United States from 1981 to 1989. He also served as the 33rd governor of California from 1967 ...

to assist in his New Hampshire primary campaign and later chaired the national voters group of the Reagan campaign. After Reagan's election, Hugel led the

Small Business Administration The United States Small Business Administration (SBA) is an independent agency of the United States government that provides support to entrepreneurs and small businesses. The mission of the Small Business Administration is "to maintain and stren ...

during the presidential transition. Hugel was a close friend of William J. Casey, the director of the CIA. Hugel joined the CIA in January 1981 as Casey's special assistant, and Casey later appointed him as

, the head of the CIA's Clandestine Service. After reporters from the ''

Washington Post ''The Washington Post'' (also known as the ''Post'' and, informally, ''WaPo'') is an American daily newspaper published in Washington, D.C. It is the most widely circulated newspaper within the Washington metropolitan area and has a large nati ...

'' published allegations by two former business associates of improper or illegal stock trading during Hugel's time with Brother International, Hugel resigned while denying the allegations. He later sued the two associates for

libel Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...

, and won. In 1983 Hugel joined with three business partners to purchase the Rockingham Park racetrack in New Hampshire and rebuild it following a fire. He was also a breeder and owner of racehorses. Hugel was married and had four children.

References

External links

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Collected news clippings about Max HugelFiles of Director of Citizens' Operations Max Hugel
at the National Archives Catalog 1925 births 2007 deaths People of the Central Intelligence Agency 20th-century American businesspeople People from Ocala, Florida Reagan administration personnel People from the Bronx United States Army officers University of Michigan alumni American technology chief executives 21st-century American businesspeople American racehorse owners and breeders {{US-business-bio-1920s-stub