William H. Webster, the native of Webster Groves who served as U.S. attorney, federal judge and federal appellate judge before becoming the only person to lead both the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Central Intelligence Agency, died Friday. He was 101.
The lifelong Republican, who favored dark suits, crisp shirts and horn-rimmed glasses, was known as a straight shooter who was not swayed by partisan interests. He was credited with restoring trust in the two federal agencies following periods plagued by scandal.
Retired U.S. District Judge Stephen Limbaugh, a longtime friend, said that Webster's legacy was his "absolute integrity and honesty and fidelity to this country and its citizens."
In 1978, Webster was a federal appeals court judge when a Democrat, President Jimmy Carter