| Howard W. Penney | |
| Birth Date: | December 5, 1918 |
| Death Date: | [1] |
| Rank: | Lieutenant General |
| Awards: |
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Lieutenant General Howard W. Penney (December 5, 1918 - June 25, 2004) of United States Army, was first director of Defense Mapping Agency from July 1972 to August 1974. Under Penney's leadership, the new agency focused its assets into a decentralized structure with a lean staff to respond to the rising demands for geographic information by a variety of military users.
Lieutenant General Penney attended the University of Detroit, and graduated with a BS from the United States Military Academy in 1940. He earned an MS in civil engineering at Texas A&M University in June 1949. He completed the United States Army Command and General Staff College in June 1952, and the National War College in June 1959.[2]
In response to President Nixon’s directive of July 1971, Lieutenant General Penney consolidated the Department of Defense's military mapping, charting and geodesy (MC&G) activities and created DMA. Under his leadership from July 1972 to August 1974, the new agency focused these assets into a decentralized structure with a very lean staff to respond to the high demands for geographic information by military users.[3]
In 2001 Lt. Gen. Penney was inducted into the inaugural class of the National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency Hall of Fame, where he is credited for "helping the military overcome doubts as to whether or not DMA could meet their needs."[3] His military decorations and awards include:
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