Amoss, Ulius Louis, 1895-1961

Ulius "Pete" Louis Amoss (1895-1961) was an American businessman who dedicated his life to espionage. During World War II, Amoss served as a director in the United States Office of Strategic Services, for which he was awarded the Legion of Merit. After he was discharged in 1946, Amoss formed the International Services of Information Foundation (ISI), a non-profit intelligence service whose purpose was to collect and disseminate information from foreign countries. Amoss edited three ISI publications, General report, INFORM, and a Special letter to ISI trustees and supporters.

From the description of Ulius L. Amoss papers, 1941-1963. (University of Oregon Libraries). WorldCat record id: 67840528

Ulius "Pete" Louis Amoss (1895-1961) dedicated his life to espionage. In several of his speeches Amoss quotes an old-school general who defines espionage as "...the second most ancient profession in the world, not as honorable as the first, nor as much fun." He admits espionage is dirty business, all the more reason, he says, for it to be practiced only by the most honorable of men.

Amoss' first espionage experience was acquired via the war work of the International committee of the YMCA in Greece. Wanting to move into Turkey, the Middle East, and Africa, Amoss set up an export business, Gramtrade International Corporation, of which he was President from 1936 to 1942. During this time, he also posed as a munitions dealer to intervene in negotiations between Germany and Turkey and became involved in two more business: Harrisburg Machine and Foundry company and the Shirgun Corporation. In 1942, when Amoss was ordered to report to the army, the government took over and "ruined" his export operations.

While in the Armed Forces, Amoss served as Director of the Balkan Desk for information, C.O.I. (Coordinator of Information); Director of the OSS (Office of Strategic Services) Near Eastern Desk, intelligence; Deputy Directory, OSS, for sabotage, intelligence, psychological and guerrilla warfare; Commanding Officer, Experimental Detachment G-3 UASFIME; and Deputy Chief of Staff, U.S. Ninth Air Force. He was awarded the Legion of Merit and formed important friendships with colleagues from most U.S. allies. In addition, he met and later married Mary Veronica "Ron" Grogan who also served in the Armed Forces' secret intelligence.

After being discharged in 1946, Amoss, still dedicated to a career in espionage, formed the International Services of Information Foundation, Incorporated (ISI), a non-profit, privately owned and operated intelligence service whose purpose was to collect and disseminate information from overseas countries. ISI published a General Report, a newsletter entitled INFORM, and a Special Letter to ISI Trustees and Supporters, in order to pass on the information they had learned through their intelligence operations. Amoss edited these publications.

To assist in the financial support of ISI, Amoss formed an unincorporated U.L. Amoss Syndicate in 1948 to promote and carry out legitimate and profitable transactions in foreign or domestic trade. In turn, the Syndicate invested in several other corporations. One, World Rights, Inc. capitalized on Amoss' discovery in 1954 of the hair restoring product, Grecian Formula 16. Aegean Products, Inc. and Delian Distributors, Inc. were set up as distributors for the product. In 1957, Amoss sold his stock in Grecian Formula 16 because he found it had lead in it as well as other undesirable side effects. He then tried to get a British company formed to invest in a new, improved product, but apparently was unable to raise the capital.

The Amoss Syndicate ventures and Amoss personally suffered financial loss. Amoss raised money by giving numerous speeches promoting ISI and writing articles for magazines. It is also evident from his Papers that he intended to write several books. Everything he did earn, he put into ISI.

Amoss died November 9, 1961 from coronary thrombosis.

From the guide to the Ulius L. Amoss papers, 1941-1963, (Special Collections and University Archives, University of Oregon Libraries)