J. Edgar Hoover

J. Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. He was appointed as the director of the Bureau of Investigation – the FBI's predecessor – in 1924 and was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972 at the age of 77. Hoover has been credited with building the FBI into a larger crime-fighting agency than it was at its inception and with instituting a number of modernizations to police technology, such as a centralized fingerprint file and forensic laboratories.

Early life and education

Hoover was born on New Year's Day 1895 in Washington, D.C., to parents Dickerson Naylor Hoover, Sr., and Annie Marie Scheitlin Hoover. He studied at George Washington University, graduating in 1916 with a degree in law. He went on to earn his Master's degree in law in 1917.

Career

Hoover started working at the Department of Justice in July 1917 and quickly rose through the ranks. In 1921, he was appointed as the assistant to the attorney general. In 1924, he was appointed as the director of the Bureau of Investigation by Calvin Coolidge, the then President of the United States.

During his tenure as the director of the FBI, Hoover implemented numerous changes and modernizations. He established a centralized fingerprint file, a crime laboratory, and a training academy for agents. He also expanded the FBI's recruitment and created the FBI National Academy in 1935.

Legacy

Hoover's legacy at the FBI is mixed. He is credited with building the FBI into a premier crime-fighting agency, but he is also criticized for overstepping his bounds, particularly during the McCarthy Era. His methods of intelligence gathering are still controversial.

See also

• Federal Bureau of Investigation
• McCarthy Era
• Calvin Coolidge