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• J. Edgar Hoover was the first director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He was appointed the in 1924 by President Coolidge, and would hold the position until he died in 1972. His career spanned 8 presidential administrations and nearly fifty years, and established the FBI as a powerful government intelligence agency.

• Fast Facts

  1. Full name: John Edgar Hoover
  2. Birth date: January 1, 1895
  3. Birth place: Washington, D.C.
  4. Died on May 2, 1972
  5. Was director of FBI from his appointment in 1924 until his death in 1972
  6. Did not file a birth certificate until age 43
  7. Accused of exceeding or abusing his power
  8. FBI Headquarters named after him two days after his death
  9. Received honorary knighthood from King George VI
  10. Presented with the National Security Medal by President Eisenhower

• Career highlights

  Hoover first gained recognition in the 1930s for his pursuit of Prohibition era gangsters such as John Dillinger and Machine Gun Kelly. He would also lead Cold War era loyalty and spy investigations.

• Controversies

  After his death, Hoover has been criticized for abusing his powers. In 2007, it was revealed that Hoover kept a list of 12,000 names of individuals who he suspected were disloyal to the United States and whom he wanted imprisoned.FOXNews: Former FBI Director Hoover Planned to Arrest 12,000 Americans... (December 22, 2007) Under Hoover's leadership, the FBI conducted investigations into the sex lives of several people, including Jack Valenti, who was investigated due to rumors that he was gay.Washington Post: Valenti's Sexuality Was Topic For FBI (February 19, 2009)

• Related Mahalo Pages

  FBI | Calvin Coolidge | Herbert Hoover | Franklin D. Roosevelt | Harry Truman | John F. Kennedy | Lyndon Johnson | Richard Nixon | Martin Luther King Jr. | House Un-American Activities Committee | Robert F. Kennedy

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