J Edgar Hoover
Background + education
• Born January 1, 1985
• Raised in Washington D.C. (middle-class white suburb)
• Father – civil servant
• Until death of his widowed mother 1938, lived with her
• Moved to northwest Washington D.C. – lived alone until his death
• Decided to study law at George Washington University, paying for his education with a day job at the Library of Congress
• 1917, passed the bar exam
Appointed as minister to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, Director of FBI by 1924
• Led GID (General Intelligence Division)
• Nov 1918 named assistant to the attorney general
• When GID was moved the BI 1921, JEH named assistant director of the BOI
• May 1924, attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone appointed 29 yr old Hoover acting director of the B – by end of year JEH named Director
• With position, made several institutional changes to correct his predecessors criticisms o Fired agents considered to be unqualified o Ordered background checks o Interviews o Physical testing for new agent applicants o Revived early B policies of requiring legal/accounting training
• w/ JEH, B grew in responsibility + importance, becoming an integral part of the national gov. + as an icon in American popular culture
• Joined Department of Justice July 1917
• New attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer recognized Hoover’s idealistic enthusiasm + hired him as special assistant in charge of anti-radical activities
• Appointed assistant director 1921, second-highest position in Bureau
• Promotion to acting director May 1924 after Palmer’s resignation – seemed to know what was needed to transform his agency into the modern FBI
Coordination of the Palmer Raids 1919
• Became effective head of the General Intelligence Division (newly created)
• Born January 1, 1985
• Raised in Washington D.C. (middle-class white suburb)
• Father – civil servant
• Until death of his widowed mother 1938, lived with her
• Moved to northwest Washington D.C. – lived alone until his death
• Decided to study law at George Washington University, paying for his education with a day job at the Library of Congress
• 1917, passed the bar exam
Appointed as minister to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer, Director of FBI by 1924
• Led GID (General Intelligence Division)
• Nov 1918 named assistant to the attorney general
• When GID was moved the BI 1921, JEH named assistant director of the BOI
• May 1924, attorney General Harlan Fiske Stone appointed 29 yr old Hoover acting director of the B – by end of year JEH named Director
• With position, made several institutional changes to correct his predecessors criticisms o Fired agents considered to be unqualified o Ordered background checks o Interviews o Physical testing for new agent applicants o Revived early B policies of requiring legal/accounting training
• w/ JEH, B grew in responsibility + importance, becoming an integral part of the national gov. + as an icon in American popular culture
• Joined Department of Justice July 1917
• New attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer recognized Hoover’s idealistic enthusiasm + hired him as special assistant in charge of anti-radical activities
• Appointed assistant director 1921, second-highest position in Bureau
• Promotion to acting director May 1924 after Palmer’s resignation – seemed to know what was needed to transform his agency into the modern FBI
Coordination of the Palmer Raids 1919
• Became effective head of the General Intelligence Division (newly created)