How J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first and longest director of the FBI, used controversial methods to turn the agency into one of the most efficient investigative forces in the world

James PasleyAug 21, 2023, 23:29 IST

J. Edgar Hoover is seen speaking during a convention of former special agents in Washington, DC.Bob Daugherty/AP

J. Edgar Hoover took over the FBI, then known as the Bureau of Investigation in 1924 when he was 29 years old.
At first, agents couldn't carry weapons and reported suspects to other law officials. Hoover changed all that.

Edgar Hoover ran the FBI For 48 years, serving under eight different presidents. Hoover turned the agency from a relatively powerless group into one of the most efficient investigative forces in the world.

He had the FBI fight several threats to the country, including communists, gangsters, and Nazis. But he also had the agency spend decades harassing people of color, anti-war protestors, women, and the LGBTQ+ community.

Hoover was known for keeping files on almost anyone with power and influence, including Supreme Court justices, senators, congressmen, and presidents, as well as actors and writers. The list included President John F. Kennedy, Eleanor Roosevelt, Albert Einstein, and Felix Frankfurter.

In 1972, after he died, then-US Attorney General Laurence Silberman reviewed some of Hoover's secret files. He later said of it, "J. Edgar Hoover was like a sewer that collected dirt. I now believe he was the worst public servant in our history."

John Edgar Hoover was born in Washington, D.C., in 1895.

J. Edgar Hoover when he was 4 years old.AP

In 1917, he got a job at the Library of Congress.

J. Edgar Hoover as a young man.Jeffrey Markowitz/Sygma/Getty Images

At night, Hoover studied law at George Washington University.

J. Edgar Hoover poses for a photograph.George Rinhart/Corbis/Getty Images

After graduating, he got a job in the Department of Justice.

J. Edgar Hoover sits at a desk with a stack of papers before him.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1924, after another scandal involving corrupt politicians called the "Teapot Dome scandal," Hoover was appointed acting director of the bureau.

A media scrum surround then-Secretary of the Navy Edwin Denby amid the Teapot Dome scandal.Library of Congress/Corbis/VCG/Getty Images

When Hoover took over, he had a few conditions: he wanted the bureau to be apolitical and he only wanted to answer to the attorney general. His conditions were granted.

J. Edgar Hoover is shown delivering an address before the 23rd Annual Convention of the International Association for Identification.Bettmann/Getty Images

Under Hoover's command, the bureau focused on turning its work into a science.

FBI agents at target practice.Corbis/Getty Images

They had to be white men. Women and minorities were excluded.

A group of FBI agents display their revolvers while training at Quantico, Virginia.Corbis/Getty Images

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt chose the bureau as one of his tools in waging a "War on Crime."

FBI agents conducting a routine pat down of a suspect.Bettmann/Getty Images

Soon after, a film called "G-Men" came out, which helped the bureau's reputation even more. Hoover would often use Hollywood to promote the FBI to the public.

A still from the film “G-Men.”FilmPublicityArchive/United Archives/Getty Images

In 1936, Hoover's own experience dealing with criminals was questioned in the Senate because he had never actually made an arrest.

The FBI released a picture of Hoover after Alvin Karpis was arrested.AFP/Getty Images

That same year, in the lead-up to World War II, Hoover's long period of surveillance began when Roosevelt asked him to gather information on communists and fascists.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover stands behind President Franklin Delano Roosevelt and watches him sign a bill to enforce the fight against crime.Bettmann/Getty Images

It was around this period that Hoover began to appear consistently with Clyde Tolson, another FBI agent who the media called Hoover's "right-hand man."

J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson in Miami.Ray Fisher/Getty Images

They were seen daily getting lunch or going out to nightclubs and shows, and they took vacations each year together.

J. Edgar Hoover and Clyde Tolson relaxing.Corbis/Getty Images

During World War II, Hoover focused the FBI on searching for spies and Nazis within the US borders.

J. Edgar Hoover laughs with actors Wallace Beery and Lana Turner.PhotoQuest/Getty Images

In the years after the war, he turned the FBI's attention back onto communists and Russian spies.

J. Edgar Hoover testified before the Un-American Activities Committee.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1953, a Gallup poll found that just 2% of Americans disliked Hoover, which was a remarkably low percentage for a public figure.

J. Edgar Hoover appears in a poster for “Most Wanted Men” including actor George Nader and baseball star Al Kaline.Bettmann/Getty Images

But behind the scenes, he wasn't so beloved.

President Harry Truman is greeted by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover and US Attorney General J. Howard McGrath.Bettmann/Getty Images

After the McCarthy hearings, Hoover started worrying the US was wavering in its fight against communism.

J. Edgar Hoover in his office.Herbert K. White/AP

Hoover compiled files on almost anyone with any power.

J. Edgar Hoover is shown at his desk at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.Bettmann/Getty Images

But Hoover still had blind spots. The mafia was one of them.

J. Edgar Hoover sits at a desk with his eyes closed.AP

In 1958, Hoover was awarded a presidential award for his "brilliant leadership has contributed immeasurably to the preservation and strength of the nation, its constitution and laws."

President Dwight Eisenhower and J. Edgar Hoover as the president awards Hoover a medal.AP

In 1958, Hoover was awarded a presidential award for his "brilliant leadership has contributed immeasurably to the preservation and strength of the nation, its constitution and laws."

At the same time, Hoover continued working on the bureau's public image. He granted limited access to a reporter to write a favorable book about the FBI that he then had Hollywood turn into a blockbuster. The film "The FBI Story" came out in 1959.

A poster of the film, “The FBI Story."LMPC/Getty Images

At the same time, Hoover continued working on the bureau's public image. He granted limited access to a reporter to write a favorable book about the FBI that he then had Hollywood turn into a blockbuster. The film "The FBI Story" came out in 1959.

At President Lyndon B. Johnson's suggestion, Cointelpro eventually turned its focus onto white supremacy groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

J. Edgar Hoover stands beside President Lyndon Johnson as he announces the arrest of four Ku Klux Klan members.AP

In 1964, after 40 years of leading the bureau, Hoover was described by the media as having created a highly reputable national police force that had not weathered a scandal in those 40 years.

J. Edgar Hoover standing beside a sculpture of himself.AP

In 1964, after 40 years of leading the bureau, Hoover was described by the media as having created a highly reputable national police force that had not weathered a scandal in those 40 years.

Despite this, things began to get a bit rocky for Hoover in the 1960s as he took on the civil rights movement. He believed that it was tied to communism.

J. Edgar Hoover listens at the head table as he attends a luncheon of the Women’s National Press Club in Washington, DC.Harvey Georges/AP

The famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was one of Hoover's main targets.

Martin Luther King Jr. arrived at the FBI offices to speak with J. Edgar Hoover.Bettmann/Getty Images

In 1965, Hoover turned 70 and was required by law to retire. However, President Johnson waived the requirement and allowed him to stay in office.

President Lyndon B. Johnson and J. Edgar Hoover are about to shake hands as Attorney General Ramsey Clark looks on at the White House in Washington, DC.AP

Five years later, in 1970, President Richard Nixon butted heads with Hoover.

President Richard Nixon and J. Edgar Hoover photographed at Nixon’s office in the hotel Pierre in New York City.Harry Harris/AP

In 1971, after more rebuffs from Hoover, Nixon decided to fire him. He wrote a script for a meeting but couldn't go through with it.

J. Edgar Hoover and President Richard Nixon at the Hotel Pierre.Bettmann/Getty Images

Hoover died in his sleep the following year on May 2, 1972. He was 77 years old. He had led the bureau for 48 years.

A photo of J. Edgar Hoover’s funeral.John Duricka/AP

In the years after Hoover's death, his reputation swung in different directions.

J. Edgar Hoover listens to President Lyndon B. Johnson's speech.Bettmann/Getty Images

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How J. Edgar Hoover, the FBI's first and longest director of the FBI, used controversial methods to turn the agency into one of the most efficient investigative forces in the world

John Edgar Hoover was born in Washington, D.C., in 1895.

In 1917, he got a job at the Library of Congress.

At night, Hoover studied law at George Washington University.

After graduating, he got a job in the Department of Justice.

In 1924, after another scandal involving corrupt politicians called the "Teapot Dome scandal," Hoover was appointed acting director of the bureau.

When Hoover took over, he had a few conditions: he wanted the bureau to be apolitical and he only wanted to answer to the attorney general. His conditions were granted.

Under Hoover's command, the bureau focused on turning its work into a science.

They had to be white men. Women and minorities were excluded.

In 1933, President Franklin D. Roosevelt chose the bureau as one of his tools in waging a "War on Crime."

Soon after, a film called "G-Men" came out, which helped the bureau's reputation even more. Hoover would often use Hollywood to promote the FBI to the public.

In 1936, Hoover's own experience dealing with criminals was questioned in the Senate because he had never actually made an arrest.

That same year, in the lead-up to World War II, Hoover's long period of surveillance began when Roosevelt asked him to gather information on communists and fascists.

It was around this period that Hoover began to appear consistently with Clyde Tolson, another FBI agent who the media called Hoover's "right-hand man."

They were seen daily getting lunch or going out to nightclubs and shows, and they took vacations each year together.

During World War II, Hoover focused the FBI on searching for spies and Nazis within the US borders.

In the years after the war, he turned the FBI's attention back onto communists and Russian spies.

In 1953, a Gallup poll found that just 2% of Americans disliked Hoover, which was a remarkably low percentage for a public figure.

But behind the scenes, he wasn't so beloved.

After the McCarthy hearings, Hoover started worrying the US was wavering in its fight against communism.

Hoover compiled files on almost anyone with any power.

But Hoover still had blind spots. The mafia was one of them.

In 1958, Hoover was awarded a presidential award for his "brilliant leadership has contributed immeasurably to the preservation and strength of the nation, its constitution and laws."

At the same time, Hoover continued working on the bureau's public image. He granted limited access to a reporter to write a favorable book about the FBI that he then had Hollywood turn into a blockbuster. The film "The FBI Story" came out in 1959.

At President Lyndon B. Johnson's suggestion, Cointelpro eventually turned its focus onto white supremacy groups, including the Ku Klux Klan.

In 1964, after 40 years of leading the bureau, Hoover was described by the media as having created a highly reputable national police force that had not weathered a scandal in those 40 years.

Despite this, things began to get a bit rocky for Hoover in the 1960s as he took on the civil rights movement. He believed that it was tied to communism.

The famed civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr. was one of Hoover's main targets.

In 1965, Hoover turned 70 and was required by law to retire. However, President Johnson waived the requirement and allowed him to stay in office.

Five years later, in 1970, President Richard Nixon butted heads with Hoover.

In 1971, after more rebuffs from Hoover, Nixon decided to fire him. He wrote a script for a meeting but couldn't go through with it.

Hoover died in his sleep the following year on May 2, 1972. He was 77 years old. He had led the bureau for 48 years.

In the years after Hoover's death, his reputation swung in different directions.