Hoover John Edgar (years of life - 1895-1972) is an American statesman who for almost half a century was the director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He led it from 1924 to 1972, that is, until his death. All this time, Hoover John Edgar was one of the most influential figures in the United States. Many, noting his services to the country, accused John of abuse of authority. His figure is controversial, and his tenure in a responsible position was unusually long. This led to the fact that the longest term for working as director of the FBI (the Bureau of Investigation was renamed to him in 1935) after him was set at 10 years.
After reading this article, you will get to know a person as interesting as Hoover John Edgar. A photo and biography of him will help you to get an idea about him.
The origin and childhood of Hoover
Little is known about the early life of John Edgar. He was born in Washington on January 1, 1895. John was the third child in the family of Dickerson’s Cartor and Geodesy Officer Naylor Hoover. His mother was Annie Marie Shaitlin Hoover. It is known that John was involved in sports in high school. In addition, he was distinguished by his ability to debate, especially when it came to the struggle against the equality of women.
Studying at the University
Biographers note that during the training, Hoover had to earn extra money in the library of the US Congress. Hoover John Edgar became interested in compiling various forms and catalogs. This hobby subsequently led to the fact that he was able to collect files on 25 million people in America. Of course, this figure is impressive. However, the FBI card index, compared to the Gestapo and the NKVD, is still quite modest.
Ministry of Justice Service
In 1917, Hoover graduated from George Washington University (evening law faculty). While studying in it, he joined the Kappa Alpha fraternity. After some time, Hoover began working at the US Department of Justice. His job was to track down individuals who evade conscription. Hoover soon became the head of the department for the registration of citizens of hostile countries.
John Hoover and the Masons
It is known that on November 9, 1920, in Washington, Hoover John Edgar was ordained a Freemason. Interesting facts about him are numerous, and not all of them can be fit in the format of one article, but it is worth mentioning about the connection with the Masons. John Edgar earned his master's degree in Federal Box No. 1. This happened just 2 months before his 26th birthday. And when Hoover turned 52, he received many awards and medals. In 1955, he was elevated to the 33rd degree, after which John became known as the Supreme Inspector General. In 1965, he was also awarded the Grand Honorary Cross - the highest recognition of the Scottish charter. Today in the Masonic Temple of the School of Arts and Law there is E. Hoover's room. It stores many personal documents.
Work with Palmer
John in 1919 was appointed to serve in the Ministry of Justice as head of the general intelligence department. After the head of the ministry was Alexander Pamler, Hoover became his assistant. Together with him, he organized mass expulsions from the country and arrests of radicals. These raids became known as Palmer raids. In a short time, Hoover created a file cabinet for 150 thousand people, consisting of suspicious persons. By 1921, it had already reached 450 thousand records. Hoover and Palmer organized the largest arrests in American history: at least 10 thousand people were detained by January 1920.
Start of service at the Bureau of Investigation
In 1921, John began working in the Bureau of Investigation, where he became deputy director. His father died the following year. And in 1924, Calvin Coolidge, who was then president, appointed John Edgar Hoover as director of the Bureau of Investigation.
Bureau reorganization
When he took this post, about 650 employees worked in the organization, 440 of which were agents. In the early years, Hoover John Edgar significantly reduced costs and headcount. The Bureau of Investigation has become a modern powerful organization. The requirements for hiring new employees have been increased. In addition, Edgar Hoover created a school for beginners. He paid particular attention to the use of technology, the organization of a fingerprint archive and the equipment of the forensic laboratories under his jurisdiction.
Activities of the Bureau of Investigation in the 30s
The Bureau of Investigation in the 1930s struggled with the growth of organized crime in society, as well as with the many banking robberies observed at that time in the Midwest. Small gangs often robbed banks, while using fast cars and automatic weapons. This provided them with superiority over the police. In order to hide from persecution, they crossed state borders. In 1933-34, after the powers of the department were expanded, the Bureau managed to find, destroy or arrest a number of famous gangsters, including John Dillinger. This organization was renamed the FBI in 1936. After Franklin Roosevelt became president of the United States, in 1936 he commissioned Hoover to investigate subversive activities in America.
FBI during the Second World War
Hoover's mother passed away in 1938. The FBI in 1942 caught two groups of saboteurs from Germany who were landed from submarines on the US coast. True, it is not easy to determine how great the Bureau’s merit was in this, since two of those arrested surrendered themselves to the US authorities and spoke about the rest.
During World War II, Americans formed the Office of Strategic Services. This organization worked in contact with the UK secret service. Edgar Hoover was suspicious of him and almost did not cooperate with OSS. The FBI during the Second World War numbered up to thirteen thousand employees. Of these, there were about five thousand agents.
Hoover John Edgar: personal life
John can be called a devoted son. His father died when he was 26 years old. John decided to never marry and live with her until the end of his mother’s life. Mother died after 17 years, but Hoover and after that he remained single. He was firmly convinced that the main obstacle in a career for a man was a woman. In the last 44 years of his life, John's only close friend was Clyde Tolson.
This man was the personal assistant to the three U.S. defense ministers before he joined the FBI in 1928. After his death, John bequeathed his entire estate to Tolson. Its value was estimated at 551 thousand dollars. In addition, he got a flag in which Hoover’s coffin was wrapped at a funeral.
Hoover's death and his name in history
In 1972, Hoover John Edgar, an American statesman, died. Only after his death did the country breathe a sigh of relief. It is known that Nixon even accompanied him on the last journey with a curse. Subsequently, however, many revised their views on the activities of the Director of the FBI. Of course, he does not quite fit into the canons of democracy and freedom considered exemplary, but his name cannot be deleted from American history. Otherwise, it will be clearly embellished.
Interesting facts about Hoover
Tom Clark, US Attorney General, in 1946 instructed John to compile a list of Americans who are potentially disloyal to the government. This was necessary in order to detain them in time of war or in case of emergency. Edgar Hoover a week after the outbreak of the Korean War, presented a plan to Truman, according to which it was necessary to detain up to 12 thousand US citizens disloyal to the regime. In this case, it was supposed to abandon the judicial review of each specific case. Truman did not follow the proposed plan.
John Hoover is also known as the initiator of the persecution of Alan Freed, a radio host from Cleveland, who first used the term "rock and roll." Frida was accused of bribery at the end of the 50s of the last century - he allegedly took bribes from disc jockeys to promote some songs. Hoover perceived this music as rebellious, subversive, which negatively affects the younger generation.
Cultural allusions
In the work of Chancellor’s Manuscript by R. Ludlam, Edgar Hoover is the victim of an attempt that was planned by Inver Brass, a secret organization. In addition, she allegedly stole a dossier with information collected by him. This information has compromised prominent political and public figures.
The film "Johnny D." was born in 2009. Billy Crudup played the role of Hoover in this film.
Another picture worth seeing for those interested in his personality is J. Edgar. Clint Eastwood is the director of this film, and Leonardo DiCaprio played the role of Hoover in it.
A parody of John is in the cartoon "Black Cloak". We are talking about a character like Edgar Kluver (he works as the director of the company SHUSHU).
So, we told you about such an ambiguous personality as Hoover John Edgar. His biography sheds light on some aspects of the history of the United States of the 20th century, therefore, today, decades after his death, it continues to cause interest among people around the world.