![]() ![]() ![]() ![]() He was only in the job a few months before leading the Palmer Raids, a series of mass anti-Communist arrests of leftist immigrants in response to an anarchist bombing campaign. Hoover was 24 when he was put in charge of the department that oversaw (and attempted to thwart) domestic radicals, officially known as the General Intelligence Division. Edgar Hoover ran the Bureau of Investigation's Radical Division. It gave me an excellent foundation for my work in the FBI where it has been necessary to collate information and evidence.” 5. Looking back on the experience in a 1951 letter, he stated that the work “trained me in the value of collating material. Hoover worked as a messenger (speedy!) in the Library of Congress's Orders Department when he was 18. Edgar Hoover’s first job taught him the value of collecting information. Adolescent debaters don't always get to choose their topic or their side, but denying women the right to vote falls in line with Hoover's overall life philosophy and had a direct impact on how he ran the FBI later on. Edgar Hoover debated against women's suffrage.Īfter overcoming his stutter (which he really did), Hoover joined the high school debate team and argued against women getting the right to vote. However, an official FBI newsletter said that he scored the cool nickname because he delivered groceries very quickly. Several sources say he earned it after learning to speak quickly to overcome a stutter, and early 20th-century journalist Quentin Reynolds claimed it was because of his football prowess (but Hoover never played football). Edgar Hoover’s childhood nickname was “Speed.”Īnd we don't know why for sure. Their oversight or intentional deception has helped fuel speculation among some biographers that Hoover, who persecuted Black civil rights leaders, had a secret African-American heritage. It wasn't filed until 1938, the year his mother Annie died. He was born on New Year's Day 1895 in Washington, D.C., but his parents did not file a birth certificate for him. Hoover had a mystery to offer as soon as he came into the world. Edgar Hoover didn't have a birth certificate until he was 43. Here are 20 facts about the man behind the G-men. ![]() It's not that surprising that a man fiercely interested in collecting everyone's secrets had a great talent for keeping his own. What we know of his life for sure is focused on his work and the mixed reputation he left behind at the FBI. For better and worse, his legacy is tangled up in myths. The long-time FBI director's private life was hidden from the public eye even as rumors swirled and stuck. Edgar Hoover's life for certain, despite him serving under eight presidents and building the FBI from nearly the ground up. The second thing to get out of the way is that it's difficult to know several things about J. The first thing to get out of the way is that the J stands for John. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. Archives
January 2023
Categories |