Hoover, J(ohn) Edgar

US lawyer and director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1924 until his death. He built up a powerful network for the detection of organized crime, including a national fingerprint collection. His drive against alleged communist activities after World War II and his opposition to the Kennedy administration brought much criticism for abuse of power.

Hoover was born in Washington, DC. He entered the Department of Justice in 1917, and in 1921 became assistant director of the Bureau of Investigation. He served under eight presidents, none of whom would dismiss him since he kept files on them and their associates. During his tenure, the FBI grew from a corrupt Bureau of Investigation to a respected and highly professional national police agency, with responsibility for counterespionage within the USA as well as counterterrorism. Hoover waged a personal campaign of harassment against leaders of the civil-rights movement, notably Martin Luther King, Jr.