J. Edgar Hoover

Essay # 4421

Criminology > Organized Crime Studies
History > Leaders
Political Science > Government Agencies

J. Edgar Hoover

This essay is a look at the life and legacy of FBI director, J. Edgar Hoover.

2,600 words () | 6 sources | 2002 United States

Paper Summary:

This paper is a biographical overview of J. Edgar Hoover and his role as director of the FBI. The author details his five decades of reform, power and how he abused it. The paper also examines his controversial personality and lifestyle.

From the paper:

"The life and legacy of J. Edgar Hoover is a subject of countless books, files and theories. Rumors surrounding this man run rampant. He single-handedly created the FBI we know today, but through a scheme of illegal and amoral activities. Hoover was the most effective and powerful director of the FBI, from 1924 to 1972. He created the FBI as a separate and distinct faction of the Department of Justice, and garnered public support for his activities. He fought communism, espionage, foreign sabotage, and organized crime. Ruthless in his ways, cunning in his schemes, Hoover?s influence on past and current laws and enforcement goes unchecked and unmatched by any other."