Born in Washington, D.C. Received LL.B. from George Washington University in 1916. Unmarried.

Employed as a messenger for the Library of Congress. Employed by the Justice Department as a file clerk. Named assistant director of the justice department Bureau of Investigation in 1921. Appointed acting director May 10, 1924. The name was changed to the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. In 1936 Hoover was credited with apprehending Alvin Karpis. This brought publicity to himself and to the department. He wrote Persons in Hiding in 1938 and other books. Member of the Masons and Shriners. He died in Washington, D. C.

Congress honored Hoover with a gold medal by resolution June 8, 1974. Bronze copies of the medal (USM 661) are sold by the mint.

bio: CBY 1950; ConAut; EAB; WAB; WWWA-5

obit: CB Jun 72; NYT 5/3/72