good friday

J edgar hoover

“As FBI director from 1924 until his death in 1972, he was the most
influential federal appointee of the twentieth century, a confidant,
counselor, and adversary to eight U.S. presidents. He also embodied
conservative values ranging from anticommunism to white supremacy to a
crusading and politicized interpretation of Christianity. Far from making
him a public scourge, these two aspects of his life garnered him the
admiration of millions of Americans, including many of the country’s
leading politicians, for most of his career.[2]
			Hoover’s network of supporters began at the very top, with the eight
presidents—four Republicans, four Democrats—who kept him in office and then
hoped that he would do their bidding. They did not always agree with his
methods and ideas. But they relied on him, respected him, and, in most
cases, feared him. The presidents who did the most to empower Hoover were
the two great liberal titans of the twentieth century: Franklin Roosevelt
and Lyndon Johnson. Hoover’s closest friend among the eight was Richard
Nixon, an ally and fellow anticommunist warrior of more than three decades’
standing. Popular legend suggests that Hoover held on to power as long as
he did through blackmail and “intimidation—and it is true that he was
skilled in such arts.”

Excerpt From
G-Man (Pulitzer Prize Winner)
Beverly Gage