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Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

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Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Flag of the FBI
Incumbent
James Comey
since September 4, 2013
AppointerBarack Obama
Inaugural holderStanley Finch (BOI)
J. Edgar Hoover (FBI)
Formation1908 (as Chief of the BOI)
DeputyMark F. Giuliano, Deputy Director
Websitewww.fbi.gov

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and responsible for the day-to-day operations. Along with the deputy director, the director ensures cases and operations are handled correctly. The director also is in charge of staffing the leadership in any one of the FBI field offices with qualified agents. The director briefed the president on any issues that arise from within the FBI until the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 was enacted in response to the September 11 attacks. Since then, the director reports to the Director of National Intelligence, who in turn reports to the president.[1]

Directors are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the senate.[2][3] In theory, they serve ten-year terms unless they resign, die, or are let go; in reality, none have served a full ten years, except J. Edgar Hoover and Robert Mueller, each of whom served longer than ten years. J. Edgar Hoover, appointed by Calvin Coolidge to the predecessor office of Director of the Bureau of Investigation in 1924, was by far the longest-serving director; he held the position from its establishment under the current title in 1935 until his death in 1972 because there was then no law limiting service time. In response to Hoover's lengthy tenure, Congress imposed a term limit of ten years (waived by the Senate for Robert Mueller on July 27, 2011).[4] The current FBI director is James Comey, who assumed his position on September 4, 2013.

When the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was established in 1908, its head was called the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation.[5] It was changed to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation since the term of William J. Flynn (1919–1921), and to its current name when the BOI was renamed FBI in 1935.

Bureau of Investigation chiefs and directors (1908 to 1935)

# Picture Name
3 William J. Flynn July 1, 1919 – August 21, 1921 2 years, 51 days Director of the BOI
4 William J. Burns August 22, 1921 – May 10, 1924 2 years, 262 days
5 J. Edgar Hoover May 10, 1924 – June 30, 1935 11 years, 51 days Director of the BOI

Federal Bureau of Investigation directors (1935 to present)

# Picture Name Period[5] Length Notes
1 J. Edgar Hoover July 1, 1935 – May 2, 1972 36 years, 306 days Director of the FBI. Died at his Washington, D.C., home on May 2, 1972, from a heart attack.
— L. Patrick Gray May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973 359 days Acting Director of the FBI
— William Ruckelshaus April 30, 1973 – July 9, 1973 70 days Acting Director of the FBI
2 Clarence M. Kelley July 9, 1973 – February 15, 1978 4 years, 221 days
— James B. Adams February 15, 1978 – February 23, 1978 8 days Acting Director of the FBI
3 William H. Webster February 23, 1978 – May 25, 1987 9 years, 91 days
— John E. Otto May 26, 1987 – November 2, 1987 160 days Acting Director of the FBI
4 William S. Sessions November 2, 1987 – July 19, 1993 5 years, 259 days
— Floyd I. Clarke July 19, 1993 – September 1, 1993 44 days Acting Director of the FBI
5 Louis Freeh September 1, 1993 – June 25, 2001 7 years, 297 days
— Thomas J. Pickard June 25, 2001 – September 4, 2001 71 days Acting Director of the FBI
6 Robert Mueller September 4, 2001 – September 4, 2013 12 years, 0 days
7 James Comey September 4, 2013 – present Error: Need valid year, month, day

References

  1. ^ FBI Intelligence Reform Since September 11, 2001: Issues and Options for Congress
  2. ^ 28 U.S.C. §532 note. Confirmation and Compensation of Director; Term of Service Legal Information Institute
  3. ^ FBI Director: Appointment and Tenure Congressional Research Service
  4. ^ "Senate Extends Term of F.B.I. Director". New York Times. 2011-07-27. Retrieved 2011-09-13.
  5. ^ a b "FBI—Directors, Then and Now". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved 2011-02-07.
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