J. Edgar Hoover

John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), holding office from June 1935 until his death. While he oversaw the expansion of the FBI into a major law enforcement institution, Hoover was accused of abusing his power by ordering his investigative units to deploy illegal techniques such as wire-tapping. He was a moderniser, however, who encouraged forensic technology and established the FBI's fingerprinting database.