May 2

When I look at the current state of affairs in the ethical constitutions of the people currently heading sensitive government agencies, I find myself troubled by our president’s high turnover rate among his appointments. I also find myself troubled by the revolving door in the offices of high-level appointees. I would feel much more comfortable if there was at least the appearance of stability. You might say that I am yearning for the safety and assurances that accompany things that could only have happened in a world long before the 9/11 tragedy. Consider if you will, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, that happy breeding ground of extreme paranoia. John Edgar Hoover became that newly created bureau’s first director with his appointment by President Coolidge on the 10th in 1924. Hoover remained steadfastly at the helm until his death on the 2nd in 1972. While there have long been rumors of Hoover’s fondness for wearing women’s clothing I am less troubled by those then other hallmarks of his time in the directorship because he certainly had the legs for it.
[i] Calvin Coolidge formed the FBI on the remains of the Bureau of Investigation, of which Hoover was the sixth director. Hoover took the reins from the fifth director, William J. Burns (pictured left below), who was forced to resign because of his role in the notorious Teapot Dome scandal. That is another story deserving of greater attention than I can give it here.
[ii] After Hoover’s death, the rules of the game were changed to insure that no future director could serve for longer than 10 years.