How one man became America's most notorious bureaucrat
Empowered by presidents and armed with unprecedented surveillance powers, J. Edgar Hoover transformed the FBI into a force feared by political leaders, activists, and ordinary Americans alike.
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The Rise and Fall of J. Edgar Hoover
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In 1924, a young lawyer named J. Edgar Hoover took charge of a little-known government bureau. Nearly five decades later, he would die as one of the most powerful men in America.
WATCH VIDEO: This episode of "Figures of Speech" explores the career of J. Edgar Hoover and how Congress uncovered decades of abuses that reshaped how Americans viewed the FBI and government power.