J. Edgar Hoover

Grew Up… in Washington D.C. at the beginning of the tumultuous twentieth century. Hoover grew up at the dawn of America’s golden age, and saw it as his duty to protect American prosperity from evildoers.

Living… for his country and nothing else. Hoover has dedicated his life to eviscerating America’s enemies. By creating the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), he’s become one of the most powerful men in the country – though he’s always keenly aware of his rivals and adversaries within the U.S. Government. “No one freely shares power in Washington D.C.,” he says.

Profession… Director of the FBI. Hoover made a name for himself by eliminating organized crime. Now sees it as his duty to search out and destroy America’s ultimate threat: communism. He explains, “Communism is not a political party…. It is a disease. It corrupts the soul, turning men, even the gentlest of men, into vicious evil tyrants.”

Interests… keeping organized. Hoover, who helped create a system to organize the Library of Congress, wants to create a database of the fingerprints of criminals and enemies. He knows that an archive could be a powerful weapon.

Relationship Status… confused. Hoover’s mother claimed that she’d rather her son be dead than a “daffodil” – a term used to describe openly gay men at the time. Hoover tries desperately to suppress his sexuality. However, Hoover’s feelings for his protégé, the young Clyde Tolson, just don’t seem to go away.

Challenge… protect America and protect his own reputation. By the time Hoover reached his apotheosis, he was one of the most feared figures in Washington. He has the capacity to ruin the reputation of any public figure. This, though, leads him to develop paranoia about his own reputation – eventually taking drastic measures to keep his relationship with Tolson secret.

Personality… strict, humorless, and embarrassed of his own feelings. Hoover’s self-hatred can lead him to be cruel and has even driven him to break the law. But he justifies his actions by saying, “Sometimes you need to bend the rules a little in order to keep your country safe.”