commander that the American forces across the river in Pennsylvania
were demoralized and in retreat from their defeat in New York City.
An unassuming and humble man, Honeyman received a pension af-
ter the war and lived to be 93 years old.HOOVER, J. EDGAR (1895–1972).J. Edgar Hoover was the leg-
endary and long-serving director of the Federal Bureau of Investi-
gation (FBI). First appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation
in 1924, Hoover brought his legal and prosecutorial expertise to the
Bureau, honed by his controversial role in the “Palmer Raids” against
suspected communists and anarchists in 1919. As the national police
chief, Hoover upgraded the Bureau’s technological investigative
techniques, improved training, presided over the name change to FBI
in 1935, and prosecuted notorious gangsters with a zeal that made
him a national hero.
He also vigorously pursued added responsibilities for the FBI in
law enforcement and foreign intelligence. During the administration
of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Hoover won the right to investigate for-
eign espionagein the United States and to collect intelligence in
Latin America. He also began a fervent drive against members of the
American Communist Party and left-leaning intellectuals. Hoover se-
cretly amassed files on friends and foes alike, a practice that gave him
enormous influence in Washington until his death in 1972.
Hoover vehemently opposed the establishment of the Central In-
telligence Agency (CIA) in 1947, a position that soured his relation-
ships with successive directors of central intelligence (DCIs). Dur-
ing the 1950s, Hoover’s anticommunist sentiments led him
wholeheartedly to support the McCarthyhearings that purported to
seek and root out communists in the federal government and else-
where. Under his leadership, the FBI also investigated prominent in-
dividuals Hoover thought held dangerous political views. At the same
time, he virtually ignored organized crime, and his investigations into
political corruption were mainly used as a means to gain political
control over powerful politicians. In the 1960s, Hoover became even
more controversial for his opposition to the civil rights movement
and the administration of President John F. Kennedy. His reputation
declined in later years following revelations of vendettas against civil
rights leaders and widespread illegal FBI activities. See alsoCOIN-
TELPRO; SPECIALINTELLIGENCE SERVICE.90 • HOOVER, J. EDGAR05-398 (2) Dictionary.qxd 10/20/05 6:27 AM Page 90