The Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (SFSAFBI) is the official worldwide benevolent service organization for former Special Agents of the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

. In 1972, the Society was called "Mr. Hoover's Loyal Legion" by '' The Nation''.

Membership

The Society now has 112 chapters in 50 states. Membership is organized into eight regions, each led by a Regional Vice President. Currently, the Society has over 8,500 members, including associate members still active in the FBI. Many chapters are involved with their local communities and volunteer for causes close to their hearts. One example is Stand Down South Jersey (SDSJ), co-run by two Society members. The organization won the Foundation's Humanitarian Award for its service to homeless veterans in the New Jersey area, and the Meritorious Service Medal from the State of New Jersey.

Activities

Through the Former Agents of the FBI Foundation, created by the Society to further its charitable work, it has established several law enforcement awards, including the "Louis E. Peters Memorial Award," which is jointly awarded by it and the FBI, and is the highest public service award recognized by the FBI. National media often turn to the Society to provide commentary on current issues affecting the FBI and its agents. When

Clint Eastwood Clinton Eastwood Jr. (born May 31, 1930) is an American actor and film director. After achieving success in the Western TV series '' Rawhide'', he rose to international fame with his role as the "Man with No Name" in Sergio Leone's "''Dolla ...

and Leonardo DiCaprio were researching their movie ''

J. Edgar ''J. Edgar'' is a 2011 American biographical drama film based on the career of FBI director J. Edgar Hoover, directed, produced and scored by Clint Eastwood. Written by Dustin Lance Black, the film focuses on Hoover's life from the 1919 Palmer ...

'' on the life of

J. Edgar Hoover John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 – May 2, 1972) was an American law enforcement administrator who served as the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He was appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation ...

, they sought help and advice from the agency and from the Society. When it was discovered that the movie intended to depict a scene in which Hoover is seen kissing his Deputy Director and longtime friend

Clyde Tolson Clyde Anderson Tolson (May 22, 1900 – April 14, 1975) was the second-ranking official of the FBI from 1930 until 1972, from 1947 titled Associate Director, primarily responsible for personnel and discipline. He was the ''protégé'', long-tim ...

, the newspaper '' USA Today'' noted that the Society of Former Special Agents objected to the controversial and imaginary scene and had "reassessed its tacit approval of the film." In an article discussing the controversy over the movie, the '' Washington Post'' cited the anger of the Society of Former Special Agents. Praising J. Edgar Hoover in the newspaper article, the Society President stated: "Devotion is probably a good word for my generation and up." When U.S. Senate Republicans criticized the FBI and its interrogators over the questioning of a terrorist bomber, claiming that "Larry King would have a more thorough interrogation," the national political journal '' Politico'' turned to a Society spokesperson who stated that "agents find this kind of behavior to be detestable." In 2012, when the FBI was celebrating the 40th anniversary of the first hiring of female Special Agents, the federal agency cited the work of the Society in preserving the story of these pioneering women. The FBI acknowledged the opportunity given by the Society of Former Special Agents for official remembrances of two female Special Agents killed in the line of duty, Robin Ahrens and Martha Martinez. In accordance with the Society's goal of advocating for issues of importance to its members, the Society has resolved to oppose clemency for

Leonard Peltier Leonard Peltier (born September 12, 1944) is a Native American activist and militant member of the American Indian Movement (AIM) who, following a controversial trial, was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder in the deaths of two Fed ...

who is serving a life sentence for the 1975 murders of FBI agents Ronald Williams and Jack Coler and to oppose the release of Jose Echavarria who was sentenced to death for the 1990 murder of FBI agent John Bailey. Those agents were murdered during the performance of their responsibilities while they were on active duty. The Society has vowed to ensure their legacies, as well as the legacies of all FBI Special Agents killed in the line of duty, endure. The official website of the FBI contains many links to articles by and about the Society of Former Special Agents. In a speech at a 2009 meeting of the Society of Former Special Agents, FBI Director Robert Mueller presented television actor

Efrem Zimbalist Jr. Efrem Zimbalist Jr. (November 30, 1918 – May 2, 2014) was an American actor known for his starring roles in the television series ''77 Sunset Strip'' and '' The F.B.I.'' He is also known as recurring character "Dandy Jim Buckley" in the s ...

with an honorary special badge of an FBI Special Agent, praising his role as Inspector Lewis Erskine in the TV series ''

The F.B.I. The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

''. Director Mueller noted that in 1985 the Society of Former Special Agents had already awarded Zimbalist a set of retired credentials. The Society's Oral History project (see below) is an important and continuing source of information for national news media. For example, when famed former Number 3 man at the FBI,

Cartha DeLoach Cartha Dekle DeLoach (July 20, 1920 – March 13, 2013), known as Deke DeLoach, was deputy associate director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. During his post, DeLoach was the third most senior official in t ...

, recently died, his extensive obituary in the New York Times included quotations from his "2007 oral history interview with the Society of Former Special Agents of the F.B.I."

Identity

In his biography of J. Edgar Hoover, ''Puppetmaster, the Secret Life of J. Edgar Hoover'' author Richard Hack lauded the lifelong dedication of FBI agents, including membership in the Society of Former Special Agents after retirement:

They have little time for family and friends, having been trained to think of themselves on duty 24 hours a day. As James Stewart said in ''The FBI Story'', he 'belonged to the Bureau;' at home he was merely on loan to his family. Even after retirement, agents bond with former colleagues in the Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. 'Once a G-Man, always a G-Man' seems too easy a reason, but they'll tell you it's true

History

In February 1937, during a time when the activities of the FBI had achieved nationwide popularity in the wake of its successful campaign against gangsters such as

John Dillinger John Herbert Dillinger (June 22, 1903 – July 22, 1934) was an American gangster during the Great Depression. He led the Dillinger Gang, which was accused of robbing 24 banks and four police stations. Dillinger was imprisoned several times an ...

Baby Face Nelson Lester Joseph Gillis (December 6, 1908 – November 27, 1934), also known as George Nelson and Baby Face Nelson, was an American bank robber who became a criminal partner of John Dillinger, when he helped Dillinger escape from prison, in Crown P ...

, the Ma Barker Gang, and others from the

Public enemy "Public enemy" is a term which was first widely used in the United States in the 1930s to describe individuals whose activities were seen as criminal and extremely damaging to society, though the phrase had been used for centuries to describe ...

era, a group of retired Special Agents met in New York City's Lincoln Hotel to discuss the creation of an organization to preserve the "mutuality of interests of the agents, the memories of pleasures enjoyed and adversities shared."."The Society of Former Special Agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation," page 23, Turner Publishing Company, 2002 By the end of that year, the SFSAFBI had one hundred and eighteen members. In July 1938, the Society began publication of its ''Grapevine'' magazine. In conjunction with historical entities including the National Law Enforcement Museum, the Society's History Committee researches, records and preserves historical data regarding both the FBI and the Society itself. On June 7, 2014, the Society affixed an historical marker to the Benson House, located in Wading River, New York. As a secret base for FBI electronic counterintelligence operations during World War II, the house was instrumental in U.S. efforts to prevent Nazi Germany from developing an atomic bomb and from acquiring accurate details of the D-Day invasion.

Structure

The Society is composed of eight geographical regions, the Northeast, Mid-Atlantic, Florida, Southeast, North Central, South Central, Pacific and Western regions, each of which elects a vice president. A President is installed at the biennial Society conference. Administrative offices are located in Dumfries, Virginia, near the

FBI Academy The FBI Academy is the Federal Bureau of Investigation's law enforcement training and research center near the town of Quantico in Stafford County, Virginia. Operated by the bureau's Training Division, it was first opened for use on May 7, 197 ...

Quantico, Virginia Quantico ( or ; formerly Potomac) is a town in Prince William County, Virginia, United States. The population was 480 at the 2010 census. Quantico is approximately 35 miles southwest of Washington, DC, bordered by the Potomac River to the east a ...

Former Agents of the FBI Foundation

In 1957, the SFSAFBI created the "Former Agents of the FBI Foundation," which has distributed millions of dollars in medical and disaster assistance to Society families and the law enforcement community. The mission of the Foundation is to aid members of the Society and their families, help fund educational programs for youth, recognize and award humanitarian efforts of members, spouses and others, and contribute to worthy organizations related to law enforcement. As reported in its 2012 annual report, the Foundation's net assets were $7,462,860. 5

Awards and Scholarships

Awards

The Foundation created the "Frances Keogh Memorial Fund" (named after a former Executive Director of the Society) to distribute financial assistance to local, community-based organizations devoted to the care of the sick, the poor, and the homeless. The " William Webster Award" (named after a former Director of the FBI) is given annually to an active duty FBI Special Agent for exemplary public or humanitarian service performed outside official employment duties as an agent. In honor of the first and most famous Director of the FBI, the "

Memorial Scholarship Program" was established in 1978. It annually awards scholarships to

criminal justice Criminal justice is the delivery of justice to those who have been accused of committing crimes. The criminal justice system is a series of government agencies and institutions. Goals include the rehabilitation of offenders, preventing othe ...

majors nationwide. In 1982, the "Louis E. Peters Memorial Award" was created to honor the service of private citizen Louis E. Peters, who gave the last years of his life helping the FBI to obtain evidence against the

Bonanno crime family The Bonanno crime family (pronounced ) is an Italian-American Mafia crime family and one of the "Five Families" that dominate organized crime activities in New York City, and in the United States, as part of the criminal phenomenon known as the ...

. This award is the highest public service award of the FBI, and it is presented jointly by the FBI and the SFSAFBI. The Humanitarian Service Award is presented annually to a Society member or member/s spouse who goes above and beyond the call of civic duty. The Foundation Board of Trustees select one person annually to receive this award.

Scholarships

In 2012, the FBI announced a $1 million reward for information leading to the safe recovery and return of Society member

Bob Levinson Robert Alan Levinson (March 10, 1948 – presumed death before March 25, 2020) was an American former Drug Enforcement Administration (1970–1976) and Federal Bureau of Investigation (1976–1998) agent who disappeared on March 9, 2007, in Kis ...

, who disappeared in Iran in 2007 while working as a private investigator. The SFSAFBI, in conjunction with this reward, gave the two youngest Levinson children $5,000 each to help with college costs. On the Senate floor on March 7, 2012, Senator Bill Nelson of Florida praised these scholarship awards to the Levinson children, and thanked the Society members for their service as FBI agents and for the Society's kindness to the Levinson children. Levinson remains a hostage.

FBI Oral History Heritage Project

The SFSAFBI has been compiling oral histories and interviews of former Special Agents involved in important historical events. These FBI histories are housed at the

National Law Enforcement Museum The National Law Enforcement Museum opened on October 13, 2018 and covers American law enforcement through interactive exhibits, historical and contemporary artifact collections, with a dedicated space for research and educational programming. It i ...

, and can be accessed by the public through the website of the museum. The Project currently contains over 550 interviews and memoirs, and 237 FBI oral histories. The FBI itself often cites to this oral history project as a way for the nation to remember the sacrifices of its Special Agents. Additionally, the content of its interviews is often used by national media when discussing famous former FBI agents Among the more famous former Special Agents included in this oral history are James P. Hosty, the FBI agent who had been assigned to investigate Lee Harvey Oswald upon his return from the Soviet Union, and

, another FBI agent involved in the Kennedy assassination investigation who later became Deputy Director of the FBI.

Notable members

* Robert Mueller, Former Director of FBI *

William H. Webster William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) is an American attorney and jurist who most recently served as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council from 2005 until 2020. He was a United States district judge of the United States Distric ...

, Former Director of both FBI and CIA *

Louis Freeh Louis Joseph Freeh (born January 6, 1950) is an American attorney and former judge who served as the fifth Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from September 1993 to June 2001. Graduated from Rutgers University and New York Universi ...

, Former Director of FBI *

Frank Keating Francis Anthony Keating II (initially born as David Rowland Keating) (born February 10, 1944) is an American attorney and politician who served as the 25th governor of Oklahoma from 1995 to 2003. , Keating is one of only five governors in Okl ...

, Former Governor of Oklahoma *

Melvin Purvis Melvin Horace Purvis II (October 24, 1903 – February 29, 1960) was an American law enforcement official and Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) agent. Given the nickname "Little Mel" because of his short, frame, Purvis became noted for lead ...

, (deceased) famous FBI agent who led manhunts for 30's gangsters

Pretty Boy Floyd Charles Arthur Floyd (February 3, 1904 – October 22, 1934), nicknamed Pretty Boy Floyd, was an American bank robber. He operated in the West and Central states, and his criminal exploits gained widespread press coverage in the 1930s. He was s ...

and

Jody Weis Jody Peter "J.P." Weis is the former Superintendent of Police of the Chicago Police Department. Weis was selected to serve as the 54th Superintendent of Police by Mayor Richard M. Daley. Upon his resignation and retirement, he was replaced by In ...

, Former Police Superintendent, Chicago * Mike Rogers, Former U.S. Congressman and Chairman of the

Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence The United States House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), also known as the House Intelligence Committee, is a committee of the United States House of Representatives, currently chaired by Adam Schiff. It is the primary commit ...

Thomas R. Norris Thomas Rolland Norris (born January 14, 1944) is a retired United States Navy SEAL and Distinguished Eagle Scout who received the Medal of Honor for his ground rescue with the assistance of Petty Officer Third Class Nguyen Van Kiet of two downed ...

, one of three

United States Navy SEAL The United States Navy Sea, Air, and Land (SEAL) Teams, commonly known as Navy SEALs, are the U.S. Navy's primary special operations force and a component of the Naval Special Warfare Command. Among the SEALs' main functions are conducting s ...

to receive the

Medal of Honor The Medal of Honor (MOH) is the United States Armed Forces' highest military decoration and is awarded to recognize American soldiers, sailors, marines, airmen, guardians and coast guardsmen who have distinguished themselves by acts of valor ...

for actions during the Vietnam War *

, Iranian hostage * Héctor Pesquera, Former Director, Puerto Rico Department of Public Safety * Joseph Sullivan famous FBI agent involved in Mississippi civil rights investigations *

, Former Deputy Associate Director, FBI, close friend of President Lyndon B. Johnson, and head of FBI team leading the assault on the Ku Klux Klan after the 1964 killings in Mississippi * Theodore Jackson, Sheriff, Fulton County, Georgia *

W. Mark Felt William Mark Felt Sr. (August 17, 1913 – December 18, 2008) was an American law enforcement officer who worked for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) from 1942 to 1973 and was known for his role in the Watergate scandal. Felt wa ...

, 2nd Associate Director of the FBI identified as the Watergate Scandal's "Deep Throat" *

John S. Pistole John S. Pistole (born June 1, 1956) is the former administrator of the United States Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and a former deputy director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He is currently the president of Anderson Unive ...

, Former FBI Deputy Director and Former Administrator of the U.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA) * Michael G. Oxley, Former U.S. Congressman from Ohio * William D. Gore, Sheriff, San Diego County, California.

References

External links

Society website

FBI website

National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

National Law Enforcement Museum

FBI Oral Histories
FBI files on the Society obtained through the FOIA and hosted at the Internet Archive
Part 1Part 2Part 3Part 4Part 5Part 6Part 7Part 8Part 9Part 10Part 11Part 12
{{colend Federal Bureau of Investigation 1937 establishments in New York City Prince William County, Virginia