Clyde Tolson

Clyde Tolson
Born	May 22, 1900(1900-05-22) Laredo, Missouri, United States
Died	April 14, 1975(1975-04-14) (aged 74) United States
Occupation	Associate Director of FBI

Clyde Anderson Tolson (May 22, 1900 – April 14, 1975) was Associate Director of the FBI, primarily responsible for personnel and discipline. He is best known as the protégé of FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover.

Early career

Tolson was born in Laredo, Missouri, and attended Cedar Rapids Business College, in Iowa, then was a War Department clerk. From 1919 to 1928, he was confidential secretary for the Secretary of War in three administrations, to Newton D. Baker, John W. Weeks, and Dwight F. Davis. Tolson then was completing a B.A. degree at George Washington University in 1925, and a law degree in 1927.

After initial rejection by the FBI, he was hired in 1927, seeing the opportunity as a stepping stone to a law practice in Cedar Rapids. After working in the Boston and Washington, D.C., field offices, he became the chief FBI clerk, then was promoted to assistant director in 1930.

In 1936, Tolson joined Hoover to arrest bank robber Alvin Karpis; later that year, Tolson was in a gun fight with New York City gangster Harry Brunette, and, in 1942, participated in capturing Nazi saboteurs on Long Island and Florida. In 1947, he was made FBI Associate Director, working in budget and administration.

Later life

In 1964, he suffered a stroke, and as a result, remained somewhat frail for the remainder of his life. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him a gold medal for distinguished federal civilian service saying Tolson “has been a vital force in raising the proficiency of law enforcement at all levels and in guiding the Federal Bureau of Investigation to new heights of accomplishment through periods of great National challenge.”^[1] In 1970, although Tolson was too old for police duty and past retirement age, Hoover kept him employed in the FBI.

It has been reported that Tolson once said of United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy: "I hope that someone shoots and kills the son of a bitch."^[2]

When Hoover died on May 2, 1972, Tolson was briefly the acting head of the FBI, but one day later he was replaced by acting director L. Patrick Gray, appointed by President Richard Nixon. Tolson left the FBI two weeks later, leaving W. Mark Felt in operational charge of the FBI.

Relationship with Hoover

Clyde Tolson (left) with Hoover

It has been stated that J. Edgar Hoover described Tolson as his alter ego: They worked closely together in the daytime, ate their meals together, socialized together in the evenings, and even went on vacations together.^[3] Rumors circulated for years that the two had a romantic relationship.^[4] Some authors have dismissed the rumors about Hoover's sexual orientation and a possible intimate relationship with Tolson,^[5] while others have described them as probable or even "confirmed",^[6] and still others have reported the rumors without stating an opinion.^[7]

When Hoover died, Tolson inherited his estate of $551,000 and moved into his house; he accepted the U.S. flag draped on Hoover's coffin. Tolson's grave is a few yards from Hoover's grave in the Congressional Cemetery.

Depictions in fiction

Tolson has been depicted numerous times in television and movies, including:

• The 2011 film J. Edgar portrayed by Armie Hammer.
• The 2011 miniseries The Kennedys portrayed by Kevin Jubinville.
• The 2009 film Public Enemies portrayed by Chandler Williams.
• The 2008 short film Size Ten or G-Men portrayed by Jeff Keel.
• The 2003 satirical radio play "J. Edgar," written by Harry Shearer, portrayed by Kelsey Grammer.
• The TV series Millennium (TV series) portrayed by Peter Hanlon.
• The TV series Dark Skies portrayed by Jack Ritschel.
• The 1995 film Nixon portrayed by Brian Bedford.
• The 1992 TV movie Citizen Cohn portrayed by Daniel von Bargen.
• The miniseries Robert Kennedy & His Times portrayed by Jack Thibeau.
• The 1984 TV movie Concealed Enemies portrayed by Ralph Byers.
• The 1977 film The Private Files of J. Edgar Hoover portrayed by Dan Dailey.

References

1. ^ Lyndon B. Johnson Presidential Library
2. ^ Clyde Tolson, qu. in: Thurston Clarke, "The Last Good Campaign", Vanity Fair, No. 574, June, 2008, p. 173.
3. ^ Cox, John Stuart and Theoharis, Athan G. (1988). The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition. Temple University Press. pp. 108. ISBN 0-87722-532-X. 
4. ^ Bardsley, Marilyn. "The Life and Career of J. Edgar Hoover" www.trutv.com
5. ^ For example, Felt, W. Mark and O'Connor, John D. (2006). A G-man's Life: The FBI, Being 'Deep Throat,' And the Struggle for Honor in Washington. Public Affairs. p. 167. ISBN 1-58648-377-3. ,
   Jeffreys-Jones, Rhodri (2003). Cloak and Dollar: A History of American Secret Intelligence. Yale University Press. p. 93. ISBN 0-300-10159-7. ,
   Cox, John Stuart and Theoharis, Athan G. (1988). The Boss: J. Edgar Hoover and the Great American Inquisition. Temple University Press. p. 108. ISBN 0-87722-532-X.  "The strange likelihood is that Hoover never knew sexual desire at all."
6. ^ For example, Percy, William A. and Johansson , Warren (1994). Outing: Shattering the Conspiracy of Silence. Haworth Press. pp. 85+. ISBN 1-56024-419-4. , Summers, Anthony (1993). Official and Confidential: The Secret Life of J Edgar Hoover. Pocket Books. ISBN 0-671-88087-X. 
7. ^ For example, Edited by Theoharis, Athan G. (1998). The FBI: A Comprehensive Reference Guide. Oryx Press. pp. 291, 301, 397. ISBN 0-89774-991-X. , Doherty, Thomas (2003). Cold War, Cool Medium: Television, McCarthyism, and American Culture. Columbia University Press. pp. 254, 255. ISBN 0-231-12952-1. 

External links

• Associate Director Tolson's personnel records and copies of memoranda at FBI's FOIA Website
• NNDB - Clyde Tolson
• Spartacus Educational - Clyde Tolson
• NameBase - Tolson Clyde Anderson

Persondata
Name	Tolson, Clyde Anderson
Alternative names
Short description	Associate Director of the FBI
Date of birth	22 May 1900
Place of birth	Laredo, Missouri
Date of death	14 April 1975
Place of death