Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
Flag of the FBI
Seal of the FBI
Incumbent Christopher A. Wray since August 2, 2017
Federal Bureau of Investigation
Reports to	Attorney General Director of National Intelligence
Seat	J. Edgar Hoover Building, Washington, D.C.
Appointer	The President with Senate advice and consent
Term length	10 years, renewable (only by the Senate)
Formation	July 26, 1908
First holder	Stanley Finch
Deputy	Deputy Director

The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

Responsibilities

The director is responsible for the day-to-day operations. Along with the deputy director, the director makes sure cases and operations are handled correctly. The director also is in charge of hiring the leaders in any one of the FBI field offices with qualified agents. The director advised the president on any issues that arose from within the FBI. This was until the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 was enacted in response to the September 11 attacks. Since then, the director reports to the Director of National Intelligence, who in turn reports to the president.

Background

Directors are appointed by the President of the United States and confirmed by the Senate. In theory, they serve ten-year terms unless they resign, die, or are let go. In reality, none have served a full ten years, except J. Edgar Hoover and Robert Mueller. They both served longer than ten years. J. Edgar Hoover was appointed by Calvin Coolidge to the office in 1924. He was by far the longest-serving director. Hoover held the position from its establishment under the current title in 1935 until his death in 1972 because there was then no law limiting service time. In response to Hoover's lengthy tenure, Congress imposed a term limit of ten years (waived by the Senate for Robert Mueller on July 27, 2011). The current FBI director is Christopher A. Wray, who assumed his position on August 2, 2017.

When the Bureau of Investigation (BOI) was established in 1908, its head was called the Chief of the Bureau of Investigation. It was changed to the Director of the Bureau of Investigation since the term of William J. Flynn (1919–1921), and to its current name when the BOI was renamed FBI in 1935.

List

N°	Portrait	Name	Term	Length	Notes	President(s)|-	1		Hoover, J. EdgarJ. Edgar Hoover	July 1, 1935 – May 2, 1972	&&&&&&&&&&&&&036.&&&&&036 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0306.&&&&&0306 days	Director of the FBI; died from a heart attack at his Washington, D.C. home on May 2, 1972; only FBI director to have died in office	Franklin D. Roosevelt; Harry S. Truman; Dwight D. Eisenhower; John F. Kennedy; Lyndon Johnson; Richard Nixon
—		Tolson, ClydeClyde Tolson (Acting)	May 2, 1972 – May 3, 1972	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&&01.&&&&&01 day	Acting Director of the FBI	Richard Nixon
—		Gray, L. PatrickL. Patrick Gray (Acting)	May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0359.&&&&&0359 days
—		Ruckelshaus, WilliamWilliam Ruckelshaus (Acting)	April 30, 1973 – July 9, 1973	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&070.&&&&&070 days
2		Kelley, Clarence M.Clarence M. Kelley	July 9, 1973 – February 15, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&04.&&&&&04 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0221.&&&&&0221 days	Retired	Richard Nixon; Gerald Ford; Jimmy Carter
—		Adams, James B.James B. Adams (Acting)	February 15, 1978 – February 23, 1978	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&&08.&&&&&08 days	Associate Director of the FBI; Acting Director	Jimmy Carter
3		Webster, William H.William H. Webster	February 23, 1978 – May 25, 1987	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&09.&&&&&09 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&091.&&&&&091 days	Left the FBI to become Director of Central Intelligence; only person to have held both positions	Jimmy Carter; Ronald Reagan
—		Otto, John E.John E. Otto (Acting)	May 26, 1987 – November 2, 1987	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0160.&&&&&0160 days	Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director	Ronald Reagan
4		Sessions, William S.William S. Sessions	November 2, 1987 – July 19, 1993	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&05.&&&&&05 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0259.&&&&&0259 days	Dismissed by President Bill Clinton	Ronald Reagan; George H. W. Bush; Bill Clinton
—		Clarke, Floyd I.Floyd I. Clarke (Acting)	July 19, 1993 – September 1, 1993	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&044.&&&&&044 days	Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director	Bill Clinton
5		Freeh, LouisLouis Freeh	September 1, 1993 – June 25, 2001	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&07.&&&&&07 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0297.&&&&&0297 days	Resigned	Bill Clinton; George W. Bush
—		Pickard, Thomas J.Thomas J. Pickard (Acting)	June 25, 2001 – September 4, 2001	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&071.&&&&&071 days	Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director	George W. Bush
6		Mueller, RobertRobert Mueller	September 4, 2001 – September 4, 2013
Term-limited; given extra 2 years	George W. Bush; Barack Obama
		Comey, JamesJames Comey	September 4, 2013 – May 9, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0247.&&&&&0247 days	Dismissed by President Donald Trump	Barack Obama; Donald Trump
7
—		Andrew McCabe (Acting)	May 9, 2017 – August 2, 2017	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&00.&&&&&00 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&&085.&&&&&085 days	Deputy Director of the FBI; Acting Director	Donald Trump
8		Christopher A. Wray	August 2, 2017 – Present	&&&&&&&&&&&&&&03.&&&&&03 years, &&&&&&&&&&&&0326.&&&&&0326 days		Donald Trump; Joe Biden