Edwin Atherton facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Edwin Atherton
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| Born | October 12, 1896 Washington, D.C., U.S.
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| Died | August 31, 1944 (aged 47) Santa Monica, California, U.S.
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| Resting place | Forest Lawn Memorial Park Glendale, California |
| Alma mater | Georgetown University (1914) |
| Occupation | Consul, FBI Agent Private investigator Commissioner, Pacific Coast Conference (1940–1944) |
Edwin Newton Atherton (October 12, 1896 – August 31, 1944) was a very busy person who had many important jobs. He worked for the government in other countries, was a special agent for the FBI, and even became a private detective. Later in his life, he was chosen to lead a big college sports organization called the Pacific Coast Conference in 1940.
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Edwin Atherton's Life Story
Edwin Atherton was born in Washington, D.C.. His parents were Edwin J Atherton and Mary Agnes McCarten. He briefly studied law at Georgetown University in 1914.
After leaving college, he worked at a bank. Then, in January 1916, he started working for the government in other countries. This job is called a consular service. During World War I, he worked in places like Genoa, Italy, Bulgaria, and Jerusalem.
After the war, Edwin worked in Canada. He then left his consular job in March 1925. From 1925 to 1927, he worked for the Department of Justice. He served in many cities, including New York, Boston, Detroit, and Los Angeles. He also led the Department of Justice office in San Francisco, California.
Working as an FBI Agent
Edwin Atherton's time with the Bureau of Investigation (BOI), which later became the FBI, was quite important. He helped capture a group of Mexican nationals in 1924. This group was led by General Enrique Estrada near the California border.
In 1927, he left the BOI. He then started his own private detective company in Los Angeles. He teamed up with another former special agent named Joseph Dunn. Their company was called Atherton and Dunn.
Fighting Corruption
Edwin Atherton's company was hired to look into problems with police corruption. This means they investigated if police officers were doing illegal things or taking bribes. He wrote a special report about police corruption in the San Francisco Police Department in the late 1930s. This report became known as the "Atherton Report."
Leading College Sports
In 1938, Edwin Atherton was hired to investigate the Pacific Coast Conference. This organization managed college sports. He spent two years on this big investigation. He wrote a very long report, which was two million words!
Because of his detailed report, he was chosen to be the High Commissioner of the Pacific Coast Conference in January 1940. His job was to make the changes he had suggested in his report.
His Family Life
Edwin Atherton was married in 1924 to Elma Catheryne Atherton. They later divorced in October 1941. He had a son named Edwin Jr., who was 12 years old at the time.
In October 1942, Edwin married Anzonetta Atherton in Las Vegas. Anzonetta was a writer from Mason City, Iowa.
Edwin Atherton became sick with a gall bladder illness in August 1944. After being in the hospital for a month, he passed away at age 47. He died at Santa Monica Hospital in Santa Monica, California.
