Thomas J. Pickard facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Thomas J. Pickard
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| Acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office June 25, 2001 – September 4, 2001 |
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| President | George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Louis Freeh |
| Succeeded by | Robert Mueller |
| 11th Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation | |
| In office November 1, 1999 – November 30, 2001 |
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| President | Bill Clinton George W. Bush |
| Preceded by | Robert M. Bryant |
| Succeeded by | Bruce J. Gebhardt |
| Personal details | |
| Born | January 6, 1950 New York City, New York, U.S. |
| Political party | Democratic |
| Education | St. Francis College (BBA) St. John's University, New York (MBA) |
Thomas Joseph Pickard (born January 6, 1950) is a former leader of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI). He served as the acting Director of the FBI for 71 days in the summer of 2001. This happened after the previous Director, Louis Freeh, left his position.
Pickard is known for being the longest-serving acting Director of the FBI. He is also one of only two members of the Democratic Party to have ever led the FBI in its long history. The other was James B. Adams, who was acting director for a short time in 1978.
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Early Life and Education
Thomas Pickard was born in Woodside, Queens, a neighborhood in New York City. He went to Saint Francis College in Brooklyn, where he earned a degree in business administration with a focus on accounting.
Later, he continued his studies at St. John's University in Jamaica, Queens. There, he received a master's degree in business administration, specializing in taxation. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, which means he is officially licensed by the state of New York to work as an accountant.
FBI Career Journey
Thomas Pickard began his career as a Special Agent for the FBI on January 13, 1975. After completing his training, his first assignment was in the FBI's office in New York City.
Moving Up in the FBI
In April 1979, Pickard moved to the FBI office in Washington, D.C.. There, he worked on a special undercover case. In July 1980, he was promoted and moved to the main FBI Headquarters. He worked in departments that checked how the FBI was doing and investigated crimes.
In October 1984, Pickard returned to the New York City office. He became a supervisor in the section that dealt with "White-Collar Crime." This type of crime involves dishonest business practices, like fraud. Later, he became the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for all investigations related to white-collar crime and violent crimes in New York.
Leading Important Investigations
In 1989, Pickard was chosen for the FBI's Senior Executive Service, a group of top leaders. He moved back to FBI Headquarters, where he managed the FBI's money operations and later its staff operations.
In 1993, Pickard was transferred to the New York City Office again. He became the Special Agent in Charge of the National Security Division. In this role, he oversaw investigations into major events. These included the trials related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and the investigation into the TWA Flight 800 explosion in July 1996.
Becoming a Top Leader
On September 10, 1996, FBI Director Louis Freeh appointed Pickard to lead the FBI's Washington field office. During his time there, Pickard supervised important investigations.
On February 2, 1998, Pickard became the Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division at FBI Headquarters. This division handles investigations into many different types of crimes.
On November 1, 1999, Pickard was appointed Deputy Director. This was the second-highest position in the entire FBI.
Acting Director of the FBI
On June 25, 2001, the Director of the FBI, Louis Freeh, resigned. Attorney General John Ashcroft then appointed Thomas Pickard as the Acting Director of the FBI. He served in this important role for about two months until a new Director was officially appointed. Thomas Pickard retired from the FBI in November of that same year.
