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 |
| 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 | William J. Esposito |
| 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 on 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, stepped down. Pickard was one of only two members of the Democratic Party to lead the FBI in its long history.
Early Life and Education
Thomas Pickard was born in Woodside, Queens, a part of New York City. He went to Saint Francis College in Brooklyn. There, he earned a degree in business with a focus on accounting.
Later, he continued his studies at St. John's University in Jamaica, Queens. He received another degree, this time in taxation. He is also a Certified Public Accountant, which means he is officially allowed to work as an accountant in New York.
Thomas Pickard's FBI Career
Pickard started his journey as a Special Agent with the FBI on January 13, 1975. After his training, his first assignment was in the New York City office. In April 1979, he moved to the Washington, D.C. office. There, he worked undercover on a special case known as "ABSCAM."
In July 1980, Pickard was promoted and moved to the main FBI Headquarters. He worked in different departments, including inspections and criminal investigations. In October 1984, he returned to the New York City office. He became a supervisor in the section that dealt with "White-Collar Crime." This means crimes like fraud or embezzlement. Later, he became the Assistant Special Agent in Charge for all white-collar and violent crime cases in New York.
In 1989, Pickard was chosen for a high-level position in the FBI. He moved back to FBI Headquarters. He was in charge of the FBI's money operations and later its staff operations. In 1993, Pickard went back to the New York City Office again. He became the Special Agent in Charge of the National Security Division. In this role, he oversaw important cases. These included the trials related to the 1993 World Trade Center bombing and other major investigations. He also supervised the investigation into the July 1996 TWA Flight 800 explosion.
On September 10, 1996, FBI Director Louis Freeh appointed Pickard to lead the Washington field office. While there, Pickard supervised investigations like the arrest of FBI Special Agent Earl Pitts for being a spy. He also oversaw the capture of Mir Amir Kansi, a person wanted by the CIA.
On February 2, 1998, Pickard became the Assistant Director of the FBI's Criminal Investigative Division at Headquarters. Then, on November 1, 1999, he was named Deputy Director. This was the second-highest position in the entire FBI.
On June 25, 2001, Director 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 two months until a new Director was appointed. Pickard retired from the FBI in November of that same year.
