Up Next
Back to Show
American Experience
Becoming J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover is mostly remembered as the dominant force of the FBI. But he really got his start in 1919. He was 24 when he got a job at the Justice Department and was handed the position of running the “Radical Division,” which was designed to gather information on radical groups and political organizations. Filmmaker Susan Bellows discusses where Hoover got his start.
Sign up now for inspiring and thought-provoking media delivered straight to your inbox.
Support Provided By
1:52:46
The Gilded Age: Full Film
1:53:15
The woman whose groundbreaking books revolutionized our relationship to the natural world.
52:55
The story of nine young men from Washington who captured gold at the 1936 Olympic Games.
52:03
After attempting to commit the perfect crime, would two boys get the death penalty?
1:20:50
The Stonewall riots marked a major turning point in the modern gay civil rights movement.
52:01
In the 1950's a Polio outbreak swept the U.S., devastating communities nationwide.
1:49:38
The man behind the atomic bomb is put on trial for suspected communist ties in 1954.
1:52:37
Part of the award-winning "The Presidents" collection.
Unlock with PBS Passport
51:35
In 1927, the Mississippi River flooded from New Orleans, leaving a million people homeless
1:53:50
Ronald Reagan left the White House one of the most popular presidents of the 20th century.
Earth Month
Unlock with PBS Passport
51:28
The Dust Bowl brought drought, dust, disease and death to the Midwest for nearly a decade.
1:50:17
A biography from American Experience's collection of presidential portraits.