J. Edgar Hoover was the Director of the FBI for 48 years from May 10, 1924 until his death on May 2, 1972. During most of that time, the view the general public had of Hoover was much as if he had been seated on the Right Hand of God. Late in his career one of his agents had the temerity to inform him that he was, after all, not Jesus Christ. By then, clamors for his removal had reached a crescendo. Three successive presidents, Kennedy, Johnson and Nixon had wanted to put him into retirement, but were afraid to do so because they knew that he held secret files on them and could ruin them politically if he released those files.