(January 1, 1895–May 2, 1972), was the American director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), 1924–1972. He graduated from George Washington University, 1916; earned a Masters Degree in Law, 1917; served as assistant to Attorney General A. Mitchell Palmer. He became famous for his dramatic campaigns to stop organized crime. J. Edgar Hoover explained:
The criminal is the product of spiritual starvation. Someone failed miserably to bring him to know God, love Him and serve Him.3499
In writing the introduction to Edward L.R. Elson’s book, America’s Spiritual Recovery, 1954, J. Edgar Hoover expressed:
We can see all too clearly the devastating effects of the resultant Secularism on our Christian way of life. The period when it was smart to “debunk” our traditions undermined inspiring customs and high standards of conduct. A rising emphasis on materialism caused a decline of “God-centered” deeds and thoughts. The American home became a place of transient, furtive living and ceased to be a school of moral and spiritual education. …
When spiritual guidance is at a low ebb, moral principles are accordingly is a state of deterioration. Secularism advances in periods when men forget God. …
But there are hopeful signs for a better day. There was hope in the words of General Eisenhower when he bowed his head on Inaugural Day and asked in part, “Give us, we pray, the power to discern right from wrong and allow all our words and actions to be governed thereby and by the laws of this land.” This humble prayer touched Americans from coast to coast. Here was hope manifested in a manner which inspired the hearts of countless millions. A President with such a deep religious sense and with such a sincere spiritual motivation, seeking to be guided by the right, sets an example for all the people.3500
On October 9, 1962, in an address to the National Convention of the American Legion, J. Edgar Hoover stated:
Where is faith in God which fortified us through our past trials? Have our national pride, our moral conscience, our sensitivity to filth and degradation, grown so weak that they no longer react to assaults upon our proud heritage of freedom? …
There is a dangerous flaw in our Nation’s moral armor. Self-indulgence—the principle of pleasure … is undermining those attributes of personal responsibility and self-discipline which are essential to our national survival. It is creating citizens who reach maturity with a warped sense of values and an undeveloped conscience.3501