Today’s post was compiled by the Special Access and FOIA Program staff at the National Archives at College Park, MD
In the Special Access and FOIA Program at the National Archives at College Park, Maryland, we conduct a review of records for information protected from release under the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). The bulk of our research requests are for the Records of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, aka the FBI (Record Group 65).
In honor of the FBI’s “birthday” of July 26, 1908, the Special Access and FOIA staff once again gathered some of our favorite quotes from their records from the past year for the second annual FBI birthday post. Enjoy!
If you haven’t seen last year’s post, check it out! Happy Birthday FBI!
- Ray Davidson was questioning a subject recently and when he came to the “marital status,” Ray asked if he was married. The subject said that he wasn’t but that he was going to be married in about a month. When asked his intended wife’s name, he replied that he was going with two girls at the present time and hadn’t yet decided who was going to be the lucky girl. (94-HQ-43615, Serial 308)
- We’re still wondering which one he chose!
- “She also informed that Mr. ___, the manager in 1947, was presently deceased.” (77-HQ-52553, Serial 83)
- Maybe he will be available for an interview another day?
- “One of the men was enjoying a little entertainment on the side. He has ordered the orchestra trumpeter to play his favorite tune– “Begin the Beguine.” The trumpeter was laboring through the piece at the point of a machine gun. Rayborn pointed his gun at him and ordered him to stop. The trumpeter looked at the two machine guns and resolved his dilemma with a parting ‘toot-toot.’” (88-HQ-2793, Serial 119)
- “He further stated that the Subject likes to engage in arguments and will argue just for the sake of arguing. It makes no difference which side of an issue he takes … [Subject] has a tendency to try to gain the center of attraction by means of impressing people with his ‘so-called’ superior knowledge.” (100-HR-1533, Serial 15, Memos NN & JJ)
- “The Defense Industrial Security Clearance Office (DISCO)” (161-HQ-6914, Serial 6)
- When most people think of disco, they think of the 1970’s. However, here is proof that the government was ahead of its time.’
- On a “retired” member of the Chicago mob: “[He] is not known to have any hobbies other than good living… He is a daily attendant at the race track, dressing in a conservative manner and makes the appearance of a gentile grandfather. He also likes to eat Italian food and smokes Salem cigarettes.” (92-HQ-10620, Serial 3)
- Q: Do you know the other name that he has?
- A: Yes. Jack Daniels. He got the social security card here in Montana.
- Q: Jack Daniels?
- A: Uh-huh.
- Q: D-A-N-..
- A: I-E-L-S.
- (31-HQ-93324, Serial 1)
- “The Director [J. Edgar Hoover] has commented regarding this case ‘What confuses me is that U.S. Atty still contends N.Y. Office fumbled the ball and SAC at Birmingham contends to contrary. Both can’t be right.” (62-HQ-53866, Serial 18)
- “I have had a rather difficult time here of late, but will have to make the best of it. You know the old saying: ‘Faute de mieux on couch avec sa femme.’”
- Translation: “For lack of anything better, you sleep with your wife” (65-HQ-33780, Serial 27)
- “I will give you [a] 12 hour extension. This man and our friends have worked too hard for this. Yield or this Armory will waste you factually and or figuratively.” (9-HQ-59541, Serial 3)