FBI FACTS: Then and Now —1986 v. 2023

99 Facts About The FBI, Seventh Edition, Published in 1982

Welcome to the FBI FACTS Then and Now Series.

In case you were worried, it's all unclassified. No one will get arrested reading or listening to this post!

In this series, we are going to take a look at the changes in the FBI based on a booklet named 99 Facts About the FBI.

This was one of my main sources of information about the FBI when I was preparing for the Special Agent interview in 1986 when there was no internet!

Back then, we all got our information from TV, newspapers, books, and other publications.

So this booklet was gold to an FBI applicant who could pick up a copy at the local FBI office and memorize it to prepare for the FBI Special Agent interview.

The FBI has changed dramatically over the last several decades. So, I thought it might be fun to see what’s changed based on 99 Facts About the FBI.

According to a government document published in 1980's, 99 Facts About The FBI

“provided an overview of the FBI's functions including its history, administrative matters, jurisdiction, criminal investigations, security matters, foreign counter-intelligence, and cooperative services. Educational requirements and agency training for special agents are covered-under administrative matters, while a section on jurisdiction discusses the areas of law-related crimes that the FBI investigates. Criminal investigations by the FBI include bank robberies, kidnapping cases, bombings, extortion, and other crimes designated by law. In matters of national security and foreign counter-intelligence, the agency is responsible for monitoring any group that advocates a policy of violence, including foreign and domestic terrorist groups. Some of the FBI cooperative services include fingerprinting, a national index on missing persons, a disaster squad, the National Crime Information Center, and exchange of criminal information.”

You can see the digitization of this booklet here.

Question of the Week, December 1, 2023

The burning question we'll be answering this during Week 1 is: "When was the FBI founded?" A simple question, but one that carries with it a century of history, intrigue, and countless stories of crime-fighting.

The Answer Then: 1986

In 1986, the FBI was already a well-established institution, with 78 years of operation under its belt. The Federal Bureau of Investigation was founded in 1908, but back then, it was known under a different name - the Bureau of Investigation.

The Answer Now: 2023

Fast forward to 2023, and the answer remains the same. The FBI was indeed founded in 1908 as the Bureau of Investigation. However, it underwent a name change in 1935, becoming the Federal Bureau of Investigation we're familiar with today. At that time, J. Edgar Hoover was its Director, a man who would lead the bureau for nearly five decades.

Stay Tuned for More

Thanks a lot for tuning in to this week's blog of "FBI FACTS: Then and Now". We hope you found our journey into the past informative and engaging. If you enjoy learning about the FBI's history and its evolution over the years, make sure to follow @janexfbi for more fascinating insights. Let me know if you have any questions about the FBI. If I don’t know the answer, I will find it.

Don't forget to join us on Instagram at @janexfbi next Friday for another thrilling fact where we will continue to unravel the intricate tapestry of the FBI's past and present. Until then, keep digging, keep questioning, and keep learning! Stay safe!