ypes ofinformation made J. Edgar Hoover that much more powerful.J. Edgar Hoover was an extremely intelligent and shrewdindividual. George Washington University Law School, whereEdgar enrolled in 1913, did not have the prestige of otherlocal universities. It offered, however, a respectableconservative law program and a solid grounding in the nutsand bolts of the legal system (Summers 27). Edgar receivedhis Bachelor of Law degree, without honors, in the summer of1916. What Edgar said of his past, especially of eventslong ago, must always be treated with caution (Summers 25). He was a master con man, his aide William Sullivan was tosay, one of the greatest con men the country has everproduced, and that takes intelligence of a certain kind, anastuteness, a shrewdness (Summers 25). Hooversintelligence and his cunning demeanor helped him to controla great portion of the United States.J. Edgar Hoover created one of the most powerfulorganizations in the United States, in some troubling waysthe most powerful of all (Summers 45 and Powers 1-2). Heachieved it thanks to a combination of rapid social change,political shifts, and a good deal of luck (Summers 45). Hebrought to the task his own brilliance as an organizer, ashrewd ability to read the national mood, and a capacity forself-advertisement unparalleled in public life (Summers 45). If there is a moral here, it is perhaps the one drawn byfuture Vice President Walter Mondale while taking part inthe senate probe of the CIA and FBI in 1975 (Summers 438). The lesson we learn from this history, he said, is thatwe cannot keep our liberty secure by relying alone on thegood faith of men with great power (Summers 438). I thinkthat a very important lesson is taught by the life of J.Edgar Hoover. His life teaches that being powerful is notnecessarily a good thing. If power is used intelligentlyand in moderation, it can be a good thing. However, Hooverused his power for his own benefit. Finall...
