Early Career
Tolson was born in Laredo, Missouri, and attended Cedar Rapids Business College, in Iowa. From 1919 to 1928, he was confidential secretary for the Secretary of War in three administrations, to Newton D. Baker, John W. Weeks, and Dwight F. Davis. Tolson completed a B.A. degree at George Washington University in 1925, and a law degree in 1927.
After initial rejection by the FBI, he was hired in 1927, seeing the opportunity as a stepping stone to a law practice in Cedar Rapids. After working in the Boston and Washington, D.C., field offices, he became the chief FBI clerk, then was promoted to assistant director in 1930.
In 1936, Tolson joined Hoover to arrest bank robber Alvin Karpis; later that year, Tolson was in a gun fight with New York City gangster Harry Brunette, and, in 1942, participated in capturing Nazi saboteurs on Long Island and Florida. In 1947, he was made FBI Associate Director, working in budget and administration.
Read more about this topic: Clyde Tolson
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