Later Life
In 1964, he suffered a stroke, and as a result, remained somewhat frail for the remainder of his life. In 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson awarded him a gold medal for distinguished federal civilian service saying Tolson “has been a vital force in raising the proficiency of law enforcement at all levels and in guiding the Federal Bureau of Investigation to new heights of accomplishment through periods of great National challenge.” In 1970, although Tolson was too old for police duty and past retirement age, Hoover kept him employed in the FBI.
It has been reported that Tolson once said of United States Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy: "I hope that someone shoots and kills the son of a bitch."
When Hoover died on May 2, 1972 in Washington, D.C., Tolson was briefly the acting head of the FBI, but one day later he was replaced by acting director L. Patrick Gray, appointed by President Richard Nixon. Tolson left the FBI two weeks later, leaving W. Mark Felt in operational charge of the FBI.
After his leaving his health began to decline and he died on April 14, 1975, of complications due to diabetes. He was 74.
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