Clarence M. Kelley
Encyclopedia
Clarence M. Kelley was a public servant who served as the 2nd Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
.
Clarence Kelley was born in Kansas City
, Missouri
in 1911. He received his Bachelor of Arts
degree from the University of Kansas
in 1936 as a proud member of Sigma Nu
fraternity. He then continued his education to earn an LL.B.
from the University of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1940. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar
the same year and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent
on October 7, 1940. He served in field offices in Huntington, West Virginia
; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
; Des Moines, Iowa
; and the FBI Training Center in Quantico, Virginia
.
Kelley served in the United States Navy
from July 22, 1944, to April 9, 1946, having been granted military leave from the FBI.
Returning from military service Kelley was assigned to the Kansas City office, where his performance earned him a promotion to field supervisor. He also served at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
in 1951. From July 1953 to July 1957 he served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Houston, Seattle, and San Francisco offices. He was then transferred to the Training and Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters, becoming an Inspector. In December 1957 he was promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham office and was reassigned to the Memphis office in November 1960, where he served as Special Agent in Charge until his retirement from the FBI on October 24, 1961.
After retiring from the FBI Kelley became the Chief of Police in Kansas City, Missouri
. During that time he was a member and officer of several civic associations. He is acknowledged and respected as an innovator who created the first helicopter division as well as installing the first computer systems in the Kansas City Police Department
.
In 1970 Kelley received the J. Edgar Hoover
Gold Medal for Outstanding Job Service, presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
. The following year he was named to the Presidential Advisory Committee, and served on both the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals and on the FBI National Academy Review Committee from 1972–1973.
On June 7, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Kelley to be Director of the FBI. The United States Senate
confirmed the nomination June 27 and he was sworn in on July 9. Kelley was the first Director of the FBI to be appointed through the nomination and confirmation process.
Kelley announced his intention to retire in 1977, prompting an exhaustive year-long search for a successor. President Jimmy Carter
finally settled upon William H. Webster, who was nominated in January 1978.
Kelley retired from the FBI February 15, 1978 and was temporarily succeeded by James B. Adams
, who served as Acting Director until Webster's confirmation two weeks later.
Federal Bureau of Investigation
The Federal Bureau of Investigation is an agency of the United States Department of Justice that serves as both a federal criminal investigative body and an internal intelligence agency . The FBI has investigative jurisdiction over violations of more than 200 categories of federal crime...
.
Clarence Kelley was born in Kansas City
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
, Missouri
Missouri
Missouri is a US state located in the Midwestern United States, bordered by Iowa, Illinois, Kentucky, Tennessee, Arkansas, Oklahoma, Kansas and Nebraska. With a 2010 population of 5,988,927, Missouri is the 18th most populous state in the nation and the fifth most populous in the Midwest. It...
in 1911. He received his Bachelor of Arts
Bachelor of Arts
A Bachelor of Arts , from the Latin artium baccalaureus, is a bachelor's degree awarded for an undergraduate course or program in either the liberal arts, the sciences, or both...
degree from the University of Kansas
University of Kansas
The University of Kansas is a public research university and the largest university in the state of Kansas. KU campuses are located in Lawrence, Wichita, Overland Park, and Kansas City, Kansas with the main campus being located in Lawrence on Mount Oread, the highest point in Lawrence. The...
in 1936 as a proud member of Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu
Sigma Nu is an undergraduate, college fraternity with chapters in the United States, Canada and the United Kingdom. Sigma Nu was founded in 1869 by three cadets at the Virginia Military Institute in Lexington, Virginia...
fraternity. He then continued his education to earn an LL.B.
Bachelor of Laws
The Bachelor of Laws is an undergraduate, or bachelor, degree in law originating in England and offered in most common law countries as the primary law degree...
from the University of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1940. He was admitted to the Missouri Bar
Bar association
A bar association is a professional body of lawyers. Some bar associations are responsible for the regulation of the legal profession in their jurisdiction; others are professional organizations dedicated to serving their members; in many cases, they are both...
the same year and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent
Special agent
Special agent is usually the title for a detective or investigator for a state, county, municipal, federal or tribal government. An agent is a worker for any federal agency, and a secret agent is one who works for an intelligence agency....
on October 7, 1940. He served in field offices in Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington, West Virginia
Huntington is a city in Cabell and Wayne counties in the U.S. state of West Virginia, along the Ohio River. Most of the city is in Cabell County, for which it is the county seat. A small portion of the city, mainly the neighborhood of Westmoreland, is in Wayne County. Its population was 49,138 at...
; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Pittsburgh is the second-largest city in the US Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Allegheny County. Regionally, it anchors the largest urban area of Appalachia and the Ohio River Valley, and nationally, it is the 22nd-largest urban area in the United States...
; Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines, Iowa
Des Moines is the capital and the most populous city in the US state of Iowa. It is also the county seat of Polk County. A small portion of the city extends into Warren County. It was incorporated on September 22, 1851, as Fort Des Moines which was shortened to "Des Moines" in 1857...
; and the FBI Training Center in Quantico, Virginia
Quantico, Virginia
- Demographics :As of the census of 2000, there are 561 people, 295 households, and 107 families living in the town. The population density is . There are 359 housing units at an average density of .-Racial composition:...
.
Kelley served in the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
from July 22, 1944, to April 9, 1946, having been granted military leave from the FBI.
Returning from military service Kelley was assigned to the Kansas City office, where his performance earned him a promotion to field supervisor. He also served at FBI Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C.
Washington, D.C., formally the District of Columbia and commonly referred to as Washington, "the District", or simply D.C., is the capital of the United States. On July 16, 1790, the United States Congress approved the creation of a permanent national capital as permitted by the U.S. Constitution....
in 1951. From July 1953 to July 1957 he served as Assistant Special Agent in Charge at the Houston, Seattle, and San Francisco offices. He was then transferred to the Training and Inspection Division at FBI Headquarters, becoming an Inspector. In December 1957 he was promoted to Special Agent in Charge of the Birmingham office and was reassigned to the Memphis office in November 1960, where he served as Special Agent in Charge until his retirement from the FBI on October 24, 1961.
After retiring from the FBI Kelley became the Chief of Police in Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri
Kansas City, Missouri is the largest city in the U.S. state of Missouri and is the anchor city of the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, the second largest metropolitan area in Missouri. It encompasses in parts of Jackson, Clay, Cass, and Platte counties...
. During that time he was a member and officer of several civic associations. He is acknowledged and respected as an innovator who created the first helicopter division as well as installing the first computer systems in the Kansas City Police Department
Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)
The Kansas City Police Department is the principal law enforcement agency serving Kansas City in the U.S. state of Missouri. The current chief is Darryl Forte....
.
In 1970 Kelley received the J. Edgar Hoover
J. Edgar Hoover
John Edgar Hoover was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation—predecessor to the FBI—in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death in 1972...
Gold Medal for Outstanding Job Service, presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars
Veterans of Foreign Wars
The Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States is a congressionally chartered war veterans organization in the United States. Headquartered in Kansas City, Missouri, VFW currently has 1.5 million members belonging to 7,644 posts, and is the largest American organization of combat...
. The following year he was named to the Presidential Advisory Committee, and served on both the National Advisory Commission on Criminal Justice Standards and Goals and on the FBI National Academy Review Committee from 1972–1973.
On June 7, 1973, President Richard M. Nixon nominated Kelley to be Director of the FBI. The United States Senate
United States Senate
The United States Senate is the upper house of the bicameral legislature of the United States, and together with the United States House of Representatives comprises the United States Congress. The composition and powers of the Senate are established in Article One of the U.S. Constitution. Each...
confirmed the nomination June 27 and he was sworn in on July 9. Kelley was the first Director of the FBI to be appointed through the nomination and confirmation process.
Kelley announced his intention to retire in 1977, prompting an exhaustive year-long search for a successor. President Jimmy Carter
Jimmy Carter
James Earl "Jimmy" Carter, Jr. is an American politician who served as the 39th President of the United States and was the recipient of the 2002 Nobel Peace Prize, the only U.S. President to have received the Prize after leaving office...
finally settled upon William H. Webster, who was nominated in January 1978.
Kelley retired from the FBI February 15, 1978 and was temporarily succeeded by James B. Adams
James B. Adams
James Blackburn Adams is a former attorney, Texas legislator, and acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation....
, who served as Acting Director until Webster's confirmation two weeks later.