J. Edgar Hoover's four‐baggers: An analysis of rhetorical functions

Abstract

This essay uses declassified FBI internal memoranda to study J. Edgar Hoover's rhetorical behavior. Specifically, it is possible to understand better the administrative and communicative tendencies of the Director through analysis of his hand‐written comments. The unvarnished, completely candid Hoover emerges from these “fourbaggers. “Hoover's scrawled messages fulfilled twelve basic functions: 1) demands for expedited action, 2) administrative orders, 3) approval of proposed FBI policies, 4) complaining, 5) “no comment” orders, 6) FBI policy proposals, 7) criticism of FBI errors, 8) disapproval of FBI policy proposals, 9) information requests, 10) complaints about criticism, 11) self‐protection, and 12) attacks on critics. Careful analysis of these rhetorical functions reveals four clusters, or groups of functions. These are: 1) self‐protection, 2) retaliation, 3) emotional catharsis, and 4) orders and requests. While these categories are not entirely discrete, and although we cannot precisely understand Hoover's motives, it is possible to understand both the rhetor and his rhetoric through close consideration of the behavior.