Jump to content

Clarence M. Kelley: Difference between revisions

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Browse history interactively
← Previous edit
Content deleted Content added
VisualWikitext
→Later life: replaced the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette with original source in The New York Times
→External links: added order
 
(31 intermediate revisions by 14 users not shown)
Line 1: Line 1:
{{Short description|2nd Director of the FBI (1973–1978)}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=February 2019}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}
{{more citations needed|date=September 2018}}
Line 12: Line 13:
| predecessor = [[J. Edgar Hoover]]
| predecessor = [[J. Edgar Hoover]]
| successor = [[William H. Webster]]
| successor = [[William H. Webster]]
| birth_name = Clarence Marion Kelley
| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|10|24}}
| birth_date = {{birth date|1911|10|24}}
| birth_place = [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], U.S.
| birth_place = [[Kansas City, Missouri|Kansas City]], [[Missouri]], U.S.
Line 17: Line 19:
| death_place = Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
| death_place = Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| party = [[Republican Party (United States)|Republican]]
| spouse = {{marriage|Ruby Pickett|1937|1975|reason=died}}<br>{{marriage|Shirley Dyckes|1976|1997}}
| spouse = {{plainlist|
* {{marriage|Ruby Pickett|1937|1975|reason=died}}
* {{marriage|Shirley Dyckes|1976|1997}}
}}
| children = 2
| children = 2
| education = [[University of Kansas]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Missouri–Kansas City]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
| education = [[University of Kansas]] ([[Bachelor of Arts|BA]])<br>[[University of Missouri–Kansas City]] ([[Bachelor of Laws|LLB]])
| allegiance = {{Flagu|United States}}
| branch = {{flag|United States Navy}}
| serviceyears = 1944–1946
| rank =
| unit =
}}
}}

'''Clarence M. Kelley''' (October 24, 1911{{spaced ndash}}August 5, 1997) was an American law enforcement officer. He served as the Chief of the [[Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)|Kansas City Police Department]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] from 1961 to 1973, and as the second Director of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] from 1973 to 1978.
'''Clarence Marion Kelley''' (October 24, 1911{{spaced ndash}}August 5, 1997) was an American law enforcement officer. He served as the Chief of the [[Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)|Kansas City Police Department]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], from 1961 to 1973, and as the second director of the [[Federal Bureau of Investigation]] from 1973 to 1978.


==Early life and education==
==Early life and education==
Clarence Kelley was born in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] on October 24, 1911.<ref name="theindependentobit">{{cite news |last1=Renshaw |first1=Patrick |title=Obituary: Clarence Kelley |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-clarence-kelley-1245088.html |accessdate=September 5, 2020 |work=The Independent |date=August 12, 1997}}</ref> He received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from the [[University of Kansas]] in 1936,<ref name="theindependentobit"/> where he was a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity. He continued his education to earn an [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]] from the [[University of Kansas City]], Missouri, in 1940.<ref name="theindependentobit"/> He was admitted to the Missouri [[Bar Association|Bar]] the same year and joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a [[Special agent|Special Agent]] on October 7, 1940.<ref name="fbibio">{{cite web |title=Clarence M. Kelley, July 9, 1973 - February 15, 1978 |url=https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/clarence-m-kelley |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |accessdate=September 5, 2020}}</ref> He served in field offices in [[Huntington, West Virginia]]; [[Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania]]; [[Des Moines, Iowa]]; and the FBI Training Center in [[Quantico, Virginia]].<ref name="fbibio"/>
Clarence Kelley was born in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], on October 24, 1911.<ref name="theindependentobit">{{cite news |last1=Renshaw |first1=Patrick |title=Obituary: Clarence Kelley |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/people/obituary-clarence-kelley-1245088.html |accessdate=September 5, 2020 |work=The Independent |date=August 12, 1997}}</ref> He attended [[Northeast High School (Missouri)|Northeast High School]], where he was nicknamed "Chief" and held a 0.300 baseball batting average.<ref name="KCPM Kelley"/> He received his [[Bachelor of Arts]] degree from the [[University of Kansas]] in 1936,<ref name="theindependentobit"/> where he was a member of [[Sigma Nu]] fraternity. He continued his education to earn an [[Bachelor of Laws|LL.B.]] from the [[University of Kansas City]], Missouri, in 1940.<ref name="theindependentobit"/> He was admitted to the Missouri [[Bar Association|Bar]] the same year.<ref name="fbibio">{{cite web |title=Clarence M. Kelley, July 9, 1973 - February 15, 1978 |url=https://www.fbi.gov/history/directors/clarence-m-kelley |website=Federal Bureau of Investigation |accessdate=September 5, 2020}}</ref> The Kansas City Police department would eulogize him as having been "destined to enter law enforcement".<ref name="KCPM Kelley"/>


⚫
==Early FBI career==
Kelley served in the [[United States Navy]] from July 22, 1944, to April 9, 1946, having been granted military leave from the FBI.<ref name="fbibio"/>
Kelley joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a [[Special agent|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]]. He served in the [[United States Navy]] from July 22, 1944, to April 9, 1946, having been granted military leave from the FBI.<ref name="fbibio"/>


⚫
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.<ref name="fbibio"/>
⚫
==FBI career==
⚫
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.<ref name="fbibio"/>


==Kansas City police==
==Kansas City police==
Kelley was the Chief of the [[Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)|Kansas City Police Department]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]] from 1961 to 1973.<ref name="iolaregisterobit">{{cite news |title=Former FBI boss Kelley dies in KC |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/636440449/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Iola Register |location=Iola, Kansas |date=August 6, 1997|page=7|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He installed a computer system to check driver's license plates.<ref name="iolaregisterobit"/>
At the recommendation of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy,<ref name="KCPM Kelley">{{cite web | title=Clarence M. Kelley | publisher=Kansas City, Missouri Police Officers Memorial | url=https://www.kcpolicememorial.com/history/kelley/ | access-date=January 23, 2021}}</ref> Kelley became the Chief of the [[Kansas City Police Department (Missouri)|Kansas City Police Department]] in [[Kansas City, Missouri]], serving from 1961 to 1973.<ref name="iolaregisterobit">{{cite news |title=Former FBI boss Kelley dies in KC |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/636440449/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Iola Register |location=Iola, Kansas |date=August 6, 1997|page=7|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> He installed a computer system to check driver's license plates.<ref name="iolaregisterobit"/>


In 1970 Kelley received the [[J. Edgar Hoover]] Gold Medal presented by the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]].<ref name="springfieldnewsleaderselected">{{cite news |title=KC Police Chief Is Selected For VFW Honor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/310683193/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Springfield News-Leader |location=Springfield, Missouri |date=July 8, 1970|page=7|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 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.<ref name="fbibio"/>
In 1970 Kelley received the [[J. Edgar Hoover]] Gold Medal presented by the [[Veterans of Foreign Wars]].<ref name="springfieldnewsleaderselected">{{cite news |title=KC Police Chief Is Selected For VFW Honor |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/310683193/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Springfield News-Leader |location=Springfield, Missouri |date=July 8, 1970|page=7|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 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 to 1973.<ref name="fbibio"/>


==Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (1973–1978)==
==Director of the FBI (1973–1978)==
On June 7, 1973, President [[Richard Nixon]] nominated Kelley to be Director of the FBI.<ref name="starpressnixonready">{{cite news |title=Nixon Ready to Nominate New Director for FBI. Technology-Minded Ex-Agent Clarence M. Kelley Tagged. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/252082970/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Star Press |location=Muncie, Indiana |date=June 7, 1973|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 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. During his time as Director, Kelley eliminated the embezzlement practices that had been prevalent in the administrative division under J. Edgar Hoover's directorship through his cooperation with a Justice Department investigation.<ref>{{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9 }}</ref> Kelley also reopened relations with other intelligence agencies, such as the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] which had nearly been shut down by Hoover in his last years as director.<ref name="auto">{{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9}}</ref>
On June 7, 1973, President [[Richard Nixon]] nominated Kelley to be Director of the FBI.<ref name="starpressnixonready">{{cite news |title=Nixon Ready to Nominate New Director for FBI. Technology-Minded Ex-Agent Clarence M. Kelley Tagged. |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/252082970/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Star Press |location=Muncie, Indiana |date=June 7, 1973|page=1|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> 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. During his time as Director, Kelley eliminated the embezzlement practices that had been prevalent in the administrative division under J. Edgar Hoover's directorship through his cooperation with a Justice Department investigation.<ref>{{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9 }}</ref> Kelley also reopened relations with other intelligence agencies, such as the [[Central Intelligence Agency]] which had nearly been shut down by Hoover in his last years as director.<ref name="auto">{{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9}}</ref>


Kelley helped the FBI transition from its 40 plus years of being dominated by a single director, J. Edgar Hoover, by attempting to improve its public image.<ref name="courierjournalrestoreconfidence">{{cite news |last1=Goshko |first1=John M. |title=Kelley is trying to restore public confidence in FBI |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/108113438/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Courier-Journal |location=Louisville, Kentucky |date=December 30, 1975|pages=1; 3|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the same time, he tried not to antagonize FBI agents who had been loyal to Hoover.<ref name="auto"/>
Kelley helped the FBI transition from its 40 plus years of being dominated by a single director, J. Edgar Hoover, by attempting to improve its public image.<ref name="courierjournalrestoreconfidence">{{cite news |last1=Goshko |first1=John M. |title=Kelley is trying to restore public confidence in FBI |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/108113438/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 3, 2020 |work=The Courier-Journal |location=Louisville, Kentucky |date=December 30, 1975|pages=1; 3|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> At the same time, he tried not to antagonize FBI agents who had been loyal to Hoover.<ref name="auto"/>


Kelley announced his intention to retire in 1977, prompting an exhaustive year-long search for a successor. President [[Jimmy Carter]] finally decided on [[William H. Webster]], who was nominated in January 1978.
Kelley's intention to retire, revealed in 1977, prompted an exhaustive year-long search for a successor. President [[Jimmy Carter]] finally decided on [[William H. Webster]], who was nominated in January 1978. Kelley retired from the FBI February 15, 1978,<ref name="fbibio"/> and was temporarily succeeded by [[James B. Adams]], who served as Acting Director until Webster's confirmation 8 days later.


==Clarence M. Kelley and Associates==
==Later life==
{{expand-section|date=September 2020}}
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 8 days later.
⚫
Kelley founded Clarence M. Kelley and Associates, Inc. (CMKA), a security and investigation firm, in 1982. CMKA is now one of the nation's leading Professional Investigative and Security Consulting Firms. CMKA provides a broad spectrum of investigative and security related services nationally and abroad.


==Personal life and death==
⚫
Kelley founded [[Clarence M. Kelley and Associates, Inc.]] (CMKA), a security and investigation firm, in 1982. CMKA is now one of the nation's leading Professional Investigative and Security Consulting Firms. CMKA provides a broad spectrum of investigative and security related services nationally and abroad.
Kelley was an elder of the [[Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)|Disciples of Christ]].<ref name="salinajournalexnun"/> He was married twice. With his first wife Ruby Pickett, he had a son and a daughter.<ref name="nytimesobit">{{cite news |last1=Stout |first1=David |authorlink= David Stout |title=Clarence M. Kelley, Director of F.B.I. in the 70's, Dies at 85 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/06/us/clarence-m-kelley-director-of-fbi-in-the-70-s-dies-at-85.html |accessdate=September 5, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=August 6, 1997}}</ref> A year after she died in 1975, he married a former Catholic nun previously known as Sister Bernadine,<ref name="salinajournalexnun">{{cite news |last1=Christy |first1=Marian |title=Ex-nun, 'man with gun' find marital bliss |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/11560401/?terms=%22Clarence%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 6, 2020 |work=The Salina Journal |location=Salina, Kansas |date=October 1, 1978|page=14|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> née Shirley Dyckes.<ref name="nytimesobit"/> She published her memoir, ''Love Is Not for Cowards'', in 1978.<ref name="salinajournalexnun"/> Kelley published his own memoir, ''Kelley: The Story of an FBI Director'', in 1987.


Kelley died on August 5, 1997 in his sleep from natural causes in his Kansas City home, at age 85.<ref name="iolaregisterobit"/><ref name="latimesobit">{{cite news |title=Clarence M. Kelley; FBI Director Guided Agency Through Post-Watergate Turmoil |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/158731159/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 2, 2020 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 6, 1997|page=12|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref><ref name="nytimesobit">{{cite news |last1=Stout |first1=David |authorlink= David Stout |title=Clarence M. Kelley, Director of F.B.I. in the 70's, Dies at 85 |url=https://www.nytimes.com/1997/08/06/us/clarence-m-kelley-director-of-fbi-in-the-70-s-dies-at-85.html |accessdate=September 5, 2020 |work=The New York Times |date=August 6, 1997}}</ref> His remains were later buried at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri. He was buried next to his wife, who died in 1975 from cancer.
Kelley died on August 5, 1997, in his sleep from natural causes in his Kansas City home, at age 85.<ref name="nytimesobit"/><ref name="latimesobit">{{cite news |title=Clarence M. Kelley; FBI Director Guided Agency Through Post-Watergate Turmoil |url=https://www.newspapers.com/image/158731159/?terms=%22Clarence%2BM.%2BKelley%22 |accessdate=September 2, 2020 |work=The Los Angeles Times |date=August 6, 1997|page=12|via=[[Newspapers.com]]}}</ref> His remains were later buried at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.{{cn|date=September 2020}}


==References==
==References==
Line 54: Line 67:


== Further reading ==
== Further reading ==
* {{cite book |last1=Kelley |first1= Shirley Dyckes |last2=Gullander |first2=Elizabeth |title=Love Is Not for Cowards: The Autobiography of Shirley Dyckes Kelley |date=1978 |publisher=Prentice-Hall |location=Englewood Cliffs, N.J. |isbn=9780135410295|oclc=3631031}}
* {{cite book |title=Kelley: The Story of an FBI Director |last=Kelley |first=Clarence M. |author2=James Kirkpatrick Davis |year=1987 |publisher=Andrews, McMeel & Parker |location=Kansas City |isbn=0-8362-7935-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/kelleystoryof00kell }} Kelley's memoirs.
* {{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. |location=New York, NY |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9 }}
* {{cite book |title=Kelley: The Story of an FBI Director |last=Kelley |first=Clarence M. |author2=James Kirkpatrick Davis |year=1987 |publisher=Andrews, McMeel & Parker |location=Kansas City |isbn=0-8362-7935-2 |url-access=registration |url=https://archive.org/details/kelleystoryof00kell }}
* {{cite book | title=J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets |last=Gentry |first=Curt |year=1992 |publisher=W. W. Norton & Company |location=New York |isbn=978-0-393-32128-9 }}


==External links==
==External links==
Line 64: Line 78:
{{s-gov}}
{{s-gov}}
{{s-bef|before=[[William Ruckelshaus]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-bef|before=[[William Ruckelshaus]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-ttl|title=[[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]]|years=1973–1978}}
{{s-ttl|order=2nd|title=[[Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation]]|years=1973–1978}}
{{s-aft|after=[[James B. Adams]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-aft|after=[[James B. Adams]]<br>{{small|Acting}}}}
{{s-end}}
{{s-end}}
Line 79: Line 93:
[[Category:University of Kansas alumni]]
[[Category:University of Kansas alumni]]
[[Category:University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni]]
[[Category:University of Missouri–Kansas City alumni]]
[[Category:United States Navy sailors]]

Latest revision as of 09:38, 2 December 2024

Clarence M. Kelley
2nd Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
In office
July 9, 1973 – February 15, 1978
PresidentRichard Nixon
Gerald Ford
Jimmy Carter
DeputyJames B. Adams
Preceded byJ. Edgar Hoover
Succeeded byWilliam H. Webster
Personal details
Born
Clarence Marion Kelley

(1911-10-24)October 24, 1911
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
DiedAugust 5, 1997(1997-08-05) (aged 85)
Kansas City, Missouri, U.S.
Political partyRepublican
Spouses
Ruby Pickett
​
​
(m. 1937; died 1975)​
Shirley Dyckes
​
(m. 1976⁠–⁠1997)​
Children2
EducationUniversity of Kansas (BA)
University of Missouri–Kansas City (LLB)
Military service
Allegiance United States
Branch/service United States Navy
Years of service1944–1946

Clarence Marion Kelley (October 24, 1911 – August 5, 1997) was an American law enforcement officer. He served as the Chief of the Kansas City Police Department in Kansas City, Missouri, from 1961 to 1973, and as the second director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from 1973 to 1978.

Early life and education

[edit]

Clarence Kelley was born in Kansas City, Missouri, on October 24, 1911.[1] He attended Northeast High School, where he was nicknamed "Chief" and held a 0.300 baseball batting average.[2] He received his Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Kansas in 1936,[1] where he was a member of Sigma Nu fraternity. He continued his education to earn an LL.B. from the University of Kansas City, Missouri, in 1940.[1] He was admitted to the Missouri Bar the same year.[3] The Kansas City Police department would eulogize him as having been "destined to enter law enforcement".[2]

Early FBI career

[edit]

Kelley 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. He served in the United States Navy from July 22, 1944, to April 9, 1946, having been granted military leave from the FBI.[3]

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.[3]

Kansas City police

[edit]

At the recommendation of Attorney General Robert F. Kennedy,[2] Kelley became the Chief of the Kansas City Police Department in Kansas City, Missouri, serving from 1961 to 1973.[4] He installed a computer system to check driver's license plates.[4]

In 1970 Kelley received the J. Edgar Hoover Gold Medal presented by the Veterans of Foreign Wars.[5] 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 to 1973.[3]

Director of the FBI (1973–1978)

[edit]

On June 7, 1973, President Richard Nixon nominated Kelley to be Director of the FBI.[6] 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. During his time as Director, Kelley eliminated the embezzlement practices that had been prevalent in the administrative division under J. Edgar Hoover's directorship through his cooperation with a Justice Department investigation.[7] Kelley also reopened relations with other intelligence agencies, such as the Central Intelligence Agency which had nearly been shut down by Hoover in his last years as director.[8]

Kelley helped the FBI transition from its 40 plus years of being dominated by a single director, J. Edgar Hoover, by attempting to improve its public image.[9] At the same time, he tried not to antagonize FBI agents who had been loyal to Hoover.[8]

Kelley's intention to retire, revealed in 1977, prompted an exhaustive year-long search for a successor. President Jimmy Carter finally decided on William H. Webster, who was nominated in January 1978. Kelley retired from the FBI February 15, 1978,[3] and was temporarily succeeded by James B. Adams, who served as Acting Director until Webster's confirmation 8 days later.

Clarence M. Kelley and Associates

[edit]

Kelley founded Clarence M. Kelley and Associates, Inc. (CMKA), a security and investigation firm, in 1982. CMKA is now one of the nation's leading Professional Investigative and Security Consulting Firms. CMKA provides a broad spectrum of investigative and security related services nationally and abroad.

Personal life and death

[edit]

Kelley was an elder of the Disciples of Christ.[10] He was married twice. With his first wife Ruby Pickett, he had a son and a daughter.[11] A year after she died in 1975, he married a former Catholic nun previously known as Sister Bernadine,[10] née Shirley Dyckes.[11] She published her memoir, Love Is Not for Cowards, in 1978.[10] Kelley published his own memoir, Kelley: The Story of an FBI Director, in 1987.

Kelley died on August 5, 1997, in his sleep from natural causes in his Kansas City home, at age 85.[11][12] His remains were later buried at Mount Washington Cemetery in Independence, Missouri.[citation needed]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ a b c Renshaw, Patrick (August 12, 1997). "Obituary: Clarence Kelley". The Independent. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  2. ^ a b c "Clarence M. Kelley". Kansas City, Missouri Police Officers Memorial. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  3. ^ a b c d e "Clarence M. Kelley, July 9, 1973 - February 15, 1978". Federal Bureau of Investigation. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  4. ^ a b "Former FBI boss Kelley dies in KC". The Iola Register. Iola, Kansas. August 6, 1997. p. 7. Retrieved September 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  5. ^ "KC Police Chief Is Selected For VFW Honor". The Springfield News-Leader. Springfield, Missouri. July 8, 1970. p. 7. Retrieved September 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  6. ^ "Nixon Ready to Nominate New Director for FBI. Technology-Minded Ex-Agent Clarence M. Kelley Tagged". The Star Press. Muncie, Indiana. June 7, 1973. p. 1. Retrieved September 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  7. ^ Gentry, Curt (1992). J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-32128-9.
  8. ^ a b Gentry, Curt (1992). J. Edgar Hoover: The Man and the Secrets. New York, NY: W.W. Norton & Company, Inc. ISBN 978-0-393-32128-9.
  9. ^ Goshko, John M. (December 30, 1975). "Kelley is trying to restore public confidence in FBI". The Courier-Journal. Louisville, Kentucky. pp. 1, 3. Retrieved September 3, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  10. ^ a b c Christy, Marian (October 1, 1978). "Ex-nun, 'man with gun' find marital bliss". The Salina Journal. Salina, Kansas. p. 14. Retrieved September 6, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.
  11. ^ a b c Stout, David (August 6, 1997). "Clarence M. Kelley, Director of F.B.I. in the 70's, Dies at 85". The New York Times. Retrieved September 5, 2020.
  12. ^ "Clarence M. Kelley; FBI Director Guided Agency Through Post-Watergate Turmoil". The Los Angeles Times. August 6, 1997. p. 12. Retrieved September 2, 2020 – via Newspapers.com.

Further reading

[edit]
[edit]
Government offices
Preceded by 2nd Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
1973–1978 		Succeeded by
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/enwiki/w/index.php?title=Clarence_M._Kelley&oldid=1260735117"