The Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is the head of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

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...

, and responsible for the day-to-day operations. Along with the Deputy Director

Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation

The Deputy Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation is a senior United States government position in the Federal Bureau of Investigation. The office is second in command to the Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and takes over responsibilities as Director should his/her...

, the director ensures cases and operations are handled correctly. The director also is in charge of staffing the leadership in any one of the FBI field offices with qualified agents. The director would brief the President on any issues that arise from within the FBI until the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 was enacted in response to the September 11 attacks. Since then, the director reports to the Director of National Intelligence, who in turn reports to the President.

Directors are appointed by the President

President of the United States

The President of the United States of America is the head of state and head of government of the United States. The president leads the executive branch of the federal government and is the commander-in-chief of the United States Armed Forces....

 of the United States

United States

The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...

 and confirmed by the 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...

. In theory, they serve ten-year terms unless they resign, die, or are let go before their term is up; in reality, none have served a full ten years, except 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...

 and Robert Mueller

Robert Mueller

Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...

, each of whom served longer than ten years. 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...

, appointed by Calvin Coolidge

Calvin Coolidge

John Calvin Coolidge, Jr. was the 30th President of the United States . A Republican lawyer from Vermont, Coolidge worked his way up the ladder of Massachusetts state politics, eventually becoming governor of that state...

, was by far the longest-serving director; he held the position from 1935 until his death in 1972 because there was no law limiting service time. The current FBI director is Robert Mueller

Robert Mueller

Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...

, who was appointed in 2001 by George W. Bush

George W. Bush

George Walker Bush is an American politician who served as the 43rd President of the United States, from 2001 to 2009. Before that, he was the 46th Governor of Texas, having served from 1995 to 2000....

 and, at the request of Barack Obama

Barack Obama

Barack Hussein Obama II is the 44th and current President of the United States. He is the first African American to hold the office. Obama previously served as a United States Senator from Illinois, from January 2005 until he resigned following his victory in the 2008 presidential election.Born in...

, was authorized by the Senate on July 27, 2011, to serve for a total of 12 years (two years beyond the regular limit). All others have left before reaching the limit, due to resignation, retirement, promotion, or other reasons.

Bureau of Investigation (BOI) Directors (1908–1935)

#	Picture	Name	Period	Notes
1		Stanley Finch Stanley Finch Stanley Wellington Finch was the first director of the Bureau of Investigation, which would eventually become the FBI. He would soon retire from office....	July 26, 1908 – April 30, 1912
2		A. Bruce Bielaski A. Bruce Bielaski Alexander Bruce Bielaski was an American lawyer and director of the Bureau of Investigation ....	April 30, 1912 – February 10, 1919
—		William E. Allen William E. Allen On February 10, 1919, William E. Allen of Texas began serving as Acting Director of the U.S. Bureau of Investigation , a predecessor of the Federal Bureau of Investigation . Before his appointment, Allen served as Assistant in War Matters to the Chief of the Bureau. Allen's resignation became...	February 10, 1919 – June 30, 1919	Acting
3		William J. Flynn William J. Flynn William J. Flynn was the director of the Bureau of Investigation from July 1, 1919 to August 21, 1921.Born in New York City Flynn began his government career in 1897 after receiving a public school education. His first assignment was as an Agent in the United States Secret Service...	July 1, 1919 – August 21, 1921
4		William J. Burns William J. Burns William J. Burns , known as "America's Sherlock Holmes," is famous for having conducted a private investigation clearing Leo Frank of the murder of Mary Phagan, and for serving as the director of the Bureau of Investigation from August 22, 1921 to June 14, 1924...	August 22, 1921 – May 10, 1924
5		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...	May 10, 1924 – June 30, 1935

Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) Directors (1935–present)

#	Picture	Name	Period	Length	Notes
1		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...	July 1, 1935 – May 2, 1972	36 years, 10 months	Died in office
—		L. Patrick Gray L. Patrick Gray Louis Patrick Gray III was acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation from May 2, 1972 to April 27, 1973. During this time, the FBI was in charge of the initial investigation into the burglaries that sparked the Watergate scandal, which eventually led to the resignation of President...	May 3, 1972 – April 27, 1973	Acting (11 months)
—		William Ruckelshaus William Ruckelshaus William Doyle Ruckelshaus is an American attorney and, several times, U.S. government official. He served as the first head of the Environmental Protection Agency in 1970, was subsequently acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and then Deputy Attorney General of the United States...	April 30, 1973 – July 9, 1973	Acting (3 months)
2		Clarence M. Kelley Clarence M. Kelley Clarence M. Kelley was a public servant who served as the 2nd Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation....	July 9, 1973 – February 15, 1978	4 years, 6 months
—		James B. Adams James B. Adams James Blackburn Adams is a former attorney, Texas legislator, and acting director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation....	February 15, 1978 – February 23, 1978	Acting
3		William H. Webster	February 23, 1978 – May 25, 1987	9 years, 3 months
—		John E. Otto	May 26, 1987 – November 2, 1987	Acting (7 months)
4		William S. Sessions William S. Sessions William Steele Sessions is a civil servant who served as a judge and 4th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation...	November 2, 1987 – July 19, 1993	6 years, 8 months
—		Floyd I. Clarke Floyd I. Clarke Floyd I. Clarke was a former director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation in the United States.Clarke was born in Phoenix, Arizona. He attended George Washington University in Washington, D.C., where he obtained a bachelor of arts and later a law degree...	July 19, 1993 – September 1, 1993	Acting (2 months)
5		Louis Freeh Louis Freeh Louis Joseph Freeh was the 5th Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, serving from September 1993 to June 2001....	September 1, 1993 – June 25, 2001	7 years, 9 months
—		Thomas J. Pickard Thomas J. Pickard Thomas J. Pickard was an acting Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation for 71 days in the summer of 2001 following the tenure of Director Louis Freeh. He was replaced just one week before the terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center towers and The Pentagon. Born in Woodside, Queens,...	June 25, 2001 – September 4, 2001	Acting (3 months)
6		Robert Mueller Robert Mueller Robert Swan Mueller III is the 6th and current Director of the United States Federal Bureau of Investigation .-Early life:...	September 4, 2001 – Present