U.E. Baughman
Encyclopedia
Urbanus Edmund Baughman was the chief of the United States Secret Service
between 1948 and 1961, under Presidents Truman
, Eisenhower
, and Kennedy
.
Baughman was the first Secret Service Chief to pen a memoir concerning the office he held, which was entitled Secret Service Chief which was a veritable tell-all on the intricacies and inner workings of the Secret Service and its evolution from a counterfeit
detection department to the presidential protection unit.
and in an article dated April 20, 1953 he described the Secret Service's biggest fear as, "escaped mental patients who bear grudges against the President or the Government." Baughman admitted that in 1952 the United States Secret Service handled 2,535 presidential protection cases. Of these cases, 74 resulted in arrests, and 72 of those were sent to prison or mental institutions.
published on July 26, 1961, the day after his retirement was announced, Baughman emphatically stated that there had been no mafia
in the United States for forty years. He further denied the existence of a national crime syndicate based on talks with other law enforcement officials.
. He claimed it was basic training for all secret service agents that unauthorized people should be kept out of buildings.
on November 27, 1955, the week before he was to be honored by the White House
and would appear in "Look Magazine."
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
along with his parents and wife Ruth, who died in 2004.
United States Secret Service
The United States Secret Service is a United States federal law enforcement agency that is part of the United States Department of Homeland Security. The sworn members are divided among the Special Agents and the Uniformed Division. Until March 1, 2003, the Service was part of the United States...
between 1948 and 1961, under Presidents Truman
Harry S. Truman
Harry S. Truman was the 33rd President of the United States . As President Franklin D. Roosevelt's third vice president and the 34th Vice President of the United States , he succeeded to the presidency on April 12, 1945, when President Roosevelt died less than three months after beginning his...
, Eisenhower
Dwight D. Eisenhower
Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower was the 34th President of the United States, from 1953 until 1961. He was a five-star general in the United States Army...
, and Kennedy
John F. Kennedy
John Fitzgerald "Jack" Kennedy , often referred to by his initials JFK, was the 35th President of the United States, serving from 1961 until his assassination in 1963....
.
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
detection department to the presidential protection unit.
Life of the President
Baughman gave a description of the job of the president to the senate appropriations committee:"[The President] cannot have what is considered a normal life, home or family relationship. He has no choice as to where he lives. He is a focal point for public and world attention. He is a slave to his office, being obliged to serve his country without cease at all hours and every day of the year. He can have very little privacy. If he has young children, they are largely governed by protocol and cannot enjoy the freedom of the White House as they would a normal home."
Threats to the President
Baughman was interviewed by Time MagazineTime (magazine)
Time is an American news magazine. A European edition is published from London. Time Europe covers the Middle East, Africa and, since 2003, Latin America. An Asian edition is based in Hong Kong...
and in an article dated April 20, 1953 he described the Secret Service's biggest fear as, "escaped mental patients who bear grudges against the President or the Government." Baughman admitted that in 1952 the United States Secret Service handled 2,535 presidential protection cases. Of these cases, 74 resulted in arrests, and 72 of those were sent to prison or mental institutions.
Organized Crime
In an interview with The Washington PostThe Washington Post
The Washington Post is Washington, D.C.'s largest newspaper and its oldest still-existing paper, founded in 1877. Located in the capital of the United States, The Post has a particular emphasis on national politics. D.C., Maryland, and Virginia editions are printed for daily circulation...
published on July 26, 1961, the day after his retirement was announced, Baughman emphatically stated that there had been no mafia
American Mafia
The American Mafia , is an Italian-American criminal society. Much like the Sicilian Mafia, the American Mafia has no formal name and is a secret criminal society. Its members usually refer to it as Cosa Nostra or by its English translation "our thing"...
in the United States for forty years. He further denied the existence of a national crime syndicate based on talks with other law enforcement officials.
Kennedy Assassination
Baughman was immediately critical of the methods used by the Secret Service following the assassination of President Kennedy. He wanted to know why, after the first shot was fired, the Secret Service didn't immediately pepper the window with machine gun fire to prevent any further shots from being fired. He was also curious as to why, with an entire Secret Service detail and the Dallas Police Force on hand, the only shots that were fired were from the assassinAssassination
To carry out an assassination is "to murder by a sudden and/or secret attack, often for political reasons." Alternatively, assassination may be defined as "the act of deliberately killing someone, especially a public figure, usually for hire or for political reasons."An assassination may be...
. He claimed it was basic training for all secret service agents that unauthorized people should be kept out of buildings.
Media Appearances
A notoriously private person for much of his life, Baughman appeared on the show What's My Line?What's My Line?
What's My Line? is a panel game show which originally ran in the United States on the CBS Television Network from 1950 to 1967, with several international versions and subsequent U.S. revivals. The game tasked celebrity panelists with questioning contestants in order to determine their occupations....
on November 27, 1955, the week before he was to be honored by the White House
Executive Office of the President of the United States
The Executive Office of the President consists of the immediate staff of the President of the United States, as well as multiple levels of support staff reporting to the President. The EOP is headed by the White House Chief of Staff, currently William M. Daley...
and would appear in "Look Magazine."
Look (American magazine)
Look was a bi-weekly, general-interest magazine published in Des Moines, Iowa from 1937 to 1971, with more of an emphasis on photographs than articles...
Death
Baughman died on November 6, 1978 from arteriosclerotic heart disease at the Community Memorial Hospital in Tom's River, NJ. He is buried in Arlington CemeteryArlington Cemetery Co
Arlington Cemetery Co was founded in 1895. It is located on State Road in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania and occupies roughly .Arlington Cemetery consists of the Mount Vernon Office, Toppitzer Funeral Home, Williamsburg Chapel, The Museum of Mourning Art, The Garden Mausoleum, The Monticello Mausoleum,...
in Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Drexel Hill, Pennsylvania
Drexel Hill is a census-designated place in Upper Darby Township, Delaware County, Pennsylvania, United States. Drexel Hill is located southwest of Center City, Philadelphia and is part of the Philadelphia metropolitan area...
along with his parents and wife Ruth, who died in 2004.