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Memorandum to The Director Re: Movement and Present Location of Memorabilia Ren.oved from Office of Former Director J. E. Hoover DETAILS By way of background, the Attorney General in June, 1975, requested that an inquiry be conducted as to whether any official files were removed from Mr. Hoover's office to his residence following his death and may have been sub- sequently removed from that residence following the death of Clyde A. Tolson. A summary of the inquiry dated 7/3/75, which reflected interview of 100 indi- viduals, was furnished to the Department and it was reported that no infor mation was developed that any official files were removed from Mr. Hoover's office. Subsequent inquiry established movement of property from Mr. Hoover's office including awards, plaques, news articles and editorials, anniversary messages, photographs, editorial cartoons, certificates, diplomas, degrees, athletic trophies and miscellaneous items, some of which also might be classified as personal property of Mr. Hoover. This property was removed under the direction of Miss Helen W. Gandy, former Executive Assistant to Mr. Hoover, who determined which items were personal and to be taken to Mr. Hoover's house or which were to be retained by the FBI for possible later use for historical purposes. This property was packaged by employees from the Special Projects Section following Mr. Hoover's death and was then transported by employees from the former Mechanical! Section to the Taylor Street warehouse for storage where it remained for approximately 6 months. It was then removed intact and trans- ferred to FBI storage space in the General Accounting Office (GAO) Building and was then subsequently moved approximately November, 1973, from GAO to space occupied by the Special Projects Section in the Old Post Office (OPO) Building for consideration for public display in the new J. Edgar Hoover Building. This material continues to be located in space under control of the Special Projects Section in the OPO and JEH Buildings with a limited number of items being placed on public display on the FBI tour route. No inquiry was received concerning this material but substantial detail regarding the movement and retention of same by the FBI was included in reports of interviews with 4 Special Projects Section employees reviewed by Senate Select Committee (SSC) representatives during September and October, 1975. Results of these interviews were furnished to the Department 11/17/75. In April, 1976, a memorandum was prepared for the Director regard- ing possible destruction of some awards that hung in Mr. Hoover's office and the Director noted, 'I have reviewed the list and don't see anything I feel needs to be retained." Efforts to dispose of this material raised questions as to owner- ship and proper disposal procedures in view of pending litigation regarding the -3- CONTINUED - OVER . ewe set GON MINE TE TI RAT He eM IT Te wee eo epg TI Ti Ca meer mene mn TE f ca ae