J. Edgar Hoover's Domestic Propaganda: Narrating the Spectacle of the Karpis Arrest

Abstract

This article examines the highly publicized arrest of Alvin “Old Creepy” Karpis by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover as an instance of domestic propaganda that followed in the tradition of World War I era strategizing. It focuses on Hoover's orchestration of a pseudo-event that metaphorically elevated him in the Roosevelt administration. He narrated a spectacle to constitute himself as a symbol of national strength. The FBI Director used the “war” metaphor to direct the symbolic meaning of the Karpis arrest against his congressional oversight. His public symbolism and media reach ultimately served to undermine constitutional checks on the FBI.