Homme fatale Clyde Tolson

Seldom has there been such a buzz of gossip about any prominent person's love life as that which circulated for decades about FBI director-for-life J. Edgar Hoover and his life's companion, Clyde Tolson.

Hoover began his government service in 1919 as an assistant to then-attorney general Alexander Palmer. This was the time of America's great Red Scare, and Hoover's work centered around deporting suspected Communists. He compiled a large database of charges against Americans on the political left and in 1921 became assistant director of the FBI, rising to director in 1924--a post he held until his 1972 death.

Hoover had no women in his life, and rumors circulated early on about his sexuality. Tolson, who, like Hoover, had a George Washington University law degree, joined the agency in 1927 and after a short tenure as its chief clerk, was promoted to assistant director. Tolson and Hoover were inseparable companions from that time on.

It is claimed that the Mafia had photos of Hoover in drag, which were used to minimize agency interference with organized crime. For his part, Hoover is said to have had "dirt" on virtually every important political figure at the national level, which he used to remain in office throughout many presidential administrations.

Tolson suffered a stroke in 1964. Waiving normal policy about fitness and age, Hoover kept Tolson in office. Upon Hoover's death, Tolson spend about one day as director, until President Richard Nixon appointed L. Patrick Gray to take over. At that point, Tolson retired, to be replaced by Mark Felt, who, ironically, later came out as "Deep Throat," Woodward and Bernstein's secret source in uncovering the Watergate scandal that ended Nixon's presidency.

Hoover, whose reputation among trusting Americans was one of no-nonsense incorruptability, apparently was a cross-dresser in his spare time, but like Hoover hismelf, those dresses remained in the closet during his powerful, influence-abusing lifetime.