On July 26, 1908, a “force of special agents” was created to conduct investigations for the Department of Justice. It marked the official beginning of what would formally become the Federal Bureau of Investigation—the FBI—27 years later on July 1, 1935.

The story of how this investigative force came into being 11 decades ago is really the tale of an experiment undertaken by two principled leaders—Theodore Roosevelt and Charles Bonaparte—who shared a vision for fighting corruption, improving government, and strengthening the rule of law.

The pair came to know and respect each other through a common passion for reforming the nation’s civil service—including ending the deeply entrenched spoils system that dished out federal jobs to political supporters instead of to more qualified applicants.