In assembling his “force of special agents,” Bonaparte selected a dapper, dedicated veteran of the Department of Justice to be its first leader. His name was Stanley Wellington Finch.

It was a logical choice. Born in 1872 in Monticello, New York, Finch joined the Department of Justice as a clerk in 1893. Over the next 15 years, he rose to become chief examiner, the highest-ranking investigative official in the organization. In this position, he audited the books of the U.S. Courts and Prisons and oversaw the work of other examiners. During this time, like so many other future FBI personnel (including Hoover), he was also studying at night at National University (now George Washington University) Law School. He earned two law degrees by 1909.

Fittingly, Finch helped lead the way in creating the early Bureau. Around this time, Department of Justice investigators were hired literally on a case-by-case basis; most agents were U.S. Secret Service employees working within the Treasury Department. In December 1907, Bonaparte informed Congress that he needed his own detective force. Six months later, Congress instead banned the Secret Service from loaning its personnel.

That left the Department of Justice in a bind, but Bonaparte, Finch, and their colleagues were already developing a plan. A Finch memo dated April 29, 1908 said the Department should create “a small, permanent force of special agents” to meet its investigative needs. In late June and early July, the department quietly hired 34 investigators. On July 26, Bonaparte directed his attorneys to refer most investigative matters to Finch for handling by one of these agents. The Bureau was born.

Finch led the new group capably, keeping close tabs on its work. He was officially named “chief” of the newly titled Bureau of Investigation in March 1909.