FBI NATIONAL ACADEMY A 40-YEAR TRADITION OF EXCELLENCE AND ACCOMPLISHMENT

• Document Type: CREST
• Collection: General CIA Records
• Document Number (FOIA) /ESDN (CREST): CIA-RDP05S00620R000601550005-0
• Release Decision: RIFPUB
• Original Classification: K
• Document Page Count: 5
• Document Creation Date: December 22, 2016
• Document Release Date: June 8, 2009
• Sequence Number: 5
• Content Type: REPORT

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onday morning, July 29,1935,
hot and humid in Washington,
D.C. As I walked down Pennsylvania
Avenue to the Department of Justice
Building, I felt a keen sense of excite-
ment and anticipation. I was on the
threshold of a worthwhile experi-
ment-establishment of the new
Academy of the Federal Bureau of
Investigation."
These observations, recorded by one
of the 23 police officer graduates of
the first session of what has become
the renowned FBI National Academy,
clearly express the hopes and anxieties
of those associated with this pioneer
project four decades ago. The ancient
Chinese proverb "A thousand-mile
journey begins with the first stride"
appears appropriately applied to the
modest beginnings and long-range ob-
jectives of this new police training
endeavor.
What occasioned this unique under.
taking? Who made it possible?
Lawless Era
During the 1930's, daring and
vicious criminal gangs roamed broad
areas of the United States terrorizing
communities and challenging consti-
tuted authority. Some of these out-
laws, due to their daring exploits, were
often glorified by many as folk heroes.
Police, frequently inept in trying to
cope with these villains, were common
targets of public scorn and jest. A
pressing need was evident for elevat-
ing the competence and quality of
local law enforcement across the
length and breadth of this land.
National Crime Conference
Flourishing crime prompted Presi-
dent Franklin D. Roosevelt to convene
a national crime conference in late
1934. At this assembly, FBI Director
J. Edgar Hoover and Attorney Gen-
eral Homer S. Cummings presented a
novel proposal-institution of a per-
manent police training school at
Washington, D.C., for selected career
peace officers. This school would be
modeled after the successful FBI Spe-
cial Agent Training School, however,
oriented toward local law enforcement
problems. Its. objective would be to
train attending officers as executives,
administrators, investigators, and in-
structors for raising the standard and
proficiency of law enforcement at all
levels.
This proposal was well received and
widely acclaimed as a necessary and
timely measure for professionalizing
law enforcement. Among the endorsers
and supporters from the outset was the
International Association of Chiefs of
Police.
Early Academy gllistory
With this prelude, 40 years ago this
month the "Police Training School of
? (Published by the Federal Bureau of Investigation, U. S. Department of Justice)
Reprinted from the FBI Law Enforcement Bulletin, July, 1975
(Revised 2-77)
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Some Highlights in
FBI National Academy History
December 10-13, 1934--
At Attorney General's Crime Com-
mission meeting, FBI Director J.
Edgar Hoover and Attorney Gen-
eral Homer S. Cummings present
proposal for police training
school.
July 29, 1935--
First Session commenced.
October 19, 1935--
Graduation of 23 officers attend-
ing First Session.
1939-40--
At the invitation of the U. S.
Marine Corps and by special con-
gressional appropriation and au-
thorization, construction of first
FBI Academy structure was initi-
ated and completed at Quantico,
Virginia.
November 8, 1957--
Dwight D. Eisenhower becomes
first U. S. President to address
National Academy graduates (60th
Session).
May 28, 1969--
National Academy graduation for
83rd Session held in the East
Room of the White House.
June 26. 1972--
First substantially expanded Na-
tional Academy class (90th Ses-.
sion) commences at recently com-
pleted ultramodern academy fa-
cilities at Quantico, Virginia.
March 20, 1975--
Graduation of 100th Session dur-
ing 40th year of National Academy
operation with total graduates
numbering almost 9,000.
June 17, 1976--
The 10,000th officer was gradu-
ated with the 105th Session.
the Federal Bureau of Investigation,"
as the.National Academy was officially
referred to in the early days, became
a reality.
During the first 5 years of opera-
tion, National Academy training was
primarily afforded on the premises of
the U.S. Department of Justice Build-
ing in downtown Washington, D.C. In
1940, the first Academy structure was
completed at the U.S. Marine Corps
Base at Quantico, Va. This one-build-
ing facility was. designed to augment
academic training at the Justice Build-
ing by providing housing and instruc-
tional space for use of National Acad-
emy students during firearms and field
training phases of the program con-
ducted at nearby range areas. It was
utilized for this purpose for 32 years.
Academy Facilities
Greatly Expanded
Today, all National Academy in-
struction and training take place at the
greatly expanded FBI Academy facil-
ities dedicated in mid-1972. This
ultramodern 10-building Academy
complex is situated amid rolling
woodlands on the Quantico Marine
Corps Reservation some 40 miles
south of the Nation's Capital. It was
designed as an autonomous commu-
nity for learning and set in a secluded
environment conducive to acquiring
knowledge.
Most prominent at the Academy
are the twin seven-story dormitory
buildings, centrally located within the
complex. These structures feature dou-
ble-occupancy rooms with individual
study desks and shared bathroom fa-
cilities. Comfortable lounge and recre-
ation areas on the first floor comple-
ment these student quarters.
Adjacent to the dormitories is a
large cafeteria-style dining area. Near-
by are a refreshment bar, banking fa-
cility, mailroom, barbershop, general
store, chapel, and other student service
accommodations, including laundry
and drycleaning outlets.
The main classroom building en-
compasses 23 specially designed class-
rooms and 8 seminar-size conference
rooms. The classrooms feature the
latest in audiovisual aids and instruc-
tional support equipment. Included
are a capability for closed-circuit
television and a highly sophisticated
student response system. Several class-
rooms are uniquely equipped for
specialized instruction and laboratory
work in the fields' of forensic science,
photography, and fingerprint identi-
fication. Seating in most of the class-
rooms is arranged in a tiered and
semicircular manner to provide each
student an unimpaired view of in-
struction presented.
With over 80,000 titles, the A
emy's Learning Resource Center s
recognized as one of the foremost law
enforcement-oriented libraries in the
world. Highlights of its collection in-
clude an extensive legal section and
a broad array of visual study aids.
The physical training center allows
a full range of athletic activities and
is available for student use after regu-
lar class hours. A special exercise
room, complete with weights and mod-
ern exercise bars and apparatus, is
only a few steps from the main gym-
nasium where basketball and volley-
ball courts are available. Nearby is
a varied-depth water training pool
situated in temperature-controlled
surroundings.
Since several firearms training
courses are offered as part of the Na-
tional Academy format, a number of
firearms ranges, indoor and out, are
available for this purpose. These per-
mit use of all standard police w,
ons.
Graduation exercises are held
the impressive 1,000-seat Academy
auditorium. This spacious hall also
serves as a forum for appearances of
noted speakers and, during evenings,
as a movie theater for Academy resi-
dents.
All instruction, meals, lodging,
laundry, and necessary equipment
and supplies associated with students'
training are provided without cost to
them. Attending officers from local,
county, and State law enforcement
agencies of the United States are also
provided transportation expenses
from place of assignment to the Na-
tional Academy.
Intense- 11-Week_.Program
Each National Academy session
consists of a comprehensive and bal-
?
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anced 11-week program of advanced
professional instruction.
The academic curriculum is com-
posed of courses relating to manage-
ment science, behavioral science, law,
education and communication arts,
and forensic science. Through affilia-
tion with the University of Virginia,
up to 16 hours of undergraduate
credit can be earned. For officers who
qualify, an opportunity exists for tak-
ing a total of 9 graduate credit hours
in selected disciplines. Overall, a mini-
mum of 14 semester hours of aca-
demic work is required. Each student
may elect to take an additional 1 or
2 semester hours in a variety of elec-
tives offered, such as budgeting for
law enforcement, police unions, in-
structional technology, legal research,
and others.
In addition to the academic require-
ments, National Academy students
must participate in 20 hours of law
enforcement arts noncredit electives.
This training is available in 24 areas
of vocational interest, for example,
basic pistol marksmanship, advanced
disarming techniques, latent finger-
print photography, hostage situations,
and rappelling and rope rescue oper-
ations. All of these electives except
one are of 10 hours' total duration,
allowing students to select two such
courses to fulfill this requirement. The
exception is a 20-hour elective entitled
"Current Events Affecting Law En-
forcement."
Program Review
All phases of the National Academy
program are under continual review
to insure they are current, relevant,
and practical. The overall course is
regularly analyzed to insure attending
officers are being motivated to put
forth their best effort, thereby maxi-
mizing their potential for achieve-
ment.
During 1972-73, a 12-member FBI
Law Enforcement Training Advisory
Significant Statistics-FBI National Academy
(Figures are tabulated through 107th Session graduation
Dec. 16, 1976)
Total graduates--------------------------------
10,657
Graduates still active in law enforcement ------------
6,789
Graduates who are currently heads of agencies--____
1,154
Chiefs of police------------------------------
873
Sheriffs -----------------------------------
167
State police commanders----------------------
14
Other top executives--------------------------
100
Graduates from U.S. territories and possessions-_-_
104
Foreign graduates (representing 54 countries)-----_
428
Largest graduating class (members, 92d Session,
March 1973) -------------------------------
299
Committee, comprised of 5 law en-
forcement executives, 4 educators, and
3 representatives of business and in-
dustry, evaluated the National Acad-
emy, giving particular attention to its
adequacy in fulfilling the needs of
local and State law enforcement. This
committee issued a report compli-
mentary to the Academy and its pro-
gram. Some comments from this re-
port are worth repeating:
"The National Academy is unique
in that it is a blend of three critically
significant factors:
"(I)
"(2) A faculty and staff which
"(3)
A training and educational
facility without equal in the
history of the Criminal Jus-
tice System.
includes experienced and
qualified FBI personnel,
recognized and prestigious
representatives of the Uni-
versity of Virginia, and suc-
cessful practitioners of law
enforcement.
A potential for sustained
study and analysis of the
This photo, taken October 19, 1935, pictures Attorney General Homer S. Cummings (right)
presenting diploma to a graduate of First Session of "FBI Police Training School." Others
present include FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover (center), and members of collaborating
committee of the International Association of Chiefs of Police.
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Requirements for National Academy
Candidates
Only promising career officers who can
be expected to benefit most, both in
terms of their own performance and
that of their fellow officers, are selected
for candidacy. Although chosen without
regard to race, creed, color, sex, or na-
tional origin, a candidate must:
needs of law enforcement
for training and education,
coupled with an opportunity
to provide direct and cata-
lytic responses to these
needs."
?igh Esteem of Academy
The esteem with which the National
Academy is viewed is attested to by
the distinguished line of dignitaries
who have appeared as speakers and
guests at Academy graduation exer-
cises. This prestigious group includes
3 U.S. Presidents, 4 Vice Presidents,
2 Chief Justices of the Supreme Court,
26 Congressmen, numerous Cabinet
members, and several ranking police
and military figures. From the private
sector, notable national leaders in the
business, industry, labor, media, and
religious fields have further graced
these commencement proceedings by
their presence and tributes to gradu-
ates.
FBI National Academy
Associates
Graduation does not sever the at-
tending officer's bond with the Na-
?
tional Academy. Upon successful com-
pletion of the program, membership
is automatic in the FBI National
Academy Associates. This organiza-
tion, with 40 active chapters, sponsors
periodic chapter and regional retrain-
ing sessions. Activities of its members,
along with current items of interest
about the National Academy, are pub-
lished in the NA "Newsletter." Issues
of this pamphlet are published six
times a year and forwarded to gradu-
ates.
Future Most Promising
Achievement and excellence have
been hallmarks in the National Acad-
emy's long and proud history. The
original premise that better law en-
forcement is founded upon advanced
training and education has been
proven time and time again. Those
associated with the Academy continue
to be dedicated to providing the finest
professional training possible to ca-
reer law enforcement officers who po-
tentially will benefit most from it.
Considering this commitment and the
National Academy's past as prologue,
the future is most promising. ai
(1) Be at least 25 years of age and
not have reached his or her
51st birthday.
(2) Be a full-time officer employed
by a duly established law en-
forcement agency with at least
5 years of substantially contin.
uous law enforcement experi-
ence.
(3) Possess at least a high school
diploma, or its equivalency,
and show aptitude and interest
in academic achievement.
(4) Be in excellent physical con-
dition and within prescribed
weight requirements based on
height and build.
(5) Possess outstanding character
and reputation and have dem-
onstrated unimpeachable mor-
al conduct and integrity. (The
FBI will investigate each offi-
cer nominated to insure these
standards are met.)
(6) Possess leadership qualities,
enjoy the confidence and re-
spect of fellow officers, and
have a serious commitment to
law enforcement as a public
service.
(7) Be nominated by the head of
respective agency, or if the
head, be self-nominated or
nominated by a supervisor
such as a mayor or city man-
ager.
(8) Be willing to certify to the
nominating official or entity
that candidate will remain in
law enforcement for a mini-
mum of 3 years following Na-
tional Academy graduation.
Applications-Officers who believe they
qualify should request that their agency
obtain application forms from the near-
est FBI field office. When completed and
properly endorsed, these forms should
be forwarded to the Special Agent in
Charge of the FBI field office covering
the candidate's area of employment.
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