For Immediate Release
January 28, 2000

Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office

The Federal Bureau of Investigation announced today that it has added several new subject matters to the Historical Interest, Famous Persons, and Gangster Era categories of its Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) Electronic Reading Room. The subjects listed below have been available in paper format for several years and now can be accessed electronically:

HISTORICAL INTEREST

American Friends Service Committee -- 3,498 pages

This committee was originally formed in the 1920's to send funds for relief efforts to Soviet Russia. The file covers the activities of the Committee from the 1920's through the 1970's.

Clyde A. Tolson -- 2,141 pages

This file contains Associate Director Tolson's personnel records and copies of memoranda that were maintained in his office.

Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts
Reference Manual -- 846 pages

This manual is used by FBI personnel as a reference guide when processing FBI files under the Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts. It contains copies of the Freedom of Information-Privacy Acts and various other regulations, as well as policy memoranda.

Supreme Court -- 3,474 pages

The file contains correspondence between J. Edgar Hoover and Supreme Court Marshals regarding security issues at the Supreme Court and requests for background investigations on Supreme Court employees. The file also contains information concerning cases heard before the Supreme Court that were of specific interest to the FBI.

FAMOUS PERSONS

Martin Dies -- 50 pages

This Congressman from Texas was known as the founder of the House Un-American Activities Committee. The file contains correspondence between him and J. Edgar Hoover, as well as the results of investigations regarding potential extortion violations.

Vito Marcantonio -- 993 pages

Congressman Marcantonio was the subject of an FBI security matter investigation during the 1940's and 1950's in view of his extensive affiliation with members of the Communist Party and known communist front groups.

Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis -- 4 pages

This file contains information about coordinating security for a planned trip to Ireland in 1967 by the former First Lady and her children.

Aristotle Onassis -- 4,296 pages

In 1954, the FBI investigated Onassis for Fraud Against the Government. He was charged with violating the citizenship provision of the shipping laws which requires that all ships displaying the American flag be owned by United States citizens. Onassis pled guilty and agreed to pay seven million dollars to the United States Government. The file also contains newspaper articles about Onassis and his shipping business.

Jack London -- 47 pages

The American author was never the focus of an FBI investigation, but he is mentioned in FBI files as co-founder of the Inter-Collegiate Socialist Society. This society was of interest to the FBI because of its views on socialism.

Roy Wilkins -- 967 pages

Roy Wilkins was an influential member of the National Association for the Advancement of Colored People (NAACP). He was a civil rights advocate who became affiliated with Martin Luther King, Jr. The FBI investigated threats against Wilkins' life and proposed extortion plots.

William Faulkner -- 18 pages

The FBI investigated a possible extortion violation in 1957 when the wife of the famous author received several phone calls asking for $500 for certain information about her husband.

George Orwell -- 79 pages

The English political satirist was never investigated by the FBI; however, FBI records contain correspondence in 1949 between Orwell's publisher and J. Edgar Hoover, as well as miscellaneous information regarding him and his published works.

Albert Einstein -- 1,427 pages

An investigation was conducted by the FBI regarding the famous physicist because of his affiliation with the Communist Party. Einstein was a member, sponsor, or affiliated with thirty-four communist fronts between 1937-1954. He also served as honorary chairman for three communist organizations.

Joseph McCarthy -- 4,296 pages

The U.S. Senator, famous for conducting the McCarthy hearings regarding communism in the United States, was never the focus of an FBI investigation. FBI records contain extortion investigations and correspondence between McCarthy and J. Edgar Hoover.

GANGSTER ERA

Benjamin "Bugsy" Siegel -- 2,421 pages

The FBI investigated the infamous gangster for racketeering, murder, and numerous other criminal activities. Siegel was murdered on June 19, 1947 in Los Angeles, California, at the mansion of Virginia Hill, his mistress. The FBI determined that Bugsy Siegel was responsible, either directly or indirectly, for at least thirty murders.

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These documents have been converted to an electronic format from paper copies housed in the FOIA Reading Room located at FBI Headquarters. Portions have been blacked out to protect personal privacy, confidential sources, national security, etc., in accordance with the exemption provisions of the FOIA. The index to the paper format documents in the FOIA Reading Room is now available at the FBI's website and, as additional documents are converted to an electronic format, they will be added to the Electronic Reading Room.