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Other FBI Records in the National Archives

The National Archives holds FBI records that are not part of the Central Records System case files. The following are some of the more notable series.

General Investigative Records ("Miscellaneous Files"), 1908-1922 [RG 65 entry A1-29/National Archives identifier 833644]. Arranged by file number. The files contain investigative reports, correspondence, and memorandums dealing with alleged violations of Federal laws. These records are open for use by researchers. Available on National Archives Microfilm Publication M1085, rolls 112 - 256.

Investigative Records Relating to German Aliens ("Old German Files"), 1915-1920 [RG 65 Entry 31/National Archives identifier 833644]. Arranged numerically, 1 through 391,901. The records include reports, memorandums, and other documents relating to investigations of German aliens, who were politically suspect at the time of the creation of the records. These records are open for use by researchers. Available on National Archives Microfilm Publication M1085, rolls 257 - 850.

Investigative Records Relating to Mexican Neutrality Violations ("Mexican Files"), 1909-1921 [RG 65 Entry A1-30/National Archives identifier 833649]. Arranged numerically 232-1 through 232-6049. The records include reports, memorandums, and other documents relating to investigations of persons believed to be operating against U.S. interests during the Mexican revolution. These records are open for use by researchers. Available on National Archives Microfilm Publication M1085, rolls 851 - 874.

Investigative Records Transferred from the Department of Justice ("Bureau Section Files"), 1920-1921 [RG 65 Entry A1 32/National Archives identifier 833671]. Arranged in two consecutive groups: first by number assigned to the type of violation and thereunder serially from file 4-1-3 through file 60-126-9; second numerically 6615 through 313846 (with many gaps). The records consist of investigative reports and correspondence culled from other organizations of the Department of Justice whose investigative functions were transferred to the Bureau of Investigation. Many of the files are duplicated in the General Investigative Records ("Miscellaneous Files") described above. These records are open for use by researchers. Available on National Archives Microfilm Publication M1085, rolls 875 - 955.

The index [RG 65 Entry A1-28/National Archives identifier 833643] to the four series of records described above is open for use by researchers and is available on National Archives Microfilm Publication M1085, rolls 1 - 111.

Records of the American Protective League (APL), 1917-1919 [RG 65 Entries A1-12 through 16/National Archives identifiers 581149, 597863, 597893, 597894]. The APL was a nationwide volunteer organization established March 22, 1917, that provided information to the BOI concerning disloyal persons, conducted investigations for other federal agencies, and assisted in locating delinquents under the Selective Service Act. The organization was dissolved at the Attorney General's request on February 1, 1919, and the records of its national headquarters transferred to the BOI. The records consist of correspondence with field offices in AR, CA, KS, NY (including New York City), and NC, 1917-19; a partial file of requests for investigations, 1918-19; registers of members, 1918-19; samples of record cards of badge-holding members, 1917- 19; and the APL newsletter, The Spy Glass, June 4, 1918-January 15, 1919. These records are open for use by researchers.

J. Edgar Hoover Official and Confidential Files [RG 65 Entry UD-05D-14/National Archives identifier 630498]. Records maintained by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover in his private office to prevent unauthorized access to the sensitive information contained in them. The records were segregated from the regular FBI files. These records are partially open for use by researchers.

J. Edgar Hoover Scrapbooks [RG 65 Entry A1-49]. Mounted press clippings concerning the activities of Hoover and the FBI. These records are open for use by researchers.

Congratulatory Letters to J. Edgar Hoover [RG 65 Entry A1-50]. Letters of congratulation received by Hoover, particularly on the annual anniversary of his appointment as director. Filed with each copy is a copy of Hoover's reply. These records are open for use by researchers.

Cartoons Celebrating the 25th Anniversary of J. Edgar Hoover as Director [National Archives identifier 518178]. Twelve original cartoons presented to Hoover by prominent American cartoonists to commemorate J. Edgar Hoover's twenty-fifth anniversary as Director of the FBI.

The artists represented are D.R. Fitzpatrick of the St. Louis Post Dispatch, Chester Gould, Phil Davis, Milton Caniff, Vic Vac of the St. Louis Globe-Democrat, Gus Edson, J. Lichty, Alfred Andriola, Ed Reed of the Washington Post, Mel Graff, Kemp Starrett, and Howard Gray. Among the cartoon characters portrayed congratulating Hoover are Little Orphan Annie, Steve Canyon, Kerry Drake, Mandrake the Magician, and Dick Tracy. Also included is a color lithograph by Howard Chandler Christy. Each illustration is autographed by the cartoonist.

The President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection. President John F. Kennedy was assassinated on November 22, 1963. In 1992, Congress enacted the President John F. Kennedy Assassination Records Collection Act of 1992. The Act mandated that all assassination-related material be housed in a single collection in the National Archives and Records Administration (NARA).

The resulting JFK Assassination Collection consists of more than 5 million pages of assassination-related records, photographs, motion pictures, sound recordings and artifacts. Included is a significant volume of FBI records. Most of the records are open for research.

Nazi War Crimes and Japanese Imperial Government War Records Interagency Working Group. President Bill Clinton established the Nazi War Criminal Records Interagency Working Group (IWG) on January 11, 1999, in accordance with the Nazi War Crimes Disclosure Act. The group was directed to locate, inventory, recommend for declassification, and make available all classified Nazi war criminal records, subject to certain specified exceptions; and to coordinate with federal agencies and expedite the release of such classified records to the public. In May 2000, the work of the IWG was expanded to include the declassification of records related to Japanese war crimes in the second phase of implementation of the Nazi War Crime Disclosure Act of 1998.

The work of the IWG led to the declassification and opening to the public of over 8 million pages of documents, including 1.2 million pages of records of the Office of Strategic Services (OSS); 74,000 pages of Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) name and subject files; more than 350,000 pages of FBI subject files; and nearly 300,000 pages of Army intelligence files.

The records released under this project are found in the appropriate case file in the relevant class of records.

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