Title: 1969 Typed Letter Signed by FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover to Congressman Frank Horton Regarding Harvard University File Incident — PSA Certified
Description:
Presented here is a Typed Letter Signed (TLS) by J. Edgar Hoover, the long-serving Director of the FBI, dated May 6, 1969, addressed to Congressman Frank Horton of New York. Typed on official FBI letterhead bearing the printed seal of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the letter directly addresses concerns related to a telegram sent by a constituent about an incident at Harvard University. Hoover’s bold ink signature appears crisply at the conclusion of the letter, and the document remains in well-preserved condition, with minor horizontal folds from mailing. The verso features a PSA/DNA authentication sticker (#AP45822), verifying the authenticity of the signature.
Full Transcription:
Federal Bureau of Investigation
United States Department of Justice
Washington, D.C.
May 6, 1969
Honorable Frank Horton
House of Representatives
Washington, D.C. 20515
My dear Congressman:
I have received your letter of May 1st enclosing a copy of a telegram from Mr. James F. Quick of Rochester, New York.
The ransacking of files at Harvard University does not constitute a violation of a Federal law within the investigative jurisdiction of the FBI. You may advise your constituent, however, that this Bureau conducts a considerable amount of investigation regarding activities of individuals and organizations which seek to undermine the internal security of our country. The results of our inquiries are furnished the Department of Justice which has the responsibility for determining whether prosecution is warranted. You may assure him we will endeavor to discharge our responsibilities with the highest degree of thoroughness and dispatch.
Sincerely yours,
J. Edgar Hoover
Historical Context:
This letter references a notable 1969 incident at Harvard University involving student activism and unrest, part of the broader wave of campus protests that swept across the United States in the late 1960s. On April 9, 1969, members of the Students for a Democratic Society (SDS) and other radical groups seized University Hall, Harvard’s main administrative building, in protest of the university's Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC) program, its ties to military research, and broader institutional complicity in the Vietnam War.
During the occupation, student activists entered and ransacked administrative offices, reportedly going through or seizing documents, files, and records. The situation escalated dramatically when, on April 10, then-Harvard President Nathan Pusey ordered Cambridge police and state troopers to forcibly remove the protesters. Over 100 students were arrested and injured during the raid. The event catalyzed a strike, leading to massive campus-wide protests and faculty resignations.
The FBI under Hoover had taken an intense interest in campus activism and the antiwar movement, especially organizations like SDS, which were considered subversive. Nevertheless, as Hoover explains in this letter, the specific act of ransacking university files—while alarming—did not necessarily fall under federal jurisdiction, unless it could be tied to broader national security concerns.
Authentication & Encapsulation:
This letter bears a PSA/DNA sticker (certification #AP45822), confirming the authenticity of J. Edgar Hoover’s signature. Though not encapsulated, the presence of this PSA identifier ensures collector confidence in the signature’s legitimacy. The letter itself is preserved in strong condition, maintaining excellent legibility with its original folds and only minor wear consistent with age.
Closing Appeal:
This signed letter from the FBI’s most iconic and controversial figure—J. Edgar Hoover—offers a direct link to one of the most turbulent chapters in modern American academic and political history. Addressing the volatile climate of 1969, the document captures both Hoover’s steadfast bureaucratic tone and the federal government’s complicated relationship with youth protest movements. Certified by PSA, this piece holds enduring appeal for collectors of Cold War-era, FBI, or 1960s protest memorabilia, and serves as a compelling artifact of American dissent, surveillance, and governance.
