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Title: Lee Roberts Pennington papers
Date (inclusive): 1909-1974
Collection Number: 88019
Contributing Institution: Hoover Institution Library and Archives
Language of Material:
English
Physical Description:
16 manuscript boxes
(6.4 Linear Feet)
Abstract: Correspondence, speeches, reports, memoranda, serial issues, clippings, and other printed matter relating to communism and
other political issues in the United States, subversive activities in the United States, and investigative activities of the
Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and private organizations collected by agent Lee Roberts Pennington, who specialized
in investigating radical left wing activists when employed by the FBI.
Creator:
Pennington, Lee Roberts, 1894-1974
Physical Location: Hoover Institution Library & Archives
The collection is open for research; materials must be requested in advance via our reservation system. If there are audiovisual
or digital media material in the collection, they must be reformatted before providing access.
For copyright status, please contact the Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Acquired by the Hoover Institution Library & Archives in 1988.
[Identification of item], Lee Roberts Pennington papers, [Box no., Folder no. or title], Hoover Institution Library & Archives.
Correspondence, speeches, reports, memoranda, serial issues, clippings, and other printed matter, relating to communism in
the United States, subversive activities in the United States, and investigative activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation
and private organizations.
| 1894 | Born in Martinsburg, West Virginia |
| 1920 | Married Catherine Carter |
| 1974 | Died in Bethesda, Maryland |
| 1953 | Retired from FBI |
| 1972 | The Watergate scandal; Pennington under suspicion for destroying documents due to his connection with James W. McCord |
| 1915 | Received Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Maryland |
| 1917-1918 | Served as Lieutenant in the 60th Infantry in World War I |
| 1928 | Began working for the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) |
| 1944 | Served as Department Commander of the District of Columbia America Legion |
| 1952-1954 | Served as National Executive Commiteeman of the American Legion |
| 1955 | Became full-time Director of the American Legion's National Americanism Commission's counter-subversive activities in Washington, DC |
| 1953-1974 | Believed to be employed by the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) |
Scope and Content of Collection
This collection contains correspondence, speeches, reports, memoranda, serial issues, clippings, pamphlets, and other printed
matter relating to communism in the United States, subversive activities in the United States, the issues surrounding Watergate,
the Vietnam War, and the Middle East, and investigative activities of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and private
organizations.
The collection is organized into five series: Biographical File, General Correspondence, Printed Matter, Speeches and Writings,
and Subject File.
Subjects and Indexing Terms
Communism -- United States
Subversive activities -- United States
Internal security -- United States
United States. Federal Bureau of Investigation
American Legion. National Americanism Commission
American Security Council