Director Hoover helps movie star Shirley Temple during her tour of FBI Headquarters on June 28, 1938. John Edgar Hoover (January 1, 1895 - May 2, 1972) was the first Director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) of the United States. Appointed director of the Bureau of Investigation - predecessor to the FBI - in 1924, he was instrumental in founding the FBI in 1935, where he remained director until his death. Shirley Temple Black (April 23, 1928 - February 10, 2014) was an American actress, singer, dancer, businesswoman and diplomat most notable as Hollywood's number one box-office star from 1935-38. She retired from films in 1950 at the age of 22. As an adult, she was named United States ambassador to Ghana and to Czechoslovakia and also served as Chief of Protocol of the United States.