FBI Logo PNG
The organization protects society from the criminal world. This is immediately evident from the FBI logo. The symbols of the coat of arms contain the readiness to fight, defend life, and uphold the rule of law. The system leaves no loopholes for violators.
On July 26, 1908, US Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte created a small investigative unit inside the Department of Justice. Before that, the department had to borrow Secret Service agents from the Treasury Department. Congress banned that practice in May 1908, so Bonaparte formed a separate force of 34 agents. Many had previously worked for the Secret Service, and Stanley Finch became the first chief.
By March 1909, the unit was named the Bureau of Investigation. Its early cases focused on illegal land deals and corporate fraud. The 1910 Mann Act expanded its authority, making interstate trafficking for sexual exploitation a federal crime. During World War I, the bureau investigated draft evasion, violations of the Espionage Act, and the activities of foreign suspects.
John Edgar Hoover joined the Justice Department in 1917. During the Red Scare, he built an index of radical leaders, groups, and publications, reaching about 450,000 files by 1921. On May 10, 1924, Hoover became acting director. He tightened hiring, removed weak agents, centralized fingerprint records, and opened a federal crime lab in 1932. In 1935, the Bureau of Investigation became the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
During the Depression, FBI agents gained public attention by pursuing John Dillinger, Machine Gun Kelly, and Alvin Karpis. In World War II, the FBI moved into counterintelligence, including the 1941 arrest of 33 Nazi agents in New York and work on Venona.
During the Cold War, COINTELPRO targeted communists, civil rights leaders, antiwar activists, and journalists. After Hoover died in 1972 and the Watergate scandal, Congress limited FBI directors to 10 years. After September 11, 2001, the FBI shifted heavily toward counterterrorism while keeping its investigative and counterintelligence role.
Meaning and History
This organization was originally called the Bureau of Investigation and was subordinate to the Justice Department. When it appeared (in 1908), it had no logo, only a seal belonging to the Justice Department.
The security service acquired its seal in 1935 after receiving its current name. However, the changes were minor because the designers added only two new elements to the old version of the logo. These were the inscription “FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION” and the slogan “FIDELITY, BRAVERY, INTEGRITY,” the authorship of which is attributed to Inspector W. H. Drane Lester, then the deputy director of the FBI, Edward Allen Tamm.
What is the FBI?
FBI is the abbreviated name for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. It is a US agency responsible for domestic intelligence and has full authority to investigate crimes. It cooperates with various law enforcement agencies to combat crime jointly and protect the interests of American citizens. The agency was established in 1908 as a division of the Department of Justice.
In 1940, another redesign was carried out. Special agent Leo Gauthier proposed his version of the seal, which he made a few more adjustments to. He used elements from the FBI flag he had designed and connected them inside a blue circle.
In the center of the logo, a heraldic shield is divided into two parts. At the bottom, five vertical lines alternate in color: two white and three red. Such a quantitative ratio is not accidental because it references the national flag of the United States, which has more red stripes than white ones. In the upper part of the shield, there are scales, a symbol of justice. The bowls are frozen at the same level, which indicates balance.
The motto “FIDELITY, BRAVERY, INTEGRITY,” previously located in the ring, is now written on an unfolded scroll inside the circle. He briefly describes the moral qualities of the FBI special agents. Laurel branches are depicted on both sides of the inscription, personifying glory, respect, and honor. The designers have detailed the leaves so they can be counted. The 46 leaves corresponded to the number of states founded by the Federal Bureau of Investigation.
The central elements are enclosed in a chain of 13 yellow five-pointed stars. They are located at a central distance and symbolize joining efforts to achieve a common goal. Behind the stars are two yellow rings of different diameters. In the free space between them is written the full name of the organization (“FEDERAL BUREAU OF INVESTIGATION”) and the name of the structure to which it belongs (“DEPARTMENT OF JUSTICE”).
The circle is covered with yellow polygonal ornaments on the outside. The polygons are folded so that their sharp edges point outward. The ornament personifies the problems, difficulties, and obstacles that stand in the way of FBI employees.
Font and Colors
The print shows two different fonts. The first, thin, with short serifs, is used for the motto. The second typeface is also antique but bold, with thick, rectangular serifs. It’s called Serifa Black.
The FBI logo is symbolic in every aspect, including its colors. Gold conveys the importance of the security service, white personifies peace, openness, and purity, and red embodies moral and physical strength. Green is the traditional color of laurel. At the same time, the palette is dominated by a dark blue, denoting the struggle for justice.