Mueller, Robert

▪ 2002

      Just days after taking the oath of office (Sept. 4, 2001) as director of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, Robert Mueller was confronted with the daunting task of assigning some 4,000 FBI agents to pursue thousands of leads and gather intelligence relating to the activities and identities of the perpetrators behind the September 11 terrorist bombings in the U.S. In the wake of the national crisis, Mueller sent agents to at least 30 countries, but it soon became clear that the FBI needed more investigators fluent in Arabic, Farsi, and Pashtu; he appealed to the general population to contact the agency via a hotline if anyone was fluent in any of these languages. Mueller had little time to recover from the major surgery he had undergone in early August.

      In his years investigating everything from street-corner crimes to terrorist bombings and bank fraud, Mueller had established himself as a top-notch law enforcer who emphasized the government's responsibility “to protect its citizens from criminal harm within the framework of the Constitution.” Pres. George W. Bush characterized him as a man of “fidelity, bravery, and integrity.” The nation's top crime-fighting organization was sorely in need of such a leader; after years of critical missteps, the FBI had come to be identified by its failures rather than its successes. These included the disappearance of computer laptops and firearms, the tardiness in identifying FBI agent Robert Hanssen as a Russian spy, and the mishandling of evidence in the Oklahoma City bombing case that came to light only days before convicted bomber Timothy McVeigh was to be put to death.

      Mueller was born Aug. 7, 1944, in New York City and was raised in Philadelphia. He earned some ribbing among fellow law enforcers, who—because of the “III” after his name—called him “Bobby Three Sticks.” After attending St. Paul's, a private school in Concord, N.H., Mueller studied at Princeton University (B.A., 1966). He served as a Marine Corps officer for three years, including one year in Vietnam, and was awarded the Bronze Star, the Purple Heart, and the Vietnamese Cross of Gallantry. He next pursued a master's degree in international studies from New York University and earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law.

      Though Mueller had worked in private law practices in San Francisco, Boston, and Washington, D.C., he left each position for work in public law enforcement. As the assistant attorney general for the criminal division of the Department of Justice (1990–93), he supervised the investigation of the Pan Am Flight 103 bombing. Among his various other appointments, he served as U.S. attorney in two regions: the District of Massachusetts (Boston, 1986–87) and the Northern District of California (San Francisco, 1998–2001). In San Francisco Mueller improved performance by reassigning supervisors, implementing tough new rules, and emphasizing productivity. Despite the fact that he sometimes stepped on toes, California's leading politicians were impressed. Though his no-nonsense style was unlike the star-quality public persona the White House sought for its new FBI director, Mueller was catapulted to the centre of international affairs following the September terrorist attacks.

Sarah Forbes Orwig

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