III.

Presidential Protection

Not until 1901, after the assassination of President William McKinley, was the Secret Service charged with the protection of the president. Protection was gradually extended to others as it became clear that the president’s family, the vice president, and so on, might also be targets for assassination and kidnapping attempts. Protection is given around the clock, with agents accompanying their charges on official duties and private activities.

The Secret Service had successfully protected nine presidents in this century before the assassination of John F. Kennedy in Dallas, Texas, on November 22, 1963. Following this, the Warren Commission investigation led to an overhauling of the agency (see Warren Report). Both the budget and the staff were greatly increased, and more modern information-gathering techniques, making use of sophisticated new computers, were put into practice.

See also Federal Bureau of Investigation; National Security Council.