John E. Otto (December 18, 1938 – April 22, 2020) was the acting director of the

FBI The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) is the domestic intelligence and security service of the United States and its principal federal law enforcement agency. Operating under the jurisdiction of the United States Department of Justice, t ...

in 1987. A native of St. Paul, Minnesota, Otto served in the

Marine Corps Marines, or naval infantry, are typically a military force trained to operate in littoral zones in support of naval operations. Historically, tasks undertaken by marines have included helping maintain discipline and order aboard the ship (refl ...

and attended St. Cloud State College, where he earned a B.S. in 1960, followed by four years of graduate study in educational administration at the

University of Minnesota The University of Minnesota, formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities, (UMN Twin Cities, the U of M, or Minnesota) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. ...

. As a grad student, he worked as a deputy sheriff for Ramsey County, Minnesota and for the

Arden Hills, Minnesota Arden Hills is a city in Ramsey County, Minnesota, United States. The population was 9,552 at the 2010 census. Bethel University and Seminary is located in the city of Arden Hills. Also, the campus of University of Northwestern – St. Paul ...

police department, while teaching at a junior high school in St. Paul. In 1964, Otto joined the FBI, moving up through the ranks to inspector and supervisor positions. After serving as special agent in charge of the Minneapolis and then

Chicago (''City in a Garden''); I Will , image_map = , map_caption = Interactive Map of Chicago , coordinates = , coordinates_footnotes = , subdivision_type = Country , subdivision_name ...

field offices, Otto was promoted into management positions, becoming executive assistant director of Law Enforcement Services in 1981. In 1987, Otto became acting director of the FBI when director

William H. Webster William Hedgcock Webster (born March 6, 1924) is an American attorney and jurist who most recently served as chair of the Homeland Security Advisory Council from 2005 until 2020. He was a United States district judge of the United States Distr ...

was appointed to Director of Central Intelligence, and stepped down when William Sessions gained Senate approval. In 1990, Sessions awarded Otto the first Medal of Meritorious Achievement. On his retirement the same year, Otto became a security official for

Delta Air Lines Delta Air Lines, Inc., typically referred to as Delta, is one of the major airlines of the United States and a legacy carrier. One of the world's oldest airlines in operation, Delta is headquartered in Atlanta, Georgia. The airline, along w ...

. He died three days before another Acting FBI Director, James B. Adams, almost 2 months before FBI Director,

William S. Sessions William Steele Sessions (May 27, 1930June 12, 2020) was an American attorney and jurist who served as a United States district judge of the United States District Court for the Western District of Texas and Director of the Federal Bureau of Inv ...

, and 5 months after another Acting FBI Director,

William Ruckelshaus William Doyle Ruckelshaus (July 24, 1932 – November 27, 2019) was an American attorney and government official. Ruckelshaus served in the Indiana House of Representatives from 1966 to 1968, and was the United States Assistant Attorney Genera ...

References

1938 births 2020 deaths Directors of the Federal Bureau of Investigation United States Marines Delta Air Lines people St. Cloud State University alumni University of Minnesota College of Education and Human Development alumni People from Saint Paul, Minnesota People from Arden Hills, Minnesota Military personnel from Minnesota American police officers {{US-law-enforcement-bio-stub

Further reading

References