James Joseph Rowley (October 14, 1908 – November 1, 1992) was the head of the

United States Secret Service The United States Secret Service (USSS or Secret Service) is a Federal law enforcement in the United States, federal law enforcement agency under the United States Department of Homeland Security, Department of Homeland Security charged with co ...

between 1961 and 1973, under Presidents Kennedy, Johnson, and Nixon. Rowley was born in Bronx County, New York to James J. Rowley and Bridget Theresa McTeague. His parents were Irish immigrants who met in

New York City New York, often called New York City or NYC, is the most populous city in the United States. With a 2020 population of 8,804,190 distributed over , New York City is also the most densely populated major city in the U ...

and were married in

Manhattan Manhattan (), known regionally as the City, is the most densely populated and geographically smallest of the five Boroughs of New York City, boroughs of New York City. The borough is also coextensive with New York County, one of the List of co ...

. Rowley began working for the Secret Service in 1938 during the days of

Franklin D. Roosevelt Franklin Delano Roosevelt (; ; January 30, 1882April 12, 1945), often referred to by his initials FDR, was an American politician and attorney who served as the 32nd president of the United States from 1933 until his death in 1945. As the ...

's administration, after first joining the FBI in 1936. On June 18, 1964, Rowley provided testimony to the

Warren Commission The President's Commission on the Assassination of President Kennedy, known unofficially as the Warren Commission, was established by President Lyndon B. Johnson through on November 29, 1963, to investigate the assassination of United States ...

investigating the

assassination of John F. Kennedy John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated on Friday, November 22, 1963, at 12:30 p.m. CST in Dallas, Texas, while riding in a presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza. Kennedy was in the vehicle wi ...

. After the assassination, Secret Service training was regularized and systematized. The

James J. Rowley Training Center The James J. Rowley Training Center (JJRTC, RTC, or Secret Service Training Academy) is the law enforcement training center operated by the United States Secret Service just outside Washington, D.C. in Laurel, Maryland. It is named after forme ...

Beltsville, Maryland Beltsville is a census-designated place (CDP) in northern Prince George's County, Maryland, Prince George's County, Maryland, United States. The community was named for Truman Belt, a local landowner. The 2020 census counted 20,133 residents. Belts ...

is named after him. Rowley died of

congestive heart failure Heart failure (HF), also known as congestive heart failure (CHF), is a syndrome, a group of signs and symptoms caused by an impairment of the heart's blood pumping function. Symptoms typically include shortness of breath, excessive fatigue, ...

at his home in

Leisure World, Maryland Leisure World is a census-designated place and unincorporated area in Montgomery County, Maryland, United States. It is an age-restricted, gated development primarily inhabited by retirees. Leisure World was formerly known as the Rossmoor census ...

References

External links

Transcript of interview with Rowley from the Truman Library
1908 births 1992 deaths American people of Irish descent Directors of the United States Secret Service People from the Bronx United States Secret Service agents People from Montgomery County, Maryland {{US-law-enforcement-bio-stub