On July 26, 2018, the FBI celebrates 110 years of public service. In honor of this milestone, we reflect on our history and look forward to the future of the organization. At FBI Headquarters and across all field offices, including FBI Louisville, we are highlighting the FBI’s history and recognizing the people and work of the FBI.

The FBI was established on July 26, 1908, by Attorney General Charles J. Bonaparte with just 34 special agents and was officially named the Federal Bureau of Investigation in 1935. The FBI has grown to nearly 37,000 employees, including more than 13,500 special agents and over 22,800 professional staff employees in 56 field offices, more than 400 resident agencies, and 90 legal attaché offices and sub-offices worldwide.

The FBI has operated a field division in Louisville since the second decade of the 20th century. Closed in April 1925, the Louisville Division was reopened in June of the following year and has operated continuously ever since. The Division currently has over two hundred employees working in Louisville and its seven satellite offices around the Commonwealth of Kentucky.

Much has changed since the FBI was established, but many critical attributes remain the same. The Bureau now operates in a digital world where crime not only crosses state lines, but also international borders—in the blink of an eye. Our best traditions have not changed: our rigorous adherence to the Constitution and the rule of law, and the guiding principles in our motto of Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity.

Special Agent in Charge Amy S. Hess noted “Today, we celebrate a milestone in the storied history of the FBI. We honor the special people—past and present—who have taken on our critical mission of protecting the American people and upholding the Constitution. We look forward to building on the great legacy of the FBI and the Louisville Division.”

Follow the Louisville Division on Twitter @FBILouisville.