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Heraldry
of the Seal
 Each
symbol and color in the FBI
seal has special significance. The dominant blue field of
the seal and the scales on the shield represent justice. The
endless circle of 13 stars denotes unity of purpose as exemplified
by the original 13 states. The laurel leaf has, since early
civilization, symbolized academic honors, distinction and
fame. There are exactly 46 leaves in the two branches, since
there were 46 states in the Union when the FBI was founded
in 1908. The significance of the red and white parallel stripes
lies in their colors. Red traditionally stands for courage,
valor, strength, while white conveys cleanliness, light, truth,
and peace. As in the American Flag, the red bars exceed the
white by one. The motto, " Fidelity, Bravery, Integrity,"
succinctly describes the motivating force behind the men and
women of the FBI. The peaked bevelled edge which circumscribes
the seal symbolizes the severe challenges confronting the
FBI and the ruggedness of the organization. The gold color
in the seal conveys its over-all value.
Fidelity,
Bravery, Integrity—The FBI Motto
The origins
of the FBI's motto may be traced to a brief comment by Inspector
W. H. Drane Lester, the editor of the employee magazine, The
Investigator, in September 1935:
"F
B I"
At
last we have a name that lends itself to dignified abbreviation
the Federal Bureau of Investigation, which quite naturally
becomes "F B I". In the past our nicknames, which
the public are so prone to give us, have been many and varied.
"Justice Agents", "D. J. Men", "Government
Men" are but a few of them, with the Bureau itself
incorrectly referred to as "Crime Bureau", "Identification
Bureau" and "Crime Prevention Bureau". The
latest appellation, and perhaps the one which has become
most widespread, is "G-Men', an abbreviation itself
for "Government Men".
But
"F B I" is the best and one from which we might
well choose our motto, for those initials also represent
the three things for which the Bureau and its representatives
always stand: "Fidelity - Bravery - Integrity".
Drane
Lester
When
questioned about this by many years later, Miss Helen Gandy,
J. Edgar Hoover's long-time secretary, confirmed that the
Lester was author of the FBI motto.
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