The Book Detective
David Michael Newstead | The Philosophy of Shaving
I picked up an old book, because it had an interesting cover – Commissioner: A View from the Top of American Law Enforcement. This 280-page publication recounts the experiences of Patrick V. Murphy who served as the police chief of Syracuse, Detroit, New York City, and Washington DC in the 1960s and ’70s. In this copy, the author wrote a personal inscription on the inside cover. It’s dated January 1978 and addressed to Judge Webster. His inscription reads:
With congratulations and best wishes for a successful and rewarding tenure as Director of the F.B.I.
Who is Judge Webster? At the time, William H. Webster was a judge on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit. As indicated, President Carter appointed him to be the head of the F.B.I. in 1978, a role he held for a decade before being appointed head of the C.I.A. in 1987 by President Reagan. Webster is the only person to have led both agencies. The book didn’t contain any other notes or inscriptions. Patrick V. Murphy died in 2011. William H. Webster turned 100 years old in March 2024.
