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FBI agents investigated President Gordon B. Hinckley of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1951, long before he became church president. Apparently the government wanted to see if he was a spy, and the answer was no.
The Salt Lake Tribune reports the FBI did a background check in case President Hinckley received a job with Voice of America, a radio network run by the State Department.
The FBI file, which was released last week, shows investigators found out he had above-average grades at the University of Utah, and former supervisors and friends called him a hard worker and loyal American. There are no disparaging remarks in the file.
The bureau also looked for an arrest record, but did not find one. It's not clear whether Pres. Hinckley was offered the job.
E-mail: mrichards@ksl.com
(The Associated Press contributed to this report. Copyright 2008 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
