Inspector Samuel Cowley, circa early 30's; courtesy FBII had the honor in September, 2011 of speaking to FBI Inspector Samuel Cowley's son, Sam, Jr., for over two hours in separate telephone calls. He's very proud of his father's role in the Depression Era's war on crime but readily admits his father was not one for publicity. In fact, there are no family photos in existence of his father's FBI career; no manuscripts, no letters and no diaries.
Tragically, Special Agent Sam Cowley gave his life in the line of duty in November, 1934. Cowley, Jr. was too young to remember any of it but he does recall growing up with the pains his mother and the family, in general, endured during the ensuing years. Today, Cowley, Jr. simply wants just one thing; the recognition his father deserves.
Samuel Cowley's role in the Dillinger investigation, and his eventual overseeing of other major investigations cannot be denied. Nor can the respect that Hoover had for him. In just one document in the Dillinger file, (click here) one can see the orders given to Cowley by Hoover and the burden placed upon him to insure that many of the high profile cases of the time were handled properly.
In an article of 2009, Salt Lake reporter Matt Brown of "Deseret News" spoke to Cowley, Jr. and his resulting article lays out the concerns of Cowley, Jr. in seeing that his father gets a place in FBI history.
Mat Brown's article on Inspector Sam Cowley and comments of his son is here.
A search of Cowley's name at this site will provide additional documents regarding his role in the FBI's war on crime and his ultimate sacrifice.