Jackson Division's History

In June 1964, three young civil rights workers disappeared outside Philadelphia, Mississippi, where they were involved in registering African-Americans who wanted to vote. President LYNDON B. JOHNSON ordered the Department of Justice to intervene and approximately 150 FBI Special Agents were sent to Mississippi. On July 10, 1964, Director J. EDGAR HOOVER flew to Jackson on Air Force One to officially dedicate the opening of the Jackson Division.

As a result of the opening of the Jackson Division and the subsequent investigations, the bodies of the three civil rights workers were found in August 1964, in an earthen dam near Philadelphia, Mississippi. Seven men were convicted of federal conspiracy charges and sentenced to prison terms ranging from three to ten years. MIBURN, "Mississippi Burning" as the case was called, became one of the largest investigations ever conducted in the State of Mississippi.

Prior to June 1964, FBI investigative matters in northern Mississippi were handled by the Memphis Division and by the New Orleans Division for matters occurring in southern Mississippi.

Today, the Jackson Division has Special Agents assigned at the headquarters office in Jackson and in the nine (9) Resident Agencies, located in Columbus, Greenville, Gulfport, Hattiesburg, Meridian, Oxford, Pascagoula, Southaven, and Tupelo, Mississippi.