Yes, it was Abe Lincoln who initiated the Secret Service. One of his last acts on April 14, 1865, was to found the division to be known as the Secret Service. It was a squad originally organized to prevent the counterfeiting of our currency.

Later that same night, Lincoln and his wife attended the play at Ford’s Theatre. The non-observant guard outside his door, apparently left for a drink at the neighboring pub. John Wilkes Booth pushed his way into Abe’s Presidential box and assassinated him!

Congress took it upon themselves to add presidential protection to the duties that were to be executed (please excuse the use of that word) by this new Secret Service. Except that like most things in Congress, they thought about it, but didn’t actually complete anything.

In 1894, the Secret Service was finally commissioned to begin at least part-time, informal protection of the President, Grover Cleveland. Yes, that was a full 29 years after the murder of President Lincoln. It was also 13 years after the assassination of our 20th President, James Garfield. He lost his life in 1881, also by assassination.

It could be said that the Secret Service’s services were a secret for a little too long!