Neil Welch

Neil Welch joined the FBI in 1951, the same year he graduated from Creighton Law School. His illustrious 29-year career in the Bureau includes managing Buffalo, Detroit, and Philadelphia field offices. He was named director of the New York Office, the FBI's largest after President Jimmy Carter considered him for FBI Director. He oversaw the famous ABSCAM sting operation in the 1970s and early 1980s that led to the convictions of seven members of the United States Congress, among others, for bribery and corruption. Neil co-authored Inside Hoover's FBI and, in 1986, received the School of Law Alumni Merit Award from Creighton Law School. Considered a maverick with great integrity by many in the Bureau, Neil garnered high respect from his field agents and superiors. He died in Omaha on June 29, 2017.