Her Dream Led her to Battle the Nightmares of our Lifetime
Sheila Wakefield Horan '69
Federal Bureau of Investigation, retired
One of America's first female FBI agents, Sheila Horan most notably led the investigation into the terrorist bombing of the U.S. Embassy in Kenya. She has since worked to eradicate sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.
Q. How did your time at Saint Joseph College make you the person you are?
A. I had a relatively sheltered childhood. Attending Saint Joseph College opened my eyes to the world of possibilities around me. I was taught by wonderfully strong nuns who would have been very successful in the lay world if they chose that route. They inspired in me a great sense of independence and self-sufficiency.
Q. What prompted you to become a FBI agent?
A. As a child, I had an interest in becoming a police officer. In my teens, I'd already decided I wanted a life that took me well beyond the expected roles of women. When I was completing my graduate degree, the FBI was just opening its ranks to women for the first time. This possibility definitely intrigued me, so I made contact with the FBI's New York office.
Q. How did your college years prepare you for success at work?
A. When you're part of a graduating class of 115, you truly stand out as an individual. Every classmate and professor knows you personally. This is a tremendous support system that fosters the belief that you are cared for and can do anything.
Q. What was it like to join an all-male FBI?
A. Most of the men were welcoming. I passed a grueling 16-week training course and then worked on general criminal investigations side-by-side with male agents. A few men enjoyed giving me a hard time, but I soon learned that humor was the best way to win them over.
"I wrote in my College essay that I didn't want a normal life. Twenty-nine years in the FBI certainly filled this bill."
Q. Why were you chosen to investigate the Embassy bombing?
A. Over my career, I was involved in espionage and counterintelligence investigations and at the time of the Embassy bombings, I was Special Agent in Charge of the Washington Field Office's National Security Division, which also handled terrorism cases. As a result of being in that executive position, I was dispatched to Nairobi to lead the investigation.
Q. What was your role in addressing the Catholic Church crisis?
A. Following my retirement from the FBI, I became Deputy Director of the Office of Child and Youth Protection at the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. In that capacity I assisted the bishops in implementing the charter for child protection, which was designed to deal with victims and offending priests in a way that would bring renewed trust and support to the Church.
