‘Nun with a gun’ Joan Pierce Misko, one of the first female FBI agents, dies at 83

A one-time leading Catholic nun who became one of the first women to be sworn in as an FBI special agent died last week at the age of 83.

Joan Pierce Misko – who earned the iconic nickname of “Nun with a Gun” – died of a lung infection in a hospital in Wheatfield, New York, her brother died told The Washington Post.

Misko made history multiple times throughout her career, including making the incredible leap from bride of God to lady of the law.

The law enforcement pioneer, born in Niagara Falls in 1941, spent 10 years teaching at a Catholic school in Buffalo and was a member of the Sisters of Mercy convent — where she subtly hinted that her passions might lie elsewhere.

“She always wanted to play Clue. That should have been a clue,” a told WGRZ in 2022.

Misko traded his habit for a badge when he started as a researcher for the force in 1970. Then, just two years later, a promotion caught his eye: special agent.

FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover, who had implemented Prohibition-era restrictions against women in the force, died in 1972, clearing the way for Misko to apply for — and get the job at age 31.

That July, Misko and former Marine Susan Rowley were sworn in as the first female FBI special agents in nearly half a century, joining 43 men at the FBI Academy near Quantico, Virginia, according to the bureau.

“(Misco) and Rollie proved their worth early. Men began to affectionately call her ‘The Nun’ and ‘The Marine’,” Discover Niagara said Of history-makers. Misko also later revealed that the women were issued a purse in addition to their guns and credentials.

Misko’s career was not at all easy – soon after being sworn in, he was deployed to Wounded Knee, South Dakota during a 71-day standoff between federal agents and protesters with the American Indian Movement.

She was involved in at least one shooting. He took refuge in an armored personnel carrier and delivered ammunition to his fellow agents.

Misko was later assigned to pursue fugitives from St. Louis, the first of whom was a military deserter who called the FBI “outraged that a woman was being sent to capture him.” ,” she said during An interview with the Bureau in 2012“You know, he didn’t deserve any guy. He had to call a woman after him.

Misko made history again in the late 1970s when she became one of the first female supervisors at FBI headquarters in Washington, and when she retired in 1994, she became the longest-tenured female agent in FBI history. Became.

Despite his wild success, Misko unfortunately faced a lot of discrimination in the workplace.

He once told the Buffalo News, “Nothing bad ever happened to me.” “But you’ll always have some areas of resistance, men who will say, ‘I’m not going to work for a woman.'”

After returning her badge, Misko sued the Bureau for sex discrimination over claims she was passed over for promotion in favor of less qualified male coworkers – and she called the FBI an “old boys’ network.”

The case was settled for an undisclosed amount.

“Filing the lawsuit was one of the hardest things I’ve ever done in my life, because the bulk of my feelings toward the FBI and the people I worked with are good feelings,” he said in a Buffalo News interview. “For the most part, it was a great experience in a tremendous law enforcement agency.”

Her many awards include the U.S. Police Hall of Fame, the Silver Star for Bravery, and the Lifetime Law Enforcement Achievement Award in recognition of her “desire to improve the status of women in law enforcement and her excellence in public service.” According to his obituary.

“To be honest, I didn’t see myself as a pioneer,” he said in an FBI interview. “It was just a role that I was lucky enough to be a part of and I was just playing the special agent. So, I didn’t think about it anyway at that time.”