"Heroes Live Forever" - the story of U.S. Secret Service Agent William Craig

William "Big Bill" Craig was the first Secret Service agent ever to die in the line of duty protecting the president.

U.S. Secret Service Agent William Craig

McLean, VA (April 29, 2025) - It was not until the assassination of President William McKinley in 1901 that the Secret Service began protecting the President of the United States on a full-time basis. A Secret Service operative by the name of William “Big Bill” Craig was assigned to protect McKinley’s successor, Theodore Roosevelt. Craig seemed the perfect fit for the job. He was a noted athlete with a giant physique and was an avid boxer. The President never went anywhere without him. On September 3rd, 1902, President Roosevelt was in Pittsfield, Massachusetts, on a campaign trip. The President was in a four-horse carriage, along with several others, including William Craig. That’s when tragedy struck. A speeding electric trolley car hit the carriage and Craig was thrown from the carriage and run over by the trolley. He was killed instantly, making him the first Secret Service agent ever to be killed while protecting the President. Later in the day, President Roosevelt spoke to a crowd and expressed words of praise for his friend and protector, saying: “We have met with an accident. One of our party, a faithful friend, has been killed. He was the most faithful man I ever knew, and my children fairly worshiped him.”

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