Joanne Pierce Misko

Joanne Pierce Misko (January 7, 1941 – December 13, 2024) was an American nun and FBI special agent who, in 1972, was one of the first women to join the FBI as an agent.

Background Joanne Eileen Pierce was born in Niagara Falls, New York, to homemaker Ann (Egan) Pierce and Howard Pierce, who worked at a chemical company.

Pierce joined the Sisters of Mercy in Buffalo, New York, in 1960, remaining with them for 10 years. While a sister, she earned a bachelor's degree in social science education from Medaille College in 1965, and in 1970 completed a master's degree in history from St. Bonaventure University prior to becoming an FBI agent. She worked as an educator throughout the decade, teaching history in high schools in Niagara Falls and Orleans County.

Misko died of a lung infection in Wheatfield, New York, on December 13, 2024, at the age of 83. During training, the two women became known as "the Nun" and "the Marine". In early 1973, she acted in the FBI response in a tribal war of the Wounded Knee Occupation on the Pine Ridge Indian Reservation in South Dakota. In the late 1970s, The suit was settled in 1996. On the job, Misko said she could use her gender to her advantage, as many suspects did not think she could be an agent.

Awards and recognition 1995 Lifetime Law Enforcement Achievement Award, American Police Hall of Fame