Robert S. Benjamin, 84, retired NSA communications analyst and resident of Shepherdstown, WV, died at Jefferson Memorial Hospital in Charles Town, WV on 14 May 2006. Known to his colleagues as “Bob” or “Ben,” Mr. Benjamin had a distinguished career as a communications analyst at the NSA and predecessor organizations.
He served in the U.S. Army Signal Corps from 1942 through World War II, and continued work with NSA until retirement in 1977. Mr. Benjamin was an expert in radio traffic analysis and wrote a classified technical book used within NSA for decades as textbook and reference. He worked at NSA headquarters in Ft. Meade, MD for his entire career except for a two-year stint in Ottawa, Canada. Mr. Benjamin was instrumental in forming several internal NSA technical professional organizations.
He was a native of Albion, Michigan, and graduated from Croswell (MI) High School in Spring 1938. He earned a B.A. degree from Albion College with majors in mathematics and art, teacher’s certification, and Phi Beta Kappa honors. He also worked for the college newspaper and published over 50 political cartoons about campus and international issues.
Mr. Benjamin's wide interests included art and calligraphy, and square dancing and calling. He was the map illustrator for the seminal 1996 book on civil war military intelligence by his friend and former colleague, Edwin Fishel, The Secret War for the Union, hailed in the first issue of The Link. Mr. Benjamin was a devout Christian and bible student; in retirement he was a member of Mt. Zion Assembly of God in Charles Town, WV, where he taught Sunday school.
